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Bachelor of Arts in Journalism online

In this distinctive online program, you will pair compelling coursework with extensive extracurricular offerings to create, entertain, and inform through media and research.

Apply by: 8/18/24
Start class: 9/9/24
Apply Now

Program Overview

Learn the how and why of your online BA in Journalism

$360 Per Credit Hour
120* Credit Hours

Define your professional identity in journalism while gaining the knowledge, skills, and experience to work across different media with the 100 percent online Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from William Paterson University. Learn to successfully research, write, report, edit, and use digital multimedia in the modern age of multi-platform journalism.

Within our program, you will gain first-hand journalism experience in your community, reporting news; writing feature stories, opinion pieces, movie and book reviews; or developing original podcasts. Even though you will not be on campus, your work may be published online in the William Paterson University independent student newspaper, the Beacon, or presented on radio, social media, or podcast through one of the many student clubs. You can also gain valuable virtual experience in WP’s award-winning student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Graduates of the BA in Journalism online program will:

  • Critically analyze historical, legal, ethical, and contemporary issues in journalism and their impact on society, including free speech, disinformation, and propaganda, in the U.S. and internationally
  • Demonstrate professional skills in advanced newsgathering techniques, such as identifying sources, undertaking research, and conducting interviews according to contemporary practices
  • Engage in campus and community journalism by producing content for university-based news outlets in digital, print, audio, and video
  • Produce original content to engage, inform, and influence diverse audiences, and possess the technical skills to disseminate that content across digital, print, audio, and video platforms
  • Critically examine the multicultural history of journalism in the U.S. and internationally, and learn to use communication that empowers those traditionally disenfranchised in society, especially as grounded in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability
Graduates of the BA in Journalism online program will:+
  • Critically analyze historical, legal, ethical, and contemporary issues in journalism and their impact on society, including free speech, disinformation, and propaganda, in the U.S. and internationally
  • Demonstrate professional skills in advanced newsgathering techniques, such as identifying sources, undertaking research, and conducting interviews according to contemporary practices
  • Engage in campus and community journalism by producing content for university-based news outlets in digital, print, audio, and video
  • Produce original content to engage, inform, and influence diverse audiences, and possess the technical skills to disseminate that content across digital, print, audio, and video platforms
  • Critically examine the multicultural history of journalism in the U.S. and internationally, and learn to use communication that empowers those traditionally disenfranchised in society, especially as grounded in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability

Also available:

William Paterson University offers a variety of specialized bachelor's degrees. Check out all of our online undergraduate programs. In addition, we have minors available to help you meet your undergraduate credit requirements by integrating coursework that enriches your educational experience.

$360 Per Credit Hour
120 Credit Hours
Apply Now

Need More Information?

Call 833-960-0139

Call 833-960-0139

Add a minor to help meet your credit hour requirement and enrich your educational experience.

Tuition

Stay on budget with affordable tuition

Undergraduate online programs from William Paterson University offer affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition. All fees are included in the total tuition.

Tuition breakdown:

$360 Per Credit Hour
View additional tuition information +

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course
BA in Journalism $360 $1,080

Tuition breakdown:

$360 Per Credit Hour

Calendar

Follow these dates to apply, enroll, and start classes

WP Online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.

Now enrolling:

8/18/24 Apply Date
9/9/24 Class Starts

View full calendar  + 

TermStart DateApp DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition DeadlineClass End DateTerm Length
Fall I9/9/248/18/248/21/248/30/249/4/2410/27/247 weeks
Fall II11/4/2410/14/2410/16/2410/25/2410/30/2412/22/247 weeks

Now enrolling:

8/18/24 Apply Date
9/9/24 Class Starts

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Apply Now

Admissions

Your online BA in Journalism admission checklist

At William Paterson University, we've streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly. Please note all requirements for admission to the BA in Journalism online program, including required documents and where to send them.

The requirements include:

  • Online application
  • Minimum 2.0 GPA
  • Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended
  • Must be at least four years post-high school
View all admission requirements +

You must meet the following requirements for admission to this BA online program:

  • Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
  • Students must be four years post-high school or two years post-high school and have earned 60 or more college credits.
  • Official transcripts from each college attended or high school transcript if no prior college experience
    • Applicants must be at least two years post high school to enroll in our WP Online accelerated programs.
  • Complete online application and submit $50 application fee

Official transcripts, test scores, and other documents should be sent from the granting institutions to:

Email address: [email protected]

Mail address:

Office of University Admissions – Undergraduate
Morrison Hall
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470

Courses

Browse the courses in your online BA in Journalism

For the BA in Journalism online, you must complete 42 credit hours of journalism core and elective courses. The program is designed to permit a flexible application of prior learning, professional experience, and transfer credits toward meeting these major requirements. Additional University Core Curriculum and elective credits will be required to complete the 120-credit BA degree. You may transfer up to 90 approved credit hours to decrease cost and time to completion.

