Propel Communities to Action with a Degree in Journalism
Learn how to tell the stories that inform and inspire individuals and communities. As a journalism undergraduate at the SOJC, you’ll get access to state-of-the-art gear in our broadcast/photo and podcast studios and social and immersive media labs. You’ll have ample opportunities to build the storytelling skills employers look for while mastering the emerging tools of our evolving media landscape, from solutions and engagement journalism to augmented and virtual reality.
Learn from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and bestselling authors alongside a tight-knit community of passionate peers at the only comprehensive accredited journalism program in the Pacific Northwest. You will prepare to join the legions of journalists who are protecting democracy by telling true, impactful stories that serve the public good.
What You Can Do with a Journalism Degree
The media landscape is rapidly shifting, but the need for ethical and accurate reporting remains constant across all platforms and technologies. As a journalism undergraduate, you’ll build crossfunctional and transferable skills that can translate to a career in any medium, from digital and multimedia storytelling to documentary filmmaking. You’ll also develop an entrepreneurial mindset that will allow you to evolve with the industry, with many potential paths to success. See what three of our graduates are up to now:
Real-World Experience
We believe the learning process isn’t complete until you practice your skills out in the world. As an SOJC journalism student, you'll get to hone your practice in the field with hands-on learning trips, student publications, internships, and other opportunities. For example, you could:
- Tell stories of resilience and struggle from the heart of disaster-stricken communities like New Orleans.
- Travel overseas to uncover history’s forgotten stories in places like Ho Chi Minh City or a Sri Lankan village.
- Work for an award-winning student publication like FLUX magazine, OR Magazine, or the Daily Emerald.
- Build a job-landing portfolio while gaining broadcast experience through DuckTV.
- Land a summer internship at a media outlet in Ghana.
- Cover world-class athletic events such as the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 for the SOJC’s Track Bureau.
What Our Alumni Say
The SOJC provided a strong foundation for me to learn the basics and principles of journalism, media ethics, media law, interviewing, and reporting.... The opportunities I had in school definitely helped me get to where I am today.
Attention, SOJC journalism students! Now you can earn a master’s degree within a year of completing your bachelor’s degree in journalism at the SOJC! With our one-year accelerated Multimedia Journalism Master’s program based at SOJC Portland, you’ll learn all the storytelling and technical skills you need to stand out in the field, from immersive media and virtual reality to podcasting, explanatory storytelling, drone journalism, and 360 video.
First he helped expose Russia’s athletic doping program. Then he got a seat at the Academy Awards. Now with an Oscar under his belt, documentary filmmaker Jake Swantko ’11, one of SOJC’s Eric Allen Outstanding Young Alumni, is contemplating what risk to take next—all because an SOJC instructor put a camera in his hands.
“When you pick up a camera, the lens and light speak adjectives and verbs for you. You start to become a more visual storyteller. The camera started to speak for me. If not for the school, I don’t know exactly what I would be doing.”
Brent Walth ’84 has come full circle. The son of teachers, Walth is an assistant professor at his alma mater. With over 30 years of experience as a reporter and editor—including sharing a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service—Walth now teaches investigative reporting to budding journalists.
“I always felt like journalism was a form of teaching. You immerse yourself and attempt to become an expert in the thing you're trying to communicate,” Walth said. “Then you have to figure out a way to explain it, break it down, and communicate it in a way that encourages people to see the world differently. Not any particular way, but just in a new, enhanced way.”