Contact Information
(541) 346-3738
(541) 346-0682 fax
http://jcomm.uoregon.edu
Undergraduate degrees: B.A, B.S.
No failure to communicate
Never before has there been a more exciting time to embark on a media-related career. The worlds of communication and new media are rapidly expanding, and with them, the possibilities for employment in this cutting-edge field.
The School of Journalism and Communication isn't solely for students who want to become writers. Whether you imagine yourself dreaming up innovative advertising campaigns, as a political campaign strategist, producing documentary films, taking photographs, studying the relationship between media and society, or as a reporter with your very own beat, the UO's School of Journalism and Communication has the program that's right for you.
As a pre-journalism major, you'll take core courses that will provide you with a common background of fundamental knowledge and skills required in the communication fields. In these courses, you'll learn about the role of communication media in society, the history of journalism, visual aspects of communication, the ethics of media practices, new communication technologies, the economics of the media, and the legal and social responsibilities of the media in modern society.
You'll be able to apply for full-major status during your junior year after completing the school's pre-major requirements and the Language Skills Diagnostic Test (LSDT). Getting into the SOJC is competitive and the coursework is intense. Your admission to the school will depend largely upon your performance in the core lower-division classes. If you want to pursue an undergraduate degree in journalism at the UO, the first step is to apply to the university through the Office of Admissions and select "pre-journalism" as your major on your application. Once admitted, you will receive advising from SOJC professional staff as you work toward full-major status.
The best preparation for aspiring journalism majors is a broad college-preparatory program that emphasizes language skills, English literature, speech, history, and the social sciences. You would also benefit from the study of mathematics, statistics, computers, and second languages. If you have specific interests in science and technology, you are also encouraged to consider journalism because of the many career opportunities in communicating about those subjects.
Points of Interest
- You'll receive the benefits of a strong liberal arts education in addition to the practical training of a professional school.
- You can choose a major in one of six accredited areas: advertising, electronic media, communication studies, magazine journalism, news-editorial, or public relations.
- Student-produced documentaries recently garnered two regional Emmy awards.
- For ten consecutive years, UO’s student magazine FLUX has won top national honors for collegiate publications.
- Distinguished SOJC alumni, including Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, award-winning broadcast journalists and advertising executives, return to the school regularly to host lectures and workshops.