Expand All
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this survey course, students learn and are trained in how to tell stories using a mobile phone in a formalized way, applying professional aesthetics to serve a variety of communication goals in multimedia-based disciplines such as broadcast news, film, TV, and audio. Students will use their written ideas and learn how to formulate and refine those ideas and determine the best multimedia storytelling format. This course empowers the student, utilizing many of the tools students already know, and provides them with a foundation of professional techniques and best practices to produce content common in the communication industry.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The institutions, history, and technology of the mass media are examined as communication systems. Newspapers, magazines, film, and broadcasting media are studied in terms of social and personal impact. Contemporary media issues, policies, and ethics are discussed.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Media writing is a course designed to introduce students to the forms, limitations and potentials of writing for and about the various media, including writing for radio, television, film, and print journalism.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the relationship between the news media and society in the United States, with emphasis on legal and ethical issues.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An opportunity for advanced study and discussion of issues and questions, together with the opportunity to study and analyze the research available in various areas of communication. Each student chooses an area of communication in which to plan and carry out a research project. (Pre-Requisite: COMM 1210)
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course includes practical experience in gathering news and writing the basic journalistic forms, including the straight news story and various types of features. Students undertake reporting assignments designed to develop skills in interviewing, observation, and writing, and receive individual evaluation of their work.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Through a comparison of numerous cultures, students explore the primary distinguishing characteristics of culture and identify strategies for relating their own culture to those of others. Emphasis is placed on an eclectic cultural design. The primary goal is to provide students with practical and theoretical knowledge and an understanding of intercultural communication in contemporary life situations.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Guides students in developing in-depth news and feature articles. Evaluation of individual’s work. Matters of current concern to the news media are discussed.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Practical application of what is learned in the classroom. Students work at news or public relations jobs on- or off-campus by undertaking special field work assignments in journalism.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the varying purposes of social media platforms and teaches students how to report and promote journalism through them. Students will learn how to write effectively across platforms, implement strategies for audience engagement, and communicate in an ethical manner.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Working closely with individual faculty members and the course coordinator, students will conduct an in-depth communication research study, or create an advanced level communication project in this primary area of their expertise. Students registering for this course must complete a standardized form detailing the capstone project. The semester long project will be determined by the student and approved by the directing faculty member and the faculty coordinator. Students must complete COMM 1190 and major requirements before taking capstone. Permission is required for registration. Prerequisite(s): COMM 1190 AND COMM 1200 AND COMM 2100 AND COMM 2220 AND COMM 2490 AND COMM 2500

Choose 3 courses from the list below.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on designing and creating content for digital spaces. Students will learn to analyze and to write, both individually and collaboratively, in digital genres for various audiences. Students will explore methods of writing and editing for online publication, from site architecture analysis and design strategies to content development and line editing. Students will understand how the arrangement of content and the choice of digital genre impact writing effectiveness, and they will learn to use editing strategies and tools employed by professional writers in a wide range of digital situations. This course is UCC Writing Intensive and UCC Technology Intensive.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course students will learn the basics of narrative podcasting. This three-credit course examines the history of audio storytelling in the podcast medium and explores strategies for branding and listener engagement in addition to providing technical instruction on how to produce and distribute podcasts for purposes including advocacy, business, education, and journalism. Students will learn how to research and write scripts, interview guests, record and edit audio content utilizing sound-recording technology, and promote finished podcasts that appeal to target audiences.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will explore various online and social platforms and teach the strategic approach to using the technological tools for communication and public relations. Students will examine real-world cases, explore the latest strategies for engaging audiences using various online platforms and learn the tactical use of core online and social platforms. Both theoretical foundations and practical applications of online/social communications will be studied. Students will create, run and evaluate a digital communication campaign for a selected product, service or organization. This is a technology intensive course.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course examines styles, techniques and strategies for writing and producing content for online and traditional audiences. Students explore the differences between writing for online versus traditional linear forms. Students will gain an understanding of how to research, plan, write, and develop content effectively for a variety of online and traditional platforms and strategic purposes including: online news and lifestyle media, blogs, corporate web sites, advertising, public relations, marketing and social media. Prerequisite(s): COMM 2100

Take your degree even further. Choosing a minor will allow you to enrich your experience while meeting your undergraduate credit requirements.

Explore your options.

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