See below for a list of the various courses you can take as a Journalism & Media Studies student. Visit the UNC course catalog for more information.
- Required CoursesThe following courses are required for the JMS major:
- JMS 100 - Media Literacy
The economic, social and legal forces shaping media content and function today; overview of media industries and careers. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 210 - Media Writing
An introduction to researching, reporting and writing for various media channels, including print, broadcast and online news; public relations; and advertising. Attention paid to the importance of the First Amendment. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 212 - Visual Media
Learn how to combine text, images and audio for publication in print and online. Emphasis on online and social media. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 310 - News Reporting and Writing
Intermediate reporting and writing for print, broadcast and online news. Focus on publication of stories on government and current issue coverage. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 312 - Digital Storytelling
Students will develop successful visual storytelling skills to prepare them for careers in broadcast television, post production house and digital publications. Students will produce electric news gathering style news packages, increase their speed in video editing, and understand how to script news packages, develop active voice writing skills. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 342 - Video Production
Learn the terminology, procedures and skills of basic studio television production. Application of techniques to the production of programs. (4 credit hours).
- JMS 350 - News Editing
Learn how to present stories and graphics that are factual, clear and appealing and that follow the guidelines of journalistic style and integrity. Focus on copy editing and graphic design. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 410 - Advanced News
Advanced reporting and writing for print, broadcast and online news. Emphasis on beat coverage, in-depth feature stories and opinion writing. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 450 - News Production
Employ skills learned in previous JMS courses to produce a weekly online news magazine combining print, video, audio, photographs, interactive graphics, and social media. (4 credit hours).
- JMS 485 - Media Ethics
Explores ethical theory and ethical decision-making tools as they relate to dilemmas in the media professions. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 497 - Media Law
Current and perennial ethical and legal issues in journalism and media studies that affect journalists, media management and the public. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 100 - Media Literacy
- Elective Courses
Take any additional courses with the JMS prefix to bring the total credit hours in the major to 50 credits. (JMS 492 - Internship is strongly recommended).
- JMS 215- Social Media Storytelling
This course will instruct students on best practices, ethical considerations and efficient storytelling leveraging digital social media platforms such as Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and others. Students will learn to navigate these spaces and develop storytelling tactics purposefully tailored for the different "flavors" of social media platforms. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 315 - Sports Reporting
How to report and write about sports. Emphasis on what constitutes sports news and both the uniqueness of sports journalism and how it is similar to other beats. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 345 - Intro to Public Relations
This course provides a foundational understanding of public relations with a focus on the creation, dissemination and measurement of strategic messages. Topics examined include social corporate responsibility, crisis management, media management and social media. The course also explores the variety of PR career paths. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 380 - Public Relations Techniques
This is a hands-on course that reviews the tools available for PR practitioners to disseminate their message including media kits, campaigns, PSAs, blogs, podcasts, social media posts and everything else in between all while working with a real-life client to enrich classroom learning. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 385 - Media Planning and Research
A managerial approach to the study of media research and media planning strategies. Methods and procedures used in the planning and evaluation of the media mix will be examined. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 390 - Impact of Mass Media on Society
The effects and roles of media content and media industries in contemporary society, the current state of media effects theory and research. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 397 - History of Mass Media
Survey of the cultural, technological and economic evolution of the mass media, with emphasis on issues and trends in mass-mediated communications. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 404 - Practicum
Incorporate advanced discipline-specific skills working for UNC student-run media. (1-3 credit hours).
- JMS 415 - Social Media Campaigns
This course is dedicated to exploring social technologies that are influencing business, media, marketing, public relations and advertising practices as well as research practices. With hands-on application as the course delivery method, this course acquaints you with practical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to create, evaluate, and execute social media campaigns. The current social media job landscape and potential employment opportunities for the future are examined. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 416 - Documentary Production
This course introduces students to journalistic-based narrative nonfiction storytelling. The emphasis will be on quality and compelling storytelling for both web and television/film festival audiences. The course covers, in depth, the production (pre and post) involved in developing long-form video storytelling. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 422 - Directed Study
Individualized investigation under the direct supervision of a faculty member. (Minimum of 37.5 clock hours required per credit hour.) (1-3 credit hours).
- JMS 460 - Media Management
Examine policies, procedures, and responsibilities within media industries today. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 481 - Public Relations Campaigns
This course brings together all learning concepts from JMS classes, specifically PR classes to give students hands-on professional experience developing comprehensive PR campaigns for actual clients and planning and executing a community event. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 490 - Television Criticism
Critically evaluate television's performance as an informative, persuasive entertaining, socializing, and culture-transmitting medium. (3 credit hours).
- JMS 492 - Internship
Supervised work experience in a professional media organization appropriate for the discipline. (1-3 credit hours).
- JMS 495 - Special Topics
Current issues or problems in journalism and media studies. Course content is dependent on relevant happenings in the wider world. (1-3 credit hours).
- JMS 215- Social Media Storytelling
