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.

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Nationally Recognized Faculty

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)
The Colorado School of Public Health
Top-Notch Facilities
TILT and the Graduate Teaching Certificate Program
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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.

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Undergraduate Awards & Honors

Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts

Every year, video teams in JTC345 Video Production compete  in the national BEA 48-hour Film Festival; teams make their films in a pre-assigned genre and are provided with “production constants” that must appear in each film.

  • 2021 First Place: The House Always Wins, Colorado State University
  • 2021 Second Place: Cold Play, Colorado State University

Students are also Recognized for their Submissions in other Categories

  • 2020 Student News, Award of Excellence to Dane Aragon and Roger Arellano for College Radio Station Reacts to Pandemic
  • 2020 Student News, Best of Show to Baylee Bedard and Clara Scholtz for Soul Kitchen Dance: Conscious Dancing Craze Hits Northern Colorado

More Student Awards

  • Collegian and Collegian News Director Laura Studley awarded the 2021 Reveille Seven College Press Freedom Award