Journalism majors must complete a set of core courses and electives that range from skills courses to courses on the concepts and theories that govern media systems. Students graduate equipped with the ability to work in media careers and are equipped for the evolutions of a fast-changing field.
Lehigh journalism majors go into a wide range of fields because different professions value the research, writing, multimedia, and critical thinking skills in our curriculum. Those fields include written and multimedia journalism, web production, social media engagement, marketing, and public relations. Some students also continue on to law school as another application of the skills they learned at Lehigh.
Students must complete 40 hours of journalism and communication courses, which includes core courses and a 4-credit elective. They also are required to complete Math 12 Basic Statistics as well as either a second major or a minor outside the department.
Although the major is designed so a student does not have to begin taking courses until after their first year at Lehigh, here is one possible path for students wishing to get started early on major coursework. This should be considered more of a guide than a list of courses you must complete within the first two years.
Suggested Curriculum
Freshman
JOUR 1 Brown and White (1 credit)
JOUR 2 Brown and White (1 credit)
COMM 1 Media and Society (4 credits)
JOUR 21 Writing for the Media (4 credits)
MATH 12 Basic Statistics (4 credits)
Sophomore
JOUR 3 Brown and White (1 credit)
JOUR 4 Brown and White (1 credit)
JOUR 23 Editing and Critical Thinking (4 credits)
JOUR 24 Visual Communication (4 credits)
JOUR 122 Media Ethics and Law (4 credits)