BS Journalism

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln gives students a strong professional foundation in reporting, writing, editing, visual communication, multimedia journalism and emerging digital media. It is ideal for students who want to investigate stories, communicate information across multiple platforms and build practical experience through student media, internships, industry projects and the College's Experience Lab.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students begin with JOMC 101 – Principles of Mass Media and JOUR 107 – Information Gathering, developing an understanding of the media industry and the skills needed to find and evaluate information. Through JOMC 130 – Introduction to Design Thinking and the visual communication modules, students also begin working with storytelling, technology, design and content creation.

Year 2: Students strengthen their reporting and editing abilities through JOUR 200A – Fundamentals of Editing and Reporting I and JOUR 200B – Fundamentals of Editing and Reporting II, progressing from foundational reporting into more advanced work for print, digital and broadcast platforms. JOUR 348 – The Real World I, along with the Experience Lab and JOMC 222 – Social Justice, Human Rights and the Media, adds professional exposure and a broader understanding of journalism's role in society.

Year 3: Students develop more specialized skills through JOUR 307 – Data Journalism, while upper-level journalism electives allow them to explore areas such as beat reporting, digital editing, multimedia journalism, photojournalism, videography and data-driven storytelling. JOMC 487 – Media, Ethics and Society strengthens students' understanding of responsible journalism and ethical decision-making.

Year 4: Students move into advanced professional preparation with JOMC 486 – Mass Media Law, an upper-level journalism elective and the JOUR 400 – Media Capstone. The final year brings together reporting, multimedia, research, ethics and professional skills, with JOMC 98 – Senior Assessment completing the program's graduation requirements.

Focus Areas:

Reporting and writing, digital journalism, multimedia journalism, copy editing, data journalism, visual communication, photojournalism, videography, web design, magazine writing, feature writing, sports writing, business writing, depth reporting, journalism ethics, media law, news production.

Learning Outcomes:

Students learn to gather information from data, documents and human sources; write clearly for different audiences and platforms; use audio, visual and digital communication tools; conduct research and evaluate information critically; apply journalism ethics and media law; communicate across diverse audiences; work effectively in teams; and produce accurate, fair and professionally appropriate journalism.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications has maintained continuous accreditation from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) since 1954. The program also requires students to complete substantial coursework outside journalism and mass communications, reflecting ACEJMC's emphasis on a broad liberal arts and science education.

Reputation (Employability):

The program has strong industry connections, with faculty who have professional experience at organizations including ProPublica, The New York Times, The Miami Herald, Bloomberg-related media and major regional newspapers. The college reported that 87.9% of its 2024 entering class returned for their second year, the second-highest first-year retention rate on the UNL campus, while recent journalism graduates have moved into roles at organizations such as CNN, the Omaha World-Herald and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Nebraska's journalism education is built around its “Do From Day One” approach, giving students opportunities to gain professional experience alongside classroom learning. The Experience Lab, student media outlets, internships, professional partnerships and extensive media-production equipment allow students to practice reporting, editing, photography, video, audio, data journalism and multimedia storytelling while building a professional portfolio and résumé.

• Experience Lab — Students begin gaining hands-on experience from their first semester, working with faculty liaisons and professional mentors through college media outlets and agencies.

• Nebraska News Service — Students can gain professional reporting experience by working on news stories and content through this college media operation.

• The Daily Nebraskan — Students can work for the independent student newspaper in areas including news, culture, opinion, sports, multimedia and sales, creating real publishing experience.

• News Lab and Nebraska Mosaic — Students can develop reporting, digital storytelling and multimedia skills through these college media opportunities, including work connected to the JOUR 346 – Nebraska Mosaic curriculum.

• Omaha World-Herald “The Real World” — World-Herald staff members work with students through the course JOUR 348 – The Real World, and five students are selected each semester for paid newsroom fellowships.

• Professional Internships — Journalism students have completed internships with organizations including ABC News, BuzzFeed, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Omaha World-Herald, National Public Radio and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

• Media Equipment Checkout Room — Students can borrow cameras, video cameras, lights, tripods, microphones, gimbals, mixers, laptops and other production equipment for academic projects.

• Professional Camera Equipment — Available equipment includes Canon and Sony DSLR/mirrorless cameras, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema cameras, Sony video cameras, professional lenses and stabilization systems, giving students access to tools used for visual journalism and multimedia production.

• Editing Bays — The college provides editing bays equipped with computers running Adobe Creative Cloud and large monitors for video-production projects.

• Perry Photo Studio — Students have access to a dedicated photography and video-interview space featuring a green-screen wall, backdrops, cameras, lenses and lighting equipment.

• Television and Audio Studios — The college operates television studios, audio studios and a podcast studio, giving students opportunities to work with cameras, teleprompters, production switchers, microphones and livestreaming equipment.

• SMART-Lab — The Social and Traditional Media Analytics and Research Tools Lab supports research and experimental learning through specialized software, high-performance computers, focus groups and media experimentation.

• International Experiences — Students can participate in education-abroad and international media experiences, expanding their understanding of journalism and communication in different cultural environments.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Journalism degree prepares graduates for careers across traditional news organizations, digital media, visual journalism, data reporting and multimedia production. Students can graduate with practical reporting experience, student-media work, internship experience and technical skills that can strengthen their professional profile in a competitive media industry.

Typical career options: Digital News Producer, Investigative Reporter, Data Journalist, Multimedia Editor

• CoJMC Career Services — The college provides a dedicated career coach who helps students identify jobs and internships, practice interviews, improve LinkedIn profiles, prepare for employers and negotiate job offers. Students also have access to Handshake for internships, part-time jobs and full-time employment opportunities.

• Industry-Connected Faculty — Journalism faculty bring professional experience from organizations including The New York Times, ProPublica, The Miami Herald, Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star, helping connect classroom learning with professional journalism practice.

• Paid Industry Opportunities — The college partners with media organizations that offer paid internships during the academic year, including the Omaha World-Herald fellowship program, where five students are selected each semester for paid newsroom internships.

• Graduate Employment Examples — Recent graduates have taken positions such as Regional Reporter, Reporter, Photojournalist, Graphics and Data Reporter, Visuals Editor, Associate Digital Producer and News Producer/Reporter, with employers including CNN, Omaha World-Herald and San Diego Union-Tribune.

• First-Destination Results — In the college's 2020–21 first-destination survey, 69.8% of participating graduates entered full-time employment, 5.9% entered graduate school and 3.8% obtained a post-graduation internship. The university notes that these figures cover 288 undergraduate graduates from that academic year, so they should not be treated as a current program-specific employment rate.

• Salary Information — A current Journalism-specific average starting salary was not identified in the official UNL sources reviewed, so no program-specific salary figure is being presented.

• Professional Accreditation Value — Continuous ACEJMC accreditation since 1954 provides long-term professional recognition and demonstrates the college's sustained commitment to journalism education standards.

• Strong Retention and Student Success — CoJMC reported an 87.9% first-year retention rate for its 2024 entering class, placing the college second-highest on the UNL campus for this measure.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into advanced study in professional journalism, journalism and mass communication, strategic communication, media studies or related fields. UNL offers an accelerated Bachelor of Journalism/Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications pathway in which qualified students can apply approved graduate coursework toward both degrees, with up to 12 graduate credits eligible to count toward the undergraduate and later graduate degrees.