With so may great choices, it can be difficult deciding which CMA courses to take. Some students find themselves choosing a “track” of print or video courses, but students are welcome to mix up their courseload and try a variety of content.
A total of eight CMA courses, two per year, are required, though some students choose to select more. There are only three courses all CMA majors must select: freshmen will take Journalism 1 and Desktop Publishing, while sophomores will take Journalism 2. The remainder of courses are CMA electives.
Students are encouraged to see a CMA teacher when planning their courses over the four years. For a list of CMA courses, click here.
COLLEGE & BEYOND
If a student wishes to pursue careers in communications beyond high school, this link provides a list of accredited journalism institutions in the United States.
Accredited journalism programs
Candace Bowen, the Director of the Center for Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University, offers these helpful tips for finding a journalism school.
1. Check a school’s accreditation. True, there are some decent schools that do not have ACEJMC accreditation, BUT those that do show they are willing to go through the hoops and have what academia and the professional world believe they need. They also face a tough assessment every six years — by their own units and by a team that visits and studies them.
2. Be sure to understand the difference between communications and mass communications — and what each program offers. Some college and university programs have changed their names recently, and even those that haven’t may confuse prospective students. For instance, “communications” in many places is much more theoretical, studying the way people communicate, and “mass communications” refers to the media most high school journalists are interested in pursuing.
3. Make sure the program has good connections to the “real” world. A professionally oriented school will have instructors who have strong ties to what is going on in media NOW. Things are changing so fast, this is tough to do, but it’s vital for anyone seeking a degree worth anything. These days, J-schools are having to continuously assess their programs to make sure they have enough digital media and bells and whistles — without losing touch with solid reporting and writing, legal and ethical issues. Knowing how to make a jazzy website doesn’t mean a thing if it has no content — ditto Facebook and tweets.
4. Demand an internship — and try to get more than required. Any program that doesn’t require its graduates to spend time in REAL media/integrated marketing offices is definitely not doing its students any favors. This is vital in today’s market. Related to this, be sure the school helps with job placement. No one can guarantee a job, but the faculty have to be dedicated to helping graduates find what might work for them.
5. Consider how quickly students can get involved in student media — and what kinds of options there are. Often that’s as good if not a better learning experience than the classroom. If a college or university requires its students to wait until they are juniors or seniors to be on a newspaper staff, that should be a red flag. Although no freshman should get so wrapped up in student media he or she forgets to study and do well in classes, no one enthused about high school media is going to want a two-year hiatus before getting back in the news room.
6. Yes, look at the school’s student media. It doesn’t have to win Pacemakers all the time (Yes, college media can win them, too.), but it helps it they are solid news outlets that can help students excel.
7. Of course check out class sizes. While some general education courses will probably be large at most schools, the skills classes in journalism should be small to allow for individualized attention. Check out the technology, too. If the labs are full of out-dated computers and the television studio looks like the 1950s, that should be a concern.
8. Look at the size of the university. Some with good programs are in HUGE schools and some are in smaller ones. Large universities aren’t right for everyone, and neither are little schools . The journalism offered isn’t the ONLY thing that’s going to make college work for a student.