Information for Enrolled Students

Thinking of declaring the major?

Need help deciding whether Journalism is the major you want to declare? You are invited to meet with a Journalism faculty advisor at one of the pre-major advising sessions scheduled each quarter, or you can meet with a faculty member by appointment to ask questions and explore various options. If you are thinking of declaring the major, we encourage you to seek advising as soon as possible in order to establish a plan of study.

Program options: majors and minor

The Department of Journalism has programs leading to a B.A. in Journalism (news-editorial) and Journalism-Public Relations. We also offer a combined major with Huxley College of Environmental Studies, a B.A. in Environmental Studies/Journalism. A minor in Journalism is also available. Journalism courses are also options for the Internet Resource Creation and Management Minor, the English Language Arts Major, and the Freshman Interest Group (FIG) program.
For detailed information about each of these options, see Plans of Study. Contact the Department of Journalism secretary for an appointment with a faculty advisor if you have questions or need help deciding which option is for you.

Declaration requirements and procedures

Criteria for declaring a major: Before formally declaring a major in Journalism, a student must complete the following requirements:
  • Have at least 30 college credits with a cumulative 2.50 GPA
  • Pass Journ 207, Newswriting, with a B- or better (transfer students must meet the same requirement for any course accepted as an equivalent of Journ 207 and also complete one additional non-staff journalism course with a B- or better)
  • Complete with a B- or better one staff course
  • C- or better in other Journalism classes
  • Submit a letter of application
Students are encouraged to declare as a pre-major while completing the requirements listed above.
Criteria for declaring a pre-major: To be eligible to declare a pre-major in journalism, a student must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. Transfer students will be accepted during Transitions or during their first quarter on campus. Freshmen must complete one quarter of classes at WWU to establish a GPA before being considered as a pre-major. Current WWU students must show evidence of the required 2.5 GPA.
Procedure for declaring: Dates for pre-major advising sessions and deadlines for pre-major/major declaration are posted in the Journalism Department each quarter. Please bring current transcripts and/or grade cards, including transcripts from colleges or universities other than Western.

Information for declared pre-majors

Once you have declared as a pre-major (see above), you will have priority registration for Journ 207. Please contact the department secretary to arrange admittance to these classes. During Phase I, declared journalism majors have priority for registration in all journalism courses requiring override permission. As a declared pre-major, at the beginning of Phase II you will be considered for available seats before non-majors. Pre-majors are not eligible to register for 400-level courses without prior approval from the department chair.
Once you have completed the requirements for entrance to the major, please see the department secretary regarding the letter of application. Deadlines for major declaration are posted quarterly in the Journalism Department.

Information for declared majors

Grade point average requirements: Declared majors must maintain a 2.50 GPA in journalism courses and courses in areas outside of journalism required for the major. Students below that average for two consecutive quarters will be placed on probation; a third consecutive quarter will result in removal from the major. Students must pass with a C- or better all courses required for the major and the concentration. Exceptions noted under Criteria for Declaring as a Major above.
Mid-program checkpoint: Students seeking to complete a B.A. degree in journalism within a four-year time span should have completed the following courses by the start of their junior year.
  • Journ 190, 207
  • Eng 101
  • 100- and 200-level GURs
The writing proficiency course, Journ 480, is taken during your senior year and requires the completion of the senior evaluation before scheduling. For a review of Western's requirements, see Graduation Requirements for the Baccalaureate Degree.

Field internships

The Department of Journalism requires each major to complete 240 hours of supervised field work at a newspaper, magazine, radio/TV station, public relations and advertising agency, or other approved professional organization. Internships generally are done between the junior and senior years. To be eligible to take an internship for credit, the student must be a declared major and have successfully completed with a C- or better the following courses:
  • Journ 307, Reporting
  • Journ 309, Editing
  • Journ 330, Principles of Public Relations (P.R. majors only)
  • Journ 350, Press Law
  • Newspaper staff courses
For detailed information, please refer to The Journalism Internship and Journalism Intern Reports .
Pre-majors who are not eligible to formally declare the journalism major will be evaluated and permitted to register for an internship on an individual basis at the discretion of the faculty intern advisor.

