• Students in the Broadcast News program create one of the nation's few nightly, student-produced TV newscasts for the Emmy Award-winning Murrow News 8.
• Learn from professors who have won awards for excellence in teaching and professional work, are nationally ranked for their research, and emphasize high standards in the tradition of Edward R. Murrow.
• WSU's strong internship program places students in major media centers: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle.
• Work in studios also used by the College’s Public Broadcasting television station, edit using professional quality Avid software, write scripts using industry-standard iNews software, and use professional-level wire services, graphics equipment, and audio recording labs.
• Gain valuable experience with an award-winning and student-run cable television channel, KWSU-TV (a PBS affiliate), KJEM-FM (a student-run jazz station, and KUGR (a web-based student radio station and sports play-by-play outlet).
• Students have won multiple awards from SPJ and regional Emmys

Here's an overview of what the major looks like. For the full sequence of core courses, see the communication program's website.

Courses in the major focus on developing students who have professional-level understandings of the value of news in society, the legal and ethical obligations of journalists and media producers, and the skills needed to hit the ground running in journalism and media production.

Joining the communication program

After completing 30 credit hours of course work—usually in the sophomore year—you can apply to join the communication program.

Your 30 credits should include these three communication prerequisite courses:

• Media and Society
• Communication in Global Contexts
• Communication Orientation

A writing test is part of the Communication Orientation course. Admission to the communication program is based on cumulative WSU GPA and performance on the writing test.

Journalism and media production core

All communication majors start with two courses that set the stage for everything else:

• Multimedia Content Creation
• Writing in Communication

Core courses

The journalism and media production major is flexible. The core courses are designed to give you a strong base, from which you can move into the areas that interest you most.

Basic core:

• News & Society
• Media Law
• Media Ethics

Skills core:

• Reporting Across Platforms
• Visual Communication

Electives

Customize the major to fit your interests and goals by choosing at least three additional communication courses that support your specialization.

Specialization options:

• Broadcast news
• Broadcast production
• Multimedia journalism

Read more about specialization options in the sections below.

Featured courses

Broadcast News Reporting

Advanced Television News

Specialization elective

Electives

Choose four communication courses that support your focus area. This is your opportunity to customize the major to your own strengths and goals.

Internships can count for elective credit too, so you could get professional experience and course credit at the same time.

For more about broadcast news courses, see the Murrow College website.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

Featured courses

Beginning television production

Advanced television production

Specialization elective

Electives

Choose four communication courses that support your focus area. This is your opportunity to customize the major to your own strengths and goals.

Internships can count for elective credit too, so you could get professional experience and course credit at the same time.

For more about broadcast production courses, see the Murrow College website.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

Featured courses

Video for the Web

Reporting of Public Affairs

Murrow News Service

Electives

Choose four communication courses that support your focus area. This is your opportunity to customize the major to your own strengths and goals.

Internships can count for elective credit too, so you could get professional experience and course credit at the same time.

For a full list of multimedia journalism courses, see the Murrow College website.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

For all students at WSU

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

To get all the financial help WSU can provide, start by doing these two things:

• Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration.
• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need.

More about WSU scholarships and financial aid

For communication majors

In addition to general university scholarships, you could be eligible for awards that are reserved for students in communication majors.

The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication has 19 scholarship funds and awards $50,000 in scholarships and fellowships to communication students each year.

Murrow College scholarship applications and information

A flexible, highly valued degree

Because they build skills in critical and creative thinking, writing, research, and teamwork, communication degrees are highly valued by employers in a wide variety of fields.

A communication major can have high crossover value in areas like business, education, government and politics, international relations, social and human services, health-related careers, and law.

Multimedia journalism

A journalism and media production major with a focus on multimedia journalism prepares you for careers involving writing, news reporting, and digital media authoring.

You can put your skills to work in many different areas:

• Journalism in digital and print media
• Magazines, whether printed or online
• Corporate communications
• Nonprofit and government organizations

Broadcast news and production

A journalism and media production major with a focus on broadcast news and production  prepares you for exciting careers in newscasting, TV and radio production, program development, station operations, multimedia authoring, and more.

You can find rewarding careers in any area where journalistic and media production skills are needed.