Course Descriptions & Profiles

SJMC Course Profiles

Overview of Course Profiles

Course Profiles are designed to help students, faculty, prospective students, alumni, and employers better understand how the courses in the School fit together and build upon each other to create an outstanding education for our students.

Each Course Profile contains seven sections:

Number and title of course: Additional information includes number of credits, whether multiple sections of the class are offered (many SJMC professional courses offer multiple sections each semester) and how many class meetings occur weekly.
Prerequisites: SJMC professional courses are restricted to students formally admitted to SJMC programs. Information about the required status of the student and previous SJMC courses the student must have taken are provided here.
Course Description: This section provides a one paragraph description of the course that provides more information about the course than is included in the course catalogue or Undergraduate Student Handbook.
Expected Competencies: The skills and understandings students are expected to have developed before enrolling in the courses. Many of these competencies are developed in prerequisite classes, which is why the School insists that students take courses in the correct order.
Competency Goals: This section provides the key information in the Course Profile: the skills and understandings students are expected to master in the course.
Assignments and Activities: This section provides information on what students do in the course: the types of assignments, exams, and activities students engage in to master the course competencies.
Workload: This section indicates the proportion of time students will typically spend on such class activities as reading, gathering information, writing assignments, working in SJMC labs, working outside the classroom, carrying out projects.

Planning Your Major Using Course Profiles

Course Profiles can help you evaluate courses and make decisions about the courses you will take to fulfill the requirements for the major. Course Profiles provide more in-depth information about courses, expectations and workload so that you have a realistic understanding about what you will experience in the course.

To help you get started using Course Profiles, visit the individual pages for the Professional Journalism track and the Professional Strategic Communications track. These pages include more detail on how the requirements you must complete for the major, and your course options for those requirements.

Professional Journalism track

The professional journalism track prepares students for careers such as news reporting, writing, editing, producing, and photojournalism in new and emerging media. The program offers a variety of professional (skills) courses at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels that fit these interests. Students are encouraged to review Course Profiles to assist in planning their coursework. View planning information for the Professional Journalism track.

Professional Strategic Communication track

The professional strategic communication track prepares students for careers in the fields of advertising and public relations. The program offers a number of professional (skills) courses at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Students are encouraged to review Course Profiles to assist in planning their coursework. View planning information for the Professional Strategic Communication track.

Context Courses

Context courses are required for students pursuing the major or the mass communication minor. Many are also open to students outside the major or minor. View the list of Context Course Profiles