Undergraduate Degrees, page 2
School of Journalism
Journalism-Russian Combined Major
Students admitted to the School of Journalism may elect to follow a combined Journalism/Russian major. The major consists of six journalism classes; four classes in literature and culture from the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures; two electives from a selected list of history, international relations, political science, Slavic literature and culture, and sociology courses; and four semesters of Russian. Majors will be required to fulfill the general education requirements for the Social Sciences. To be awarded the B.A. degree in Journalism/Russian, students must complete the 48 units required in Journalism and Slavic Languages and Literatures courses with at least a B- (2.7) grade point average and no grade lower than a C (2.0).
| Required journalism courses | Units |
| JOUR 201 | History of News in Modern America | 4 |
| JOUR 205 | Newswriting | 4 |
| JOUR 307 | News Editing | 4 |
| JOUR 350 | Principles of Public Relations | 4 |
| JOUR 462 | Law of Mass Communication | 4 |
one course chosen from among:
| JOUR 300L | Principles of Television Production | 4 |
| JOUR 351a | Public Relations Media | 4 |
| JOUR 400 | Interpretive Writing | 4 |
| JOUR 435 | Writing Magazine Non-Fiction | 4 |
| JOUR 440 | Specialized Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR 441 | Sports Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR 443 | Business Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR 447 | Arts Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR 448 | Governmental Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR 474 | Interviewing and Profile Writing | 4 |
|
The Slavic Languages and Literatures requirements are SLL 330; four semesters of Russian (SLL 120, 150, 220 and 250), the first three of which satisfy the university's language requirement; plus three classes chosen from among SLL 200, 210, 300, 302, 303, 344, 345, 348, 378, and 400; plus two classes chosen from among History 320, 324, 328, 415, 416, 424; International Relations 370, 445, 483; Political Science 464; SLL 301, 321; or Sociology 462.
Students meeting the School of Journalism graduation requirements will be awarded a B.A. degree in Journalism/Russian.
Double Major in Journalism and Spanish
The double major in Journalism and Spanish is designed to provide journalism and Spanish majors with oral and written fluency in the Spanish language and with in-depth cultural knowledge of Hispanic societies.
Students must complete the general education requirements for both majors, all requirements for both majors, and any other course work necessary to complete 128 units. For specific requirements, students should contact the Spanish and Portuguese Department or the School of Journalism. Students interested in this option should start course work during the freshman year; the program requires four to five years of study.
Minor in Journalism
The minor in journalism enables majors from other disciplines to understand how American media systems function, how news is gathered, analyzed, written and reported, and how careful investigation, critical skills and strategic planning enable broadcasters, print and public relations professionals to present news, information and ideas to a wide range of audiences. It is the intent of the minor to provide a logical sequence in fundamental journalism curriculum as well as flexibility when students choose courses from the three sequences of broadcast, print and public relations.
Any student attending USC may apply to minor in Journalism if he or she (1) has been admitted to regular standing in a specific major other than journalism (no "undecided" majors will be considered); (2) has completed 24 USC or transfer units with a minimum 3.0 GPA and with a minimum grade of "B" in Expository Writing 101 and 102; (3) must maintain a 2.7 GPA in all journalism classes (the lowest acceptable grade in a journalism class is "C"); and (4) is not under any type of departmental, academic or university disqualification. Journalism minor applications are evaluated by a panel of faculty members. Admissions are made for the fall and spring semesters.
Application Procedures
To be considered for admission to the journalism minor program, the applicant will be required to submit the following materials: (1) departmental application; (2) academic records, inlcuding USC transcript, official transcripts from all institutions attended, current transfer credit statement.
Admission Information
Admission applications and information may be obtained from the USC School of Journalism, Office of Student Affairs, GFS 312, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1695, or telephone (213) 740-8182.
Course Requirements for the Minor
| Required lower division course | Units |
| JOUR 205 | Newswriting | 4 |
| Required upper division courses | Units |
| JOUR 310 | Investigative Reporting | 4 |
| Four upper division journalism courses | 16 |
| ____ |
| 24 |
Admission, Advisement and Financial Aid
Applications to the school are reviewed by a separate faculty committee outside of the USC Office of Admission. Admission is competitive; the average GPA of an entering student is 3.6, and the average SAT score is 1130, with 560 on the verbal portion. Journalism experience and the quality of the admissions essays are heavily weighted. Transfer students must submit high school transcripts and SAT scores. Transfer work in journalism, broadcasting and public relations is accepted by waiver examination only. A maximum of two classes for the major can be waived. For students applying to USC, the journalism application deadline is February 1-freshmen and April 1-transfers for fall and November 15 for spring.
Upon admission to the school, students must contact the Student Affairs Office in Grace Ford Salvatori Hall, Room 312, for academic advisement and class registration. Advisement through this office is required each semester.
Students currently enrolled at USC who wish to change their major to journalism must file a formal application with all supporting documents through the Student Affairs Office. For current USC students, the application deadline is May 1 for fall and November 15 for spring.
In addition to the major requirements listed above, beginning with fall 1984, all incoming journalism students must enroll in special sections of Expository Writing 101 and 102.
Academic Integrity Policy
Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating on examinations, or purchasing papers or other assignments will immediately receive a failing grade in the course and will be dismissed from the School of Journalism. There are no exceptions to the school's policy.
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Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu