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Undergraduate Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences
The Media School

Concentration in Social and Digital Media (Bachelor of Arts in Journalism)

Students on Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026 requirements JORC15

The Social and Digital Media concentration of the B.A.J. provides students with a comprehensive educational experience that combines theory and practice of social media usage with specialized skills courses in creating media content across multiple digital forms and platforms.

Requirements

The major requires at least 42 credit hours (21 in the BAJ Core and 21 in the Concentration), including the requirements listed below.
  1. Bachelor of Arts in Journalism Core.
    1. Introduction to Media. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-C 101 Media
    2. Story Lab I. One (1) course:
      • Story Lab I
    3. Story Lab II. One (1) course:
      • Story Lab II
    4. Media Law. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-H 300 Honors Media Law in the Digital Age
      • MSCH-J 300 Communications Law
    5. Media Ethics. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-H 410 Honors Media as Social Institutions
      • MSCH-J 410 The Media as Ethical and Social Institutions
      • MSCH-L 317 Media Ethics and Professional Responsibility
    6. Statistics. One (1) course:
      • CJUS-K 300 Techniques of Data Analysis
      • ECON-E 370 Statistical Analysis for Business and Economics
      • LAMP-L 316 Junior Seminar: Analytical Problem Solving
      • PSY-K 300 Statistical Techniques
      • PSY-K 310 Statistical Techniques
      • SOC-S 371 Statistics in Sociology
      • STAT-S 211 Statistics for Journalists
      • STAT-S 300 Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods
      • STAT-S 301 Applied Statistical Methods for Business
      • STAT-S 303 Applied Statistical Methods for the Life Sciences
    7. Media Career Development. One (1) course:
      • Media School College and Career Preparation
      • Media Honors Freshman Seminar
      • MSCH-H 110 Ernie Pyle Scholar Honors Freshman Seminar
    8. Media Skills Development. Two (2) credit hours:
      • Media School Bootcamp
      • Media Skills Workshop
  2. Social and Digital Media Concentration.
    1. Media Principles. One (1) course:
      • Foundations of Journalism
      • MSCH-C 208 Principles of Public Relations
    2. Social and Digital Media Research. One (1) course:
      • Social Media Cultures
    3. Social Media Strategies. One (1) course:
      • MSCH-R 455 Social Media Communication Strategies
    4. Social Media Gateway. One (1) course:
      • Social Media Tactics
    5. Electives. Three (3) courses:
      • Media Advertising Topics
      • IDS Internship
      • WIUX Internship
      • Media Internship in Los Angeles
      • The Media School in Los Angeles
      • Disruptors: Internet Industries
      • Advanced Podcasting and Audio Storytelling
      • Reporting on Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle
      • Converged Newsroom
      • Podcasting and Audio Storytelling
      • Honors Media Topics
      • Multimedia Sports Content
      • Sports Media Topics
      • Media Technology and Difference
      • Introduction to Media Audience Measurement
      • Story Lab III
      • MSCH-A 315 Advertising and Consumer Culture
      • MSCH-B 334 Social Media in Sports
      • MSCH-B 430 Sports Media Laboratory
      • MSCH-D 337 Digital Media
      • MSCH-J 360 Journalism Topics
      • MSCH-J 362 Journalism Multimedia Storytelling
      • MSCH-J 463 Graphic Design I
      • MSCH-J 464 Infographics
      • MSCH-J 465 Graphic Design II
      • MSCH-M 322 Internet Ecosystems
      • MSCH-R 349 Public Relations Writing
      • MSCH-S 348 Audience Analysis
      • MSCH-X 472 Media Internship
      • MSCH-X 474 Journalism Internship
      • MSCH-X 490 Projects in Media (Approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies required)
    6. Additional Requirements.
      • At least nine (9) credit hours in the concentration must be at the 300–499 level.
      • Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the concentration.
      • A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the concentration—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
  3. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    5. College Breadth. At least 58 credit hours must be completed in courses from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines outside of the major area.

Major Area Courses

  • Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

    • Any course at the 100–499 level with the MSCH prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
    • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
    • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception
    • Any course, consistent with the policies herein, that is part of a concentration, track, and/or specialization being pursued as part of this academic program
Exclusions

The following courses cannot be applied toward major requirements or the College Breadth requirement:

  • None
    • Restrictions

    The following restrictions apply to the minimum credit hours required in the major:

    • No more than 6 credit hours of the following may count toward the concentration:
      • The Media School in Los Angeles

    Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.