Journalism and Mass Communication (BA)

Iowa makes experiential learning a required part of the Journalism and Mass Communication BA through its SCRIPT requirement. Every JMC major must complete an approved experience through study abroad, community engagement, research, internship, professional practice, or teaching, while capstone courses allow students to create professional-quality work for real clients or publications. Students can also gain practical experience through The Daily Iowan, DITV, KRUI, the Adler Agency, student organizations, internships, and specialized media facilities.

Students can build their professional portfolio through opportunities such as:

• JMC:2100 Internship in Journalism and Mass Communication: Students can complete a supervised professional internship lasting at least one academic term, with a minimum of 75 work hours and substantial career-related responsibilities. Opportunities can involve news and print media, photojournalism, videography, social media, content management, or public relations.

• JMC:2400 Journalism and Mass Communication Media Experience: Provides an approved professional-practice route for students completing the SCRIPT experiential-learning requirement.

• Adler Agency: Students can gain experience creating content for clients as part of the school's professional-practice opportunities.

• The Daily Iowan: The award-winning, student-run newspaper gives students practical opportunities in reporting, writing, editing, multimedia journalism, and newsroom production.

• Daily Iowan TV (DITV): Students can participate in a student-run television news operation and gain experience producing broadcast content.

• KRUI-FM: Students can gain hands-on radio and audio-media experience through the university's student radio station.

• Podcast Studio: The Adler Journalism Building's Student Center includes a dedicated podcast studio equipped with Rode Procaster microphones, Shure headphones, a RODECaster Pro production console, an iMac, Adobe Creative Suite, and Audacity.

• TV News Editing Lab: Students have access to eight iMac Pro editing stations, a Ross Video Graphite video switcher, Carbonite Panel, VideoStreamline, XpressionGraphics, TriaVideo, and professional studio/control-room displays.

• High-End Multimedia Lab: The W332 multimedia lab provides 20 iMacs with 27-inch displays for advanced media and design work.

• Media Production Software: Journalism labs provide Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro X, Audacity, Microsoft Office, VLC, Visual Studio Code, BBEdit, SFTP clients, and specialized applications for areas such as AR/VR authoring and photogrammetry.

• Capstone Projects: Students produce professional-quality media for an outside client or publication, developing research, planning, storytelling, production, and portfolio skills before graduation.

• Washington, D.C. Media Law Experience: Reporting and Writing students can use this experiential opportunity to explore media law and professional journalism in a major national media and political environment.

• Chicago Media Experience: Multimedia Production and Design students can fulfill SCRIPT through the Chicago Media Experience while developing professional media skills.

• Iowa Stories and Lived Experience (ISLE): Students can participate in this storytelling-focused experiential opportunity as part of their professional development.

The BA provides a flexible route into journalism, media, strategic communication, marketing, public relations, digital content, and multimedia careers. Iowa's School of Journalism and Mass Communication reports that graduates work across newspapers, magazines, radio, television, online communications, social media, advertising, branding, marketing, public relations, photojournalism, publication design, and media research.

Typical job roles: Journalist, News Reporter, Multimedia Journalist, Public Relations Specialist.

These career opportunities are supported by Iowa's strong combination of professional experience, career services, student media, and industry-focused education:

• Pomerantz Career Center: Provides resources to help students find internships and jobs, giving JMC students dedicated support as they move from academic study into professional employment.

• Professional Student Media: Experience with The Daily Iowan, DITV, and KRUI allows students to build portfolios and demonstrate real media-production experience to employers.

• Employment Outcomes: The University of Iowa reports that 95% of Iowa graduates are employed, continuing education, or not seeking work within six months of graduation. This is a university-wide figure rather than a JMC-specific employment rate.

• Experiential Learning Advantage: Iowa reports that students who participate in experiential learning earn a post-graduation salary approximately $7,000 higher than students who do not participate, receive more full-time job offers in their field, and graduate within four years at higher rates. This is an institutional experiential-learning comparison, not a JMC-specific salary figure.

• Industry-Relevant Preparation: Students can gain experience across news reporting, photojournalism, videography, social media, content management, public relations, and strategic communication through internships and professional-practice courses.

• Industry & Professional Networks: Students can participate in professional organizations and media experiences, including the National Association of Black Journalists, Public Relations Student Society of America, Online News Association, and other journalism-focused opportunities.

• Accreditation Value: ACEJMC accreditation provides long-term professional recognition for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and demonstrates that the program operates against established standards for journalism and mass communication education.

• Graduation Preparation: The 120-credit BA combines at least 43 semester hours of JMC coursework with a required second major, certificate, minor, or approved concentration area, giving graduates both professional media skills and additional subject expertise.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into master's-level study in Mass Communication, Strategic Communication, Journalism, Media Studies, Communication, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Political Communication, Health Communication, or related fields. The University of Iowa itself offers graduate programs including the MA in Mass Communication, Master's in Strategic Communication, and PhD in Mass Communication, providing clear pathways for students who want to advance into research, specialized communication careers, or academic work.