Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Journalism

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Hawaii Manoa

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Journalism at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa prepares students to investigate stories, verify information, interview sources, write under deadlines, and produce content across print, broadcast, online, and social media platforms. It is a strong fit for students who want a practical journalism education combined with critical thinking, multimedia production, ethical reporting, and opportunities to work with real campus and professional media organizations.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students build their journalism foundation through JOUR 150: Journalism and Society, which introduces the role of journalism in society, and JOUR 200: Intro to Multimedia Journalism, which develops an understanding of journalism across multiple media formats. JOUR 250: Media Writing strengthens the writing skills needed to communicate information clearly and effectively.

Year 2: Students move deeper into professional reporting through JOUR 300: Reporting, developing skills in gathering, analyzing, and organizing information for news stories. JOUR 330: Video Journalism adds visual storytelling and video production, while JOUR 307: Photojournalism allows students to explore photography as a journalism tool.

Year 3: At the advanced level, students can explore JOUR 316: Advanced Editing, JOUR 320: Visual Journalism: Multimedia, and JOUR 325: Magazine Writing. These courses strengthen editorial judgment, multimedia storytelling, visual communication, and long-form writing while helping students develop a versatile professional portfolio.

Year 4: Students develop a stronger professional and entrepreneurial perspective through JOUR 460: Media Ethics and JOUR 481: Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Options such as JOUR 470: Journalism Projects, JOUR 471: Advanced Multimedia Journalism, JOUR 485: Fieldwork, and JOUR 499: Directed Research allow students to undertake substantial journalism projects, field experiences, or independent research.

Focus Areas:

News reporting, multimedia journalism, media writing, video journalism, photojournalism, visual journalism, editing, magazine writing, journalism ethics, innovation and entrepreneurship, global communication, fieldwork and journalism research.

Learning Outcomes:

Students learn to gather, analyze and organize information; communicate accurately and responsibly across multiple media platforms; understand the social, cultural and historical contexts of reporting; recognize the importance of a free and responsible press; and create journalism for print, broadcast, online and emerging media formats.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The program emphasizes professional journalism standards and follows principles reflected in the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, with a strong focus on accuracy, fairness, transparency and responsibility. The official program information does not identify a separate program-specific journalism accreditation.

Reputation (Employability & Recognition):

The program has a strong record of student achievement in professional journalism competitions. UH Mānoa reported that Journalism students writing and creating for Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi achieved strong results in the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaiʻi Chapter Excellence in Journalism competition.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

This is a highly practical journalism degree where students can move beyond classroom theory into reporting, writing, photography, video production, editing and digital storytelling. Students can work with campus media, participate in journalism projects, undertake fieldwork and internships, and collaborate with professional news organizations, giving them valuable opportunities to build real-world experience and a portfolio:

• Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi — Students can contribute to the UH Mānoa campus newspaper and gain practical experience in reporting, writing and producing news content.

• The Mānoa Mirror — The Journalism program's news outlet provides opportunities to create stories, photographs, videos and podcasts for publication.

• KTUH-FM — Students can gain experience in campus radio and broadcast-oriented journalism within the university's student media environment.

• Civil Beat Partnership / UH Beat — Through JOUR 481: Innovation and Entrepreneurship, students have worked with Civil Beat on pitching, reporting, writing and editing stories. The partnership created the UH Beat section, where students have published professional-quality stories.

• Professional Internships — Students can gain professional media experience through internships with organizations such as The Star-Advertiser, Hawaii News Now and Civil Beat.

• Mānoa Career Center — Students receive career counseling, internship and job-search support, resume and cover-letter assistance, interview preparation and career workshops.

• Journalism Practicum & Fieldwork — Courses such as JOUR 385: Practicum and JOUR 485: Fieldwork provide structured opportunities to apply journalism skills outside conventional classroom learning.

• Mānoa Public Art App Project — Journalism students have participated in experimental digital journalism involving interactive, place-based storytelling and mobile technology.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates leave the program with reporting, writing, multimedia production, editing, ethical decision-making and digital communication skills that can transfer into journalism and broader media and communications careers. Professional internships, student media outlets and industry-connected projects can help students build a portfolio before graduation while developing connections with working media professionals.

Typical career options: Journalist, News Reporter, Investigative Journalist, Multimedia Journalist, News Editor, Broadcast Journalist, Digital Content Producer, Photojournalist, Communications Specialist, Media Relations Specialist

• Mānoa Career Center — Provides individualized career counseling, internship and job-search support, resume and cover-letter reviews, interview preparation, career workshops and graduate-school guidance.

• Employer Recruitment & Career Fairs — UH Mānoa connects students with employers through career and internship fairs, recruitment activities, information sessions and interviews.

• Industry Connections — Journalism students can gain professional exposure through organizations including The Star-Advertiser, Hawaii News Now and Civil Beat, while the Civil Beat collaboration gives students opportunities to publish work for a professional news audience.

• Professional Recognition — Journalism students have achieved recognition in the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaiʻi Chapter's Excellence in Journalism competition.

• Employment & Salary Information — UH Mānoa provides career resources and employment information through its Career Center; however, a current program-specific Journalism employment rate or salary figure is not published in the official sources reviewed.

• Long-Term Professional Value — The program's emphasis on ethical journalism, multimedia production, reporting, writing and emerging media gives graduates a flexible skills base that can adapt to changing media formats.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BA, students can pursue graduate or professional study in journalism, communication, media, public relations and related fields. UH Mānoa's School of Communication and Information offers an MA in Communication, providing further study in areas such as social media, strategic and intercultural communication, and communication technologies.