Information for minors

We offer a minor in Journalism (news-editorial). A minor is not officially declared at Western; however, we request that students interested in completing a minor in Journalism contact the department secretary as early as possible to be assigned a faculty advisor. Journalism courses are in high demand, and we work closely with minors to place them in classes in a timely fashion for graduation. So plan ahead and allow for flexibility, just in case a class you need is filled. Do not wait until the last quarter of your senior year planning to register for a critical course.
At least two quarters prior to graduation plan to see the Journalism Department chair for a minor evaluation. When you submit your Degree Application to the Registrar's Office, you will need to turn in your minor evaluation along with your major evaluation. Contact the Journalism secretary to schedule an appointment with the chair for your evaluation.

Registering for Classes

During Phase I, all declared journalism majors have priority for registration in Journalism courses requiring permission: Journ 307, Reporting; Journ 309, Editing; Journ 350, Law of the Press. Declared journalism pre-majors, minors and non-majors will be placed on waiting lists for these classes. At the end of Phase I, students on the waiting lists will be contacted for admittance if seats are available. Journ 330, Principles of Public Relations, is open to declared Journalism majors and pre-majors and Community Health majors only during Phase I. Declared major status is required for all 400-level Journalism classes. Please refer to the Journalism timetable of classes for a list of pre-requisites and all classes requiring override permission or major status.
Journalism students should contact the Journalism secretary the day before their scheduled registration appointment to get overrides, if eligible, or to be added to waiting lists. It is the responsibility of students to call RSVP and register for a class once an override has been entered.
Pre-majors needing Journ 207, Newswriting, should contact the Journalism secretary before registration begins.
Please refer to Registration Information for details about registering for a class.

Scholarships

The Department of Journalism has a number of scholarships available for declared pre-majors and majors:
  • Gerson F. Miller Journalism Scholarship scholarship(s) totaling $1,500
  • Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association (PNNA) Scholarship - $750
  • Journalism Alumni Scholarship scholarship(s) totaling $1,500
  • Steven Rupp Memorial Scholarship - $1,000
  • Department Tuition and Fee Waiver award(s) totaling $1,000
  • Other private/industry journalism-related scholarships
Please refer to Journalism Department Scholarships for descriptions of our scholarships.
Annually, in April, the department announces the scholarships, and students can pick up applications in the Journalism office. Deadline for applications is May 15. Faculty review the applications and choose the scholarship recipients. The scholarships then are awarded at the journalism faculty/staff/students picnic (usually the weekend between dead week and finals week). All journalism majors are encouraged to apply.

Applying for graduation

When to apply for graduation: Plan to apply for graduation a minimum of two quarters before you plan to graduate, i.e., if you are planning to graduate spring quarter, you must apply no later than the end of dead week fall quarter.
How to apply for graduation: Contact the Journalism secretary to arrange an appointment with the chair for your senior evaluation. The department secretary will print your transcript and prepare your file for the meeting with the chair. After your meeting with the chair, you will submit your major evaluation (and minor evaluation if applicable), along with a Degree Application, to the Registrar's Office. Degree Application packets are available at the Registrar's Office, Old Main 230.
Graduation requirements for the Baccalaureate Degree: Journalism students must meet the graduation requirements of Western Washington University and the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Complete all requirements for the major in Journalism (or combined major) according to your Plan of Study. Requirements include a writing proficiency course completed with a grade of C- or better, and the required GPA in the major of 2.50.
  • Complete a minimum of 180 total credits. This includes 90 credits of GURs (or a direct transfer A.A. degree from a community college). Note: English 101 must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
  • Complete a minimum of 60 upper-division credits (300/400-level) as part of the 180-credit requirement.
  • Complete a minimum of 45 credits in residence at WWU. Correspondence coursework does not satisfy this requirement.
  • Your final quarter must be in residence, i.e., you must be enrolled at WWU during the quarter your degree is granted.
  • Your cumulative GPA at Western must be at least 2.0.
  • You must submit an application for the degree no later than the last day of classes two quarters prior to the quarter of intended graduation.

Need help?

If you have any questions, contact the Department of Journalism.