Majors and pre-majors
Students who pre-declare journalism and mass communication as their major officially enroll in the school after completing at least three semesters at UNC and after earning junior status. To enroll in the school, students also must have at least a 2.9 grade-point average.
Students who do not declare before earning junior status must visit the school’s student records office to fill out the necessary paperwork.
Pre-majors may take classes offered by the school before officially being enrolled, but they must meet with an academic adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences until then.
In order to graduate, journalism majors must achieve a score of at least 70 percent on the school’s spelling and grammar exam. Students have two opportunities to pass the exam in JOMC 153: “News Writing,” and the best exam score during the class is worth 10 percent of the course grade. Students who do not pass the test in JOMC 153 must sign up to retake the test.
To receive a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, students must complete at least 120 credit hours with a minimum 2.0 grade-point average as required by the University. Journalism and mass communication majors must complete 34 credit hours within the school. A grade of D in a journalism-mass communication course required in the school core or sequence core will not be counted in the minimum number of school credits required for graduation. Students must take the course again and attain a grade of at least C-. Outside of core courses, only one grade below C- may be counted toward graduation.
Second Major
Students who wish to complete a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences must visit the student records office to submit a Second-Major Designation form and have it signed by an associate dean. Then, they must make an appointment with an academic adviser in Arts and Sciences to ensure they can complete the second major within nine semesters. They must meet all requirements of the second major and see an Arts and Sciences adviser every semester to ensure compliance with those requirements.
Students from outside the school may earn a minor in journalism and mass communication. Participation is limited, and admission is competitive. The school will give preference to students with a grade-point average higher than 2.9, and preference is also given to sophomores. The school may limit enrollment in some tracks to avoid pressure on any of the sequences for majors. The number of minors is limited to 35 juniors and seniors.
Interested students must apply to the senior associate dean of the school by Jan. 15 of their sophomore year. Download the application. The advertising and public relations tracks have the largest number of minors, generally, which means the standards for admission to those minors are higher.
There are six minor tracks within the school.
News-Editorial track
_____ JOMC 153, “Newswriting.”
_____ JOMC 157, “News Editing.”
_____ JOMC 253, “Reporting.”
_____ EITHER JOMC 141, “Professional Problems and Ethics,” or JOMC 340, “Introduction to Mass Communication Law.”
_____ One course from: 256, 258, 451, 452, 453.
Business Journalism track
_____ JOMC 153, “Newswriting.”
_____ JOMC 450, “Business and the Media.”
_____ JOMC 451, “Economics Reporting.”
_____ JOMC 452, “Business Reporting.”
_____ EITHER JOMC 137, “Principles of Advertising and Public Relations" or JOMC 253, “Reporting.”
_____ EITHER JOMC 141, “Professional Problems and Ethics,” or JOMC 340, “Introduction to Mass Communication Law.”
Advertising track
_____ JOMC 153, “Newswriting.”
_____ JOMC 137, “Principles of Advertising and Public Relations.”
_____ JOMC 271, “Advertising Copywriting.”
_____ JOMC 272, “Advertising Media.”
_____ One course from 141, 240, 242, 340, 342, 349, 441, 442, 445, 446, 448.
Public Relations track
_____ JOMC 137, “Principles of Advertising and Public Relations.”
_____ JOMC 153, “Newswriting.”
_____ JOMC 232, “Public Relations Writing.”
_____ One course from 141, 240, 242, 340, 342, 349, 441, 442, 445, 446, 448, 450.
_____ EITHER JOMC 431, “Public Relations Case Studies” or JOMC 434, “Public Relations Campaigns.”
Electronic Communication track
_____ JOMC 121, “Writing for the Electronic Media.”
_____ JOMC 221, “Audio-Video Information Gathering.” (Prerequisite JOMC 153 not applicable for EC track minors.)
_____ JOMC 421, “Electronic Journalism.”
_____ EITHER 141, “Professional Problems and Ethics,” or JOMC 340, “Introduction to Mass Communication Law.”
_____ One course from 141, 240, 242, 342, 349, 441, 442, 445, 446, 448.
Mass Communication and Society track
_____ JOMC 240, “Current Issues in Mass Communication.” (This course should be taken first.)
FOUR COURSES FROM THE FOLLOWING:
_____ JOMC 141, “Professional Problems and Ethics.”
_____ JOMC 242, “The Mass Media and U.S. History.”
_____ JOMC 340, “Introduction to Mass Communication Law.”
_____ JOMC 342, “The Black Press and U.S. History.”
_____ JOMC 349, “Internet Issues and Concepts.”
_____ JOMC 424, “Electronic Media Regulation and Policy.”
_____ JOMC 441, “Diversity and Communication.”
_____ JOMC 442, “Women and Mass Communication.”
_____ JOMC 445, “Process and Effects of Mass Communication.”
_____ JOMC 446, “International Communication and Comparative Journalism.”
_____ JOMC 448, “Freedom of Expression in the United States.”
