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Broadcast Journalism

This major will prepare you to become reporters, anchors, writers and producers in multiple television and online platforms. In your classes, you will learn reporting, editing, writing, video and audio production, and how to produce a live news broadcast.  You will gain an understanding of the principles of mass communication, research, and media law and ethics. You will build a professional broadcast journalism portfolio to assist you with internships and jobs. 

Degree Requirements and Course Descriptions

Broadcast journalism majors will take a variety of courses including Carolina Core, SJMC core courses, major specific courses and courses to fulfill minor or cognate requirements. See the current year Undergraduate Studies Bulletin for the complete outline of all the broadcast journalism degree course requirements and regulations. It also contains course descriptions, as well as learning outcomes for the broadcast journalism major.  Archived Bulletins are also online.

In order to stay on track towards graduation, the university offers an online program "DegreeWorks." DegreeWorks, which is accessible in Self Service Carolina, is kind of like your personal automated advisor because it displays the coursework you have already taken and shows how and where it applies to your major and/or minor requirements.  It also allows you to hypothetically change majors or minors to see how changes would impact your expected graduation date. 

Please note:
DegreeWorks is only available for students  who enrolled in Fall 2014 or later.

If you started at USC before Fall 2014, please see your assigned academic advisor for specifics regarding your degree plan.

Capstone Experience

The capstone experience for a broadcast journalism major is called Senior Semester in which you will work in our converged newsroom on both short and long form stories for Carolina News, our daily newscast seen campus wide and produced entirely by students.  Senior Semester requires a minimum daily 8-hour commitment from our students to produce the newscast. This means you are unable to have other commitments (classes, jobs, internships) during this immersive experience.

Your Senior Semester will include the following four courses:

  • JOUR 587 - Capstone I - Advanced Reporting - Multimedia Journalism
  • JOUR 588 - Capstone II - Advanced Broadcast and Online Journalism Production
  • JOUR 589 - Capstone II - Advanced Multimedia Journalism Production
  • JOUR 590 - Capstone III - Digital Journalism

To see more about the broadcast journalism major, visit the Undergraduate Bulletin »

Upper Division Progression

You may declare broadcast journalism as a major at any time; however in order to progress, you must formally apply to the Upper Division the semester before you intend to enroll in JOUR 361 – Introductory Reporting and Writing. Entrance into the Broadcast Journalism Upper Division is competitive and is not guaranteed. 

Admission to the Upper Division is based upon: 

  • Strength of the student’s letter of interest
  • USC GPA
  • Completion of JOUR 101 and JOUR 291 with grades of “C” or higher.
  • Additionally, you may be asked to interview with a selection committee.

Do not hesitate to contact your assigned academic advisor if you have any questions regarding this process.

Senior Semester Application

Deadline to apply: March 15.

Sequence Head

Nina Brook is the head of the journalism sequence and helps make decisions about journalism course scheduling and content.

Want to change your major to journalism?

Visit the university advising center for information about changing your major.

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