Journalism (JOUR)

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Journalism
907-474-7007

JOUR F101X      Media and Culture      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

History and principles of mass communications and the role of information media in American society. Introduction to professional aspects of mass communications, including print and broadcast.

Attributes: UAF GER Humanities Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F201      News Writing for the Media      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall and Spring

Identifying and focusing news stories, writing the lead, developing story structure, writing on deadline, editing copy, writing headlines and captions, writing styles for print, broadcast and online news presentations.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F205      Media and the Environment
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Exploration of local, national and international environmental problems and their social and political impacts. Analysis of historical and contemporary mass media coverage – including radio, film, print and online outlets – and their treatment of environmental issues. Examination of the media’s effects on public opinion and government policies.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F207      Audio Production      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Audio production theory and practice for video, radio and podcasting. Survey of types of microphones and their features, including mic placement and operation. Audio recording best practices, location sound, voice overs and audio editing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F211      If Einstein Were a Photographer
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

This course will apply photographic techniques and approaches to laboratory and field work photography for scientists and science and environmental journalists in their various areas of interest. This class will prove useful to archeologists, engineers, and other field and lab scientists who desire to better document their work through photography.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F301      Reporting Science
3 Credits

Offered Spring

News reporting basics with an eye toward science: covering beats including technology, medicine, climate, physics, space, the natural world and science policy. Cultivating sources, interviewing and reporting through public records. Sifting through published research and data. Working with numbers. Segments on print, video and online reporting methods and style conventions.

Prerequisites: JOUR F101X; JOUR F201.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F303      Copy Editing
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Lay or lie? Who or whom? Find out as this course travels from basic grammar and usage to editing for tone, structure and potential ethical conflicts. Choose the best word or phrase for any occasion, eliminate redundancy and verbosity, and learn why you should never use “really unique.”

Prerequisites: ENGL F111X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F307      Video Production      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Digital video production technology overview and techniques of composition, audio, lighting, recording and editing as it relates to non-fiction/journalism production. Students will produce videos of varying lengths, including a final project.

Prerequisites: JOUR F201; JOUR F207.

Special Notes: Special fees apply.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F391      Seminar: Issues in Science and the Environment
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

Taught by UAF's Snedden Chair in Journalism, this course uses a semester-long focus to examine a single issue or topic in science or environmental journalism.

Prerequisites: JOUR F101X; JOUR F201; JOUR F301; junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 6 credits

JOUR F400      Professional Internship
1-3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Practical training in a supervised, professional media environment. Participation at an approved publication, TV or radio station, or other media- or communication-related office agency, organization or business is required.

Prerequisites: Senior standing.

Cross-listed with COM F400.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 6 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 3 credits

JOUR F429      Public Relations and Public Information in the Sciences
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

Study and analysis of the role of PR/PIO professionals in science, technology, medicine and the environment. Writing relevant materials, including press releases. Discussion of issues management, crisis communication theories, models and concepts are examined, with additional focus on the role, process, strategies and tactics of these strategic elements.

Stacked with JOUR F629.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F439      Science Writing for Popular Media      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Students write, read and analyze science articles, social media posts, blog posts and/or press releases. Coursework includes writing and reading assignments, class workshops and conferences with the instructor. Emphasis on recognizing, finding and developing science stories; structuring articles; capturing reader interest; maintaining accuracy; and getting published. Scientists are welcome.

Prerequisites: JOUR F201; WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X.

Stacked with JOUR F639.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 6 credits

JOUR F449      Northern and Environmental Literature      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

Intensive study of particular aspects of Alaska and circumpolar writing, ecocritical theory and the literature of environmental studies.

Prerequisites: WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; sophomore standing.

Cross-listed with ACNS F449; ENGL F449.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F476      Advanced Digital Photography Portfolio      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall, Spring and Summer

This class provides students with the concept of producing a professional digital portfolio of their Commercial and/or Art Photography and/or Photojournalism. Students submit new images each week for editing and critique. Over the semester three smaller bodies of work will become a 20-24 image professional portfolio.

Prerequisites: ART F284.

Cross-listed with ART F476.

Stacked with ART F676, JOUR F676.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 3 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 9 credits

JOUR F480      Documentary Filmmaking      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years

Basics of hands-on documentary filmmaking techniques, including preproduction, production and postproduction. Different documentary filmmaking directing styles and the process of distributing a documentary. Each student will produce a short documentary as the capstone of the course.

Prerequisites: Basic experience in shooting and editing video.

Cross-listed with FLPA F480.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F490      Journalism Capstone: Portfolio
0 Credit

Offered Spring

With faculty guidance and collaboration, senior students assemble a portfolio website of work that demonstrates their knowledge and proficiency in print, photographic, broadcast and online journalism.

Prerequisites: JOUR F211; JOUR F301; JOUR F303; JOUR F307; JOUR F400; JOUR F429; JOUR F439.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

JOUR F492      Seminar
1-6 Credits

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-6 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 15 times for up to unlimited credits

JOUR F498      Undergraduate Research
3 Credits

Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 9 credits

JOUR F629      Public Relations and Public Information in the Sciences
3 Credits

Offered Spring Even-numbered Years

Study and analysis of the role of PR/PIO professionals in science, technology, medicine and the environment. Writing relevant materials, including press releases. Discussion of issues management, crisis communication theories, models and concepts are examined, with additional focus on the role, process, strategies and tactics of these strategic elements.

Stacked with JOUR F429.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JOUR F639      Science Writing for Popular Media
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Students write, read and analyze science articles, social media posts, blog posts and/or press releases. Coursework includes writing and reading assignments, class workshops and conferences with the instructor. Emphasis on recognizing, finding and developing science stories; structuring articles; capturing reader interest; maintaining accuracy; and getting published. Scientists are welcome.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

Stacked with JOUR F439.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 6 credits

JOUR F676      Advanced Digital Photography Portfolio      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall, Spring and Summer

This class provides students with the concept of producing a professional digital portfolio of their Commercial and/or Art Photography and/or Photojournalism. Students submit new images each week for editing and critique. Over the semester three smaller bodies of work will become a 20-24 image professional portfolio.

Cross-listed with ART F676.

Stacked with ART F476, JOUR F476.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 3 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to 9 credits

JOUR F692      MFA Seminar
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 4 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 98 times for up to unlimited credits

JOUR F698      Non-thesis Research/Project
1-6 Credits

Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 6 times for up to 6 credits

JOUR F699      Thesis
1-9 Credits

Every candidate for the communication concentration of the master's degree in professional communication will complete a thesis project. The requirement consists of an original piece of communication research directed by a member of the communication graduate faculty. The completed and accepted thesis will be presented in an appropriate public forum.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits