Advising Handbook for Journalism

A major in media arts prepares students for careers in a variety of media-related fields including journalism, video, web design, and multimedia production. The program emphasizes theoretical and social aspects of the media as well as its technical and creative components.

Requirements for All Majors | Media Arts Major | Media Arts Minor

The following MEDA courses count towards the Analysis and Interpretation of Texts core requirement:

• MEDA 110 Intro to Communication
• MEDA 112 Media and Society
• MEDA 120 Film History and Analysis
• MEDA 201 Interpersonal Communication
• MEDA 220* Film and Society

*2 credit course

The following MEDA courses count towards the Artistic Practice and Creative Practice core requirement:

• MEDA 250 Foundations of Video Production
• MEDA 265 Web Design
• MEDA 302 Documentary: Studies and Practice 
• MEDA 303 Experimental: Studies and Practice
• MEDA 304 Contemporary Explorations
• MEDA 305 Identity Design
• MEDA 306 Animation: Studies and Practice
• MEDA 320 Narrative Production: from script to screen
• MEDA 322 Post-Production
• MEDA 363 Publication Editing and Design

The Following Computer Science course that is part of the Integrated Media Major fulfills the Quantitative Reasoning core requirement:

• CS 205    Programming for Multimedia

The Following MEDA courses fulfill the Civic Engagement (CE) core requirement:

• MEDA 153 Video for Community Engagement
• MEDA 365 Project Management for Graphic Design
• MEDA 353 Video for Community Engagement: Mentoring

Requirements of All Majors

Prospective media arts majors should be aware that a majority of the courses in the department are offered on a yearly or every-other year basis and that many courses, as indicated, are to be taken in a sequential manner. Students need to arrange their schedule so they can advance through the sequences as they are offered.

In the senior year or when a student has enough credits earned to have ‘senior status’, all Media Arts majors except Graphic Design must complete MEDA 434 Media Law and Ethics during the Fall semester.

All Media Arts majors require the completion of the two-semester senior capstone. There are four different senior capstone seminars that are specific to the majors in the department. MEDA 488/489 is the Graphic Design capstone. MEDA 491/492 is the year-long seminar for film and video majors, MEDA 493/494 is for integrated media majors, and MEDA 497/498 is for journalism. Media Arts majors choose to work with the professor(s) that best match the media in which they choose to conduct their capstone.

Internship Requirements

All students majoring in Media Arts are encouraged to seek out and complete an internship (MEDA 475 or 480) in their junior or senior year, however internships are not a degree requirement. The 475 course represents the standard college internship course wherein the student begins and completes a 1-4 credit internship experience within an academic term (Fall, Winter, Spring). The 480 course is a seminar course for students who wish to receive academic credit for an internship experience that has been recently completed or is underway and does not "fit" within the timeframe of an academic term. All internships, either 475 or 480, must be approved before they begin by the student’s advisor in the department to insure that the internship meets the standards and goals of the student’s degree program.

Studying Abroad

Media Arts majors should be advised that they can spend a semester abroad at York St. John University in York, England studying media studies and production. By working with an advisor from the MEDA faculty, they can take courses abroad that directly meet or replace requirements in a MEDA major.

Journalism Major

Required Courses and Prerequisites

Students interested in journalism should start by taking the introductory media theory class, MEDA 112. MEDA 240, Writing for the Media, should be taken in the second semester of the freshman year so the student is prepared for the reporting sequence of MEDA 370 offered in alternate years.

20 credits are required for the major and a capstone (24). 16 credits of electives are needed for the major (8 must be upper-division)

Four-Year Schedule

A traditional four-year schedule for a journalism student might look like this:

1st year

• MEDA 150 Pacific Index | 1 credit
• MEDA 240 Writing for the Media | 4 credits

2nd year

• MEDA 213 Digital Journalism 1 | 4 credit (offered alternate yrs)
• MEDA 150 Pacific Index |1 credit
• Choose from:

3rd year

• MEDA 313 Digital Journalism 2 | 4 credits (offered alternate yrs)
• MEDA 370 Advanced Reporting and Interview | 4 credits (offered alternate yrs)
• MEDA 450 Pacific Index Management | 2 credits
• Upper-division elective(s) | 4-8 credits
• Choose from:

4th year

• MEDA 450 Pacific Index Management AND/OR MEDA 475/480 Internship | 2-4 credits
• MEDA 434 Mass Media Law and Ethics | 4 credits
• MEDA 497 Senior Capstone in Journalism | 2 credits
• MEDA 498 Senior Capstone in Journalism | 2 credits

Two-Year Schedule

Students should consult with Jeslyn Lemke, assistant professor of journalism (jlemke@pacificu.edu), on the feasibility of this.

Two-Year Schedule

Students should consult with Jeslyn Lemke, Assistant Professor of Journalism (jlemke@pacificu.edu), on the feasibility of this.

1st year

• MEDA 240 Writing for Media 4 credits
• MEDA 213 Digital Journalism 1 4 credits
• MEDA 150 Pacific Index 1 credit
• Choose from:

2nd year

• MEDA 434 Mass Media Law and Ethics | 4 credits
• MEDA 450 Pacific Index Management AND/OR MEDA 475/480 Internship | 2-4 credits
• MEDA 497 Senior Capstone in Journalism | 2 credits
• MEDA 498 Senior Capstone in Journalism | 2 credits
• Choose from Electives if needed

Journalism Minor

Requirements for the Journalism minor:

• MEDA 112 Media in Society | 4 credits
• MEDA 122 Intro to Digital Media | 2 credits
• MEDA 240 Writing for the Media | 4 credits
• MEDA 340 Reporting | 4 credits
• MEDA 363 Publication Editing and Design | 4 credits OR MEDA 311 Electronic News | 4 credits
• MEDA 434 Mass Media Law and Ethics | 4 credits

Total: 22 Credits

REV 2020