Why Study Journalism at CSU
The Department of Journalism and Media Communication at CSU applies a hands-on teaching philosophy, meaning your work and your voice will matter in the classroom, the community, and beyond. Our mix of expertise in research and professional practice helps you identify specializations that match your strengths and interests.
With a strong emphasis on best practices and technologies, a great balance of theory and practice classes, and top-notch equipment, studios, and labs, you’ll engage in strategic and critical thinking to evaluate and develop impactful messages. You will also come to find community with your peers, mentors, and faculty through classes, clubs, practicums, and internships.
What can I do with a Journalism & Media Communication Major?
As a liberal arts department housed in a nationally recognized research university, JMC blends both theory and practice to create effective, ethical and engaging communications strategies in multiple fields. We teach you to learn and adjust to social and technological change where you learn not just how, but why.
We prepare you to reach audiences with an eye on ethics, inclusivity, honesty and trust. During your time here, you will learn how to conduct research through people, records, and technology.
This academic field and JMC’s expansive, dynamic curriculum prepares you for a broad, growing career area with dozens of specialized options that meet the needs of virtually all companies, organizations and institutions.
Value/Skills
Students in our program learn:
- Multimedia storytelling
- Media ethics and law
- Audience Analysis and Understanding
- Graphics and animation creation for documents, television, web production, entertainment
- Targeting messages for impact
- Branding, promotions, and identity
- Visual communication
- Audio communication for radio, podcasts, television and film sound
- Social media design, engagement and management
- Multicultural communication and context
- On-air performance for radio and television
- Writing and editing
- Information, data acquisition, and evaluation
- Science Communication
Our alumni go on to careers such as:
- Social media managers
- Web producers
- Reporters in video, audio, and writing
- Text editors
- Visual and Audio Editors
- News Managers
- Executive Producers in television, film, radio
- Account Executives and managers in Advertising and Public Relations
- Public information roles in natural resources, health and science
- Media Relations
- Marketing / Promotion specialists
- Audience research analysts
Campus Resources & Partnerships
Colorado State University and the JMC department are dedicated to supporting graduate students. Department faculty, partnerships with other academic units, and university and department facilities help equip students for success both inside and outside of the classroom.
Nationally Recognized Faculty
Established in 1968, the Department of Journalism and Media Communication is nationally recognized for its commitment to teaching and research. Our department features diverse community of affiliate and tenured faculty members as well as working professionals with professional communication and journalism experience and communication research. People Page
Faculty members have held offices in and are active members of numerous academic and professional organizations including:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
- Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)
- Broadcast Education Association (BEA)
- Colorado Press Association (CPA)
- International Communication Association (ICA)
- Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
- Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Opportunities in our Community
We’re proud to offer a broad range of campus and community connected activities, clubs, resources, and facilities.
Our relationship with Student Media provides student-directed, on-campus professional opportunities for more than 300 students per year in news, radio, TV news, video production, advertising, documentary and corporate production. Wherever your media interest might lie, you have the opportunity to learn the skills and become a voice for our student population and beyond.
Alumni Stories
Gary Poole, Journalist and Author (JMC ‘88):
Gary Poole's career after CSU led him to reporting about sports, technology, politics and travel. His reporting includes work for Time Magazine, The New York Times, Wired, Forbes, Esquire, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and many other publications. He's written books about football legend Red Grange and boxing legend Manny Pacquaio (Pac Man).
Forrest Czarnecki, Photojournalist (jMC’20):
Forrest Czarnecki joined the Department of Journalism and Media Communication to become a photojournalist and professional storyteller.
Avery Martin, Digital Media Strategist (JMC'20)
JMC Graduate Avery Martin turned an on-campus internship into a job as a Digital Media Strategist for the College of Health and Human Sciences.
