Media Studies Undergraduate Program Degree Requirements

Curious about the media’s impact on society? Here are the academic requirements you’ll need to complete to get a degree in media studies from the SOJC.

How to Earn a Media Studies Degree

Here’s a basic overview of the path you’ll take to get to graduation:

Step 1

If you're an incoming student, declare “media studies” on your UO application. Current UO students in other majors can fill out our major application form.

Step 2

Complete the SOJC platform courses.

Step 3

Take five core context courses in media theory and analysis. You can take them at the same time as your media studies sequence courses (see Step 4).

Step 4

Complete the media studies sequence requirements, which include four general courses (14 credits), plus at least four courses (16 credits) from the track of your choice. You can take these courses at the same time as the core context courses.

Step 5

Complete a minor. You can do this while you’re working through the steps above.

Step 6

Complete all other core education requirements. You can complete these while you're working through the steps above.

Step 7

Apply for your degree. Congrats—you made it!

Minimum Requirements

To graduate with an SOJC degree, you'll need to have:

70+
SOJC credits
40
upper-division SOJC credits
2.70
Minimum SOJC GPA

Platform Courses
All SOJC Students Complete

Once you’re accepted as an SOJC major, you’ll need to complete the courses below. Students in the SOJC Honors Program will meet some of their core context requirements with honors courses.

  • JCOM 101 Media Professions 4 credits
  • JCOM 102 Story Craft Audio 2 credits
  • JCOM 103 Story Craft Visual 2 credits
  • JCOM 201 Making Sense of Media / >2 4 credits
  • JCOM 202 How Stories Work 4 credits
  • JCOM 203 Writing as Practice 4 credits

Core Context Courses
All SOJC Students Complete

All SOJC students must complete five classes in media theory/analysis. You can take them concurrently with the public relations sequence courses. If you’re an SOJC Honors student, you’ll meet some of these requirements with your honors courses.

  • JCOM 301 Gender, Media, and Diversity 4 credits
  • JCOM 302 Communication Law / >2 4 credits
  • JCOM 303 Media Ethics / >1 4 credits
  • JCOM 304 Business of Media 4 credits
  • JCOM 305 Media History / >2 4 credits   or   JCOM 306 Global Communication / >GP 4 credits

Media Studies Sequence Requirements
All Media Studies Majors Complete

Once you've completed the platform courses, you can start registering for the courses below to complete your journalism degree.

  • JCOM 221 Media Studies Production 2 credits
  • JCOM 311 Intro to Media Studies 4 credits
  • JCOM 312 Media Studies Research Methods 4 credits
  • JCOM 426 Media Studies Capstone 4 credits

Media Studies Tracks
Media Studies Majors Choose One Track

You'll also choose one of three tracks within the major: Culture, Power, and the Media; Documentary Studies; or Media Technologies and Structures.

Culture, Power and the Media

  • Choose three:
    • JCOM 315 Indigenous Media 4 credits
    • JCOM 316 Black American Media 4 credits
    • JCOM 317 Media and Religion 4 credits
    • JCOM 318 Documenting International Human Rights 4 credits
    • JCOM 319 Documenting Civil Rights 4 credits
    • JCOM 381 Theories of Play in Media and Communication 4 credits
    • JCOM 382 Game Design and Critique 4 credits
    • JCOM 415 Topics in Culture, Power, and the Media 4 credits
    • JCOM 416 Black American Television 4 credits
    • JCOM 417 Cross Cultural Monster Narratives 4 credits
    • JCOM 419 Reality Television 4 credits
    • JCOM 424 Latin American Cinema 4 credits
    • JCOM 482 Analog Games 4 credits
  • One course from the Media Technology and Structures track

Documentary Studies

  • JCOM 220 Introduction to Documentary Production 4 credits
  • JCOM 320 Survey of the Documentary 4 credits
  • Choose two:
    • JCOM 318 Human Rights and Cinema 4 credits
    • JCOM 319 Civil Rights and Cinema 4 credits
    • JCOM 321 Documentary Filmmaking Aesthetics 4 credits
    • JCOM 322 Documentary Screening and Guests 4 credits
    • JCOM 323 Topics in Documentary: Master Directors 4 credits
    • JCOM 423 Law and Business of Media 4 credits
    • JCOM 424 Latin American Cinema 4 credits
    • JCOM 427M Latino Roots I 4 credits
    • JCOM 428M Latino Roots II 4 credits

Media Technologies and Structures

  • Choose three:
    • JCOM 314 Understanding Disney 4 credits
    • JCOM 380 The Games Industry 4 credits
    • JCOM 383 Understanding E-Sports 4 credits
    • JCOM 411M U.S. Film Industry 4 credits
    • JCOM 412 Internet Law and Regulation 4 credits
    • JCOM 413 Data/Media/Surveillance 4 credits
    • JCOM 414 Topic in Media Technologies and Structures 4 credits
    • JCOM 418 Global Television 4 credits
    • JCOM 423 Law and Business for Media 4 credits
    • JCOM 480 Gamification and the Media 4 credits
    • JCOM 481 Making the Virtual a Reality 4 credits
    • JCOM 483 Game Journalism and Newsgames 4 credits
  • One course from the Culture, Power, and the Media track

General Studies Requirements
All SOJC Students Complete

All SOJC students must complete at least 70 non-SOJC credits. For media studies majors, choose one of the following options:

Academic Support and Career Advising

Need some guidance? Our academic advisors are here for you. The SOJC’s Student Success Center is your one-stop shop for undergrad academic advice and career-building tips. All undergraduate SOJC students are welcome—even if you haven’t enrolled yet. Drop in to Room 134 on the ground floor of Allen Hall or make an appointment and get on track to meet your goals.

Get Academic Support