Journalism
Associate of Arts
Program Details
The journalism program is strongly committed to providing each student with the journalistic skills, ethics and educational background necessary to pursue a career in journalism and media. Students learn this through a combination of instructional and experiential learning strategies, in which they will develop an ethical framework for making decisions to produce rigorous journalism. Students will take foundational journalism courses that emphasize skills in reporting and newsgathering, writing, media literacy, research and knowledge of media law and ethics. Elective courses in this major can help them tailor their journalistic interests by media – such as multimedia and visual journalism – or topics. An Associate in Arts Degree may be earned by completing a minimum of 60 units of degree credit coursework, including the major requirements and breadth requirements, with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. Students must complete all courses for the major with a grade of C or better.
Journalism Pathways
Pathways listed below are for the catalog year 2025-2026. Maps for previous years are available on each pathway page. What is a catalog year?
Featured Careers
Find your calling. Explore high-earning careers with entry-level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
Master's degree, Doctoral degree
- Job growth: Stable
- Low salary: 47,100
- High salary: 160,210
- Average salary: 77800
Editors
Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
- Job growth: Declining
- Low salary: 36,200
- High salary: 140,840
- Average salary: 75260
- Job growth: Declining
- Low salary: 34,590
- High salary: 162,430
- Average salary: 60280
All Careers in Journalism (6)
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | Master's degree, Doctoral degree | Stable | 77,800 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editors | Bachelor's degree, Master's degree | Declining | 75,260 |
| Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | Bachelor's degree, Some college | Stable | 72,270 |
| Writers and Authors | Bachelor's degree, Some college | Stable | 72,270 |
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | - n/a | Declining | 60,280 |
| Proofreaders and Copy Markers | Bachelor's degree, Associate's degree | Declining | 49,210 |
Program Pathways Mapper incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes help you work towards your educational goals.
- Students will apply their journalistic skills, ethics and decision-making abilities to perform their journalistic duties in media when they transfer to four-year universities and as media professionals.
- Students will effectively judge the “news value” of information concerning events and issues in contemporary society for the reading, viewing and listening public.
- Students will gather news and other information according to the ethical guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists.
- Students will write (or produce photographs, video, design, etc., depending on student specialty) news, feature and opinion pieces that adhere to the basic standards of accuracy and clarity and in the style dictated by the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.