Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Journalism

Overview

The new B.A. in Multimedia Journalism reflects LAU’s commitment to “academic excellence, student centeredness, civic engagement, the advancement of scholarship, the education of the whole person, and the formation of leaders in a diverse world”. This program builds upon the Department of Communication Arts’ history of graduating renowned journalists and media scholars.

A new kind of journalism has emerged with different technologies to report the story of the future. Journalists report, tweet, film, take pictures, write and edit taking in an abundance of information streaming from around the globe into computers and phones; they sift through information, do the fact-checking, conduct research and juggle with legal and ethical questions attached to this information.

To equip students with the skills required among journalists today, the program integrates some of the basic courses already available with more specialized courses that take into consideration the recent changes in the principles and practices of journalism. The program draws on

a rich blend of theoretical and hands-on courses which involve extensive use of technology,
a dedicated, community-engaged and well-published faculty, and
state-of-the-art facilities and software.

With the emerging journalist at the heart of the program, the B.A. in Multimedia Journalism views journalism as an opportunity and a challenge, a privilege and a responsibility. The program defines the times through the history, principles, laws and ethics of journalism while creating a well-rounded journalist combining a solid liberal arts background with pre-professional training to cater to the needs of a broader education. Given the range of classes offered, students can gear their studies to what they want from their career with opportunities to cover real news for real audiences in a community of talented students and accomplished faculty passionate for storytelling, learning and making a difference.

Mission

Through a broad-based liberal arts curriculum that balances theory, research, professional practice and critical inquiry, the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Journalism prepares students to become innovative, professional, and ethical communicators ready to thrive in a rapidly evolving journalism field and industry. It offers a regional and global scope, focusing on Arab media and society, and instilling principles of freedom of the press, objective and responsible journalism, global citizenship, and civic engagement. The program enables students to be life-long learners, scholars and critical thinkers who possess innovative and resilient capacities to adapt, succeed, and lead in an ever-changing and diverse global environment.

Program Objectives

The B.A. in Multimedia Journalism aims to

demonstrate conceptual and practical knowledge for careers in journalism and media production across various specializations (print, broadcast, online and other emerging fields),
exhibit an appreciation of the theoretical aspects of journalism and media studies, and an understanding of the cultural, economic, and political contexts that affect news media production processes in the Arab region and globally,
exhibit technical and skill-based competencies with a wide range of convergent communication technologies in order to thrive in a technology-driven and rapidly evolving news media environment,
demonstrate the required research, critical and analytical competencies that enable them to pursue scholarly work and graduate studies, and
create professional, ethical, and civically engaged news and media content to communicate with diverse audiences in an increasingly multicultural and global environment.

Learning Outcomes

Graduate with B.A. in Multimedia Journalism should be able to

demonstrate knowledge of the functions and roles of various news production environments,
critically apply major theories to various genres of journalism and media studies,
comprehend the historical, political, economical and technological developments of the news industry globally and in the Arab region,
adapt to trends and technological developments in the field,
demonstrate competence in cross-platform media research, production and information management
conduct research using quantitative and qualitative methods of scientific inquiry,
produce objective, accurate, balanced and engaging news content that reflects a variety of voices,
apply journalistic principles and legal and ethical standards across various news media platforms.

Curriculum

For the B.A. in Multimedia Journalism, a student must complete a minimum of 92 credits as per the following:

Departmental Core Courses (31 cr)
Departmental Professional Electives (9 cr)
Departmental Liberal Arts Electives (15 cr)
Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Courses (34 cr)
Free Electives (3 cr)

Departmental Core Courses (31 cr)

JSC220 News Writing and Reporting in a Multimedia world (3 cr)
JSC226 Multimedia Journalism Basics (3 cr)
JSC228 Arabic News Writing and Reporting (3 cr)
JSC236 Advanced Reporting Skills (3 cr)
JSC312 Media and Society (3 cr)
JSC314 The Social Life of Information (3 cr)
JSC330 Arab and International Media (3 cr)
JSC419 Media Law and Ethics (3 cr)
JSC451 Media Research Methods (3 cr)
JSC498 Internship (1 cr)
JSC499 Capstone Project (3 cr)

Departmental Professional Electives (9 cr)

JSC222 Desktop Publishing and Web Design (3 cr)
JSC232 Photojournalism (3 cr)
JSC328 Advanced Arabic New Writing and Reporting (3 cr)
JSC331 Media Skills Lab (3 cr)
JSC332 Audiovisual Reporting or Interactive News (3 cr)
JSC431 Investigative Journalism (3 cr)
JSC432 Multimedia Feature (3 cr)
JSC434 Data Journalism (3 cr)
JSC436 Journalism Workshop (3 cr)
TVF316 Script Writing (3 cr)
TVF317 Editing (3 cr)

Departmental Liberal Arts Electives (15 cr)

JSC224 Social Media (3 cr)
JSC488 Topics in Media Studies (3 cr)
COM202 Interpersonal Communication (3 cr)
COM213 Public Relations (3 cr)
COM223 Argumentation and Debate (3 cr)
COM301 Human Communication Theory (3 cr)
COM305 Communication and Conflict Management (3 cr)
COM312 Communication and Gender (3 cr)
COM313 Intercultural Communication (3 cr)
COM316 Political Communication (3 cr)
TVF421 Documentary Film (3 cr)