Journalism
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
This just in: Journalism isn't just for those interested in working for a newspaper as a reporter! Journalists specialize in looking at what is going on in the world, making sense of it, and distributing it in a variety of forms, skills which lend themselves to a variety of careers. Journalism majors learn to prepare content for radio, television, print, and digital outlets in a manner that is engaging and inspiring.
If you have strong communication and critical thinking skills, a determination for investigating and discovering the truth, and a passion for storytelling, majoring in Journalism will offer you a meaningful opportunity to find your voice and be a change maker in the world.
Why Be a Journalism Major?
Here's what makes the Mount's Journalism major unique:
Report on your passion: Apply your reporting skills to whatever fascinates you. From sports to fashion to music to government and everything in between, your courses will allow you to focus on subjects that appeal to you and teach you how to talk about them.- Flexibility: With more electives than required courses in the major, you get to pick the path that interests you the most, not just a predefined set of courses. Want to focus more on digital communication? Great, we've got the classes for you! Looking to pick up specific skills in writing or design? Go for it! The choice is yours.
- Make it your own: Journalism is a diverse field, which is why we offer our students diverse ways to apply it! Many of our Journalism majors will choose to double major in a related field like Advertising and Public Relations or English or pick up a concentration in Creative Writing or Writing to further develop their skills and be more marketable to future employers.
Liz David ’20“In the Journalism program, you will not only learn how to be a great journalist, but your writing skills will improve beyond what you think possible. The way to become a great Journalism student is to always believe in what you’re writing and the story you want to tell.”
What to Expect as a Journalism Major
39 credits in Journalism | C or better in CMA 2020 to continue | Maintain 2.0+ GPA
Learn about Journalism major academic requirements and courses here.
You’ll begin your Journalism major with a few foundational classes to get started, and then the rest are up to you! You can select from courses like Web Page and Web Site Design, Magazine Writing, Radio News and Feature Reporting, Backpack Journalism, and more, whatever interests you.
The common thread of all these courses will be the sense of civic responsibility this field entails and the service you provide to the community by searching for and communicating the truth. In your coursework, you’ll be encouraged to look at issues in a community and bring them to light, as well as bring recognition to those who are working to bring change and good news.
Outside the classroom, you can continue to work on your reporting skills by writing for or even running the Mount’s newspaper, Mount Messenger, or participating in an internship with a local news outlet. Finally, you’ll wrap up your time in the Journalism major with a capstone course, which focuses on building a portfolio of work that you can showcase to prospective employers.
Be prepared for your future
The first step towards your future is an internship. Our proximity to New York City (and a train station to get you there!) is an obvious choice for many of our students, but our Career Center counselors can also help you find an opportunity in the Hudson Valley as well. Recent Journalism internships have been conducted at organizations like the Today Show, New York Mets, Fox News, West Point Athletics, Warner Music Group, WABC TV Sports, and more.
After graduation, you’ll be ready to start sharing the truth with the world. Many of our alumni lean towards the traditional news and broadcast roles of Journalism, but others pursue related fields like writing, marketing, advertising, social media management, and more. As a Journalism major, you’ll be valued in any organization that has writing or communication needs!
Here's how some of our Journalism alumni are using their degrees:
- Matt Frey '05, Director of Media Relations at Mount Saint Mary College
- Jonathon Geissler ’13, Director of Marketing at Seely & Durand, Inc.
- Jillian Torre '14, Marketing Manager at Financial Times
- Victoria Wresilo '14, Reporter/Multimedia Journalist at NBC2-Waterman Broadcasting
Regina Pappalardo
Meet the Division of Communication, Art, and Digital Media Faculty
Get to know the rest of our incredible Communication, Art, and Digital Media (CADM) professors!