Journalism

Your Future in Journalism

Journalism is an exciting, dynamic career critical to the future of an informed and enlightened society. You can make a difference by pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of North Texas.

Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to work in:

• News and sports reporting, writing, visual journalism (video and still), design and publishing for the Internet, broadcast, newspapers, magazines and books
• Advertising in agencies, for profit and nonprofit organizations, and media
• Public relations in agencies, corporations, government and nonprofit organizations
• Web and desktop publishing
• Teaching in secondary schools

A journalism degree with its emphasis on writing and critical thinking can also provide a solid foundation for graduate studies, law school or other corporate professions.

Our journalism alumni have won a total of eight Pulitzer Prizes, print journalism’s top award.

What we offer

In the Mayborn School of Journalism, we teach you how to communicate and tell stories relevant to society’s needs. You are also equipped with the knowledge of current practices, which are constantly evolving as the industry changes.

You can pursue one of two concentrations depending on your career aspirations. The news concentration focuses on news reporting and photojournalism, and the strategic communication concentration emphasizes advertising and public relations. We also offer a certificate in sports journalism. More information about this certification is available at journalism.unt.edu.

You’ll receive extensive hands-on experience through required course work, state-of-the-art technology labs and our student-created media while pursuing your degree. On the news side, you can work on the North Texas Daily, Denton Community Television and MAYBORN magazine. As part of the strategic communications concentration, you can be a part of SWOOP, the student-managed advertising and public relations agency, or Gravitas, the student ad team that participates in the National Student Advertising Competition.

Internship opportunities also abound because of the university’s location in the nation’s fifth largest media market. Internships allow you to earn valuable work experience and possibly academic credit.

Our faculty members are experienced reporters, writers, visual journalists, copywriters and advertising/public relations professionals in addition to being well-known scholars. Many have won national awards including:

• DuPont Columbia Awards – the broadcast equivalent to the Pulitzer Prize
• Peabody Awards – one of the oldest international awards for broadcast media
• Walter Cronkite Awards – for excellence in television and political journalism
• Advertising awards for national brands such as Doritos, Pepsi, Borden and Korbel

You can meet other Journalism majors by participating in the student chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists, National Press Photographers Association, Public Relations Student Society of America and Ad Club, among others.

A Residents Engaged in Academic Living Community brings Journalism majors who live on campus together to enhance academic and social experiences. More information about the Journalism Community is at reslife.unt.edu.

The nationally acclaimed Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference annually hosts well-known professionals who offer different insights into the profession. Past participants have included Joyce Carol Oates, N. Scott Momaday and Paul Theroux.

The Mayborn School of Journalism is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (University of Kansas School of Journalism, Stauffer-Flint Hall, 1435 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, Kan. 66045-7575; telephone 785-864-3973). Only about one-fourth of the nation’s journalism and mass communications programs are accredited by this organization. This distinction means the school meets or exceeds high standards of excellence in journalism education.

What to expect

To become a Journalism major, you’ll need to maintain a 2.5 GPA in your pre-major journalism courses and have a 2.5 cumulative UNT GPA. The pre-major courses, which total 12 credit hours, provide a broad overview of the different aspects of journalism. From there, your courses will be more focused on your individual area of study.

Our Career Center and professional academic advisors are among the many valuable resources that are available to you at UNT. The Career Center can provide advice about internships, future employment opportunities and getting hands-on experience in your major. Academic advisors will help you plan your class schedule each semester.

How to enroll at Unt

High school students

We encourage you to fulfill the graduation requirements for the Texas Recommended or Distinguished Achievement Program or the equivalent in high school.

In your junior year, take the SAT or the ACT and have your scores sent to UNT.

In your senior year, apply for admission at www.applytexas.org by March 1 and request that your high school transcript be sent to the UNT admissions office.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses can count toward college credit at UNT. For details, visit www.unt.edu/credit.

Transfer students

If you’re attending a Texas community college, you should consult our Transfer Articulation web page, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/advisor to review your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Our Transfer Center will help you make a successful transition to college life at UNT by connecting you with a peer mentor and other campus resources. More than 3,500 students transfer to UNT each year. The center is in the University Union, Room 320. More information is at transition.unt.edu.