As global markets and fast-paced technological change transform the American economic and media landscapes, mastery of business news and familiarity with entrepreneurship have emerged as marketable skills across multiple professional fields. The specialization in Business Journalism equips aspiring journalists and media professionals with the knowledge to understand complex business and economic issues, the journalistic skills to make those topics understandable and accessible to multiplatform audiences, and the entrepreneurial spirit to take charge of their own careers. And because financial literacy is critical to many professions, the tools and techniques developed in this specialization also will prepare students for more sophisticated and insightful coverage of subjects ranging from politics to technology to entertainment to the environment to the fashion industry. Students will put into practice what they’re learning about business, financial markets, entrepreneurship, and economics in advanced journalism classes, through coverage of North Texas companies and the regional economy, and in the development of their own ideas.
To fulfill this specialization, students must complete JOUR 4306 - Business and Journalism ; a second business-focused JOUR elective; and another business-focused elective from disciplines outside the Cox School of Business (FM, CCPA, SOCI, ECO, HIST, or another elective approved by the department chair). For more information, contact Professor Jake Batsell at jbatsell@smu.edu. Note: Students majoring or minoring in business may pursue the O’Neil Program in Business Journalism, as described above.
Admission and Degree Requirements
Strong writing skills are essential to the student’s success in the division’s journalism curriculum and later in the profession of journalism. Students may enroll in journalism classes as first-year students.
Those seeking permission to major in journalism must have completed 24 hours of study, which may include transfer hours. Students must also have completed the following courses, with no grade lower than C+ in either of them:
Notes:
- Students must declare the major or minor before taking JOUR 2312 .
- Students transferring from other universities must have completed equivalent courses and obtained the equivalent GPA and minimum grades in those courses before they can declare a journalism major.
- The Journalism Division has a focus on and commitment to diversity, recognizing the need for diversity in media and communications in the 21st century.
- All journalism majors must declare and complete a second major or a minor of their choosing. The fashion media major does not meet this requirement.
- Required courses must be passed with a grade of C- or better to count for credit toward the major in journalism.
SMU Degree Requirements
An SMU undergraduate degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours and must include completion of the University’s Common Curriculum, one major and a combination of electives and/or other majors or minors. Completion of certain majors requires more than 120 hours to finish the degree. The credit hours within this curriculum are distributed as follows:
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