The University of Regina is pleased to announce the launch of a new undergraduate degree program Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, News Media, and Communication after a one-year pause to renew and revitalize its Journalism program.The redesigned degree sets the stage for a new generation of career-ready journalists and communicators who will be fully equipped to succeed in a fast-changing and constantly-evolving media landscape.
The new program integrates professional training in journalism, digital media, and strategic communications with complementary courses from other areas such as Indigenous Journalism and Communication Arts, Political Science, English, Sociology, Film, and Creative Technologies. Graduates will have both a wide range of professional job-ready skills in research, writing, and critical thinking, as well as technical know-how coupled with a strong grounding in the liberal arts.
The Journalism School (J-School) will continue to have Canada's only mandatory paid internship program, which runs a full semester and often leads directly to continuing employment.
Tamara Cherry, a 2006 J-School grad and award-winning journalist, welcomes the news. "Throughout my career, I have met journalism students, grads, and educators from across the country. I can say with confidence that the University of Regina School of Journalism stands above the rest by virtue of its internship program. My four-month internship at the Leader-Post gave me the experience I needed to get another internship at the Calgary Herald, which then led me to the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, and CTV News Toronto. I could not be more pleased that the best J-School in the country is re-opening its doors. This is great news for democracy," says Cherry.
The new degree involves four years of full-time study that can be taken over a longer timeframe if needed, with the flexibility to take a wider variety of courses, appealing to students with interdisciplinary interests, working professionals, and mature students. Foundational journalism remains core to the program with courses such as Mass Communications Theory and Practice, Digital Newswriting, Broadcast and Digital Journalism, and Investigative Journalism offered.
"Today, it is more vital than ever that journalists are trained in accurate and ethical reporting to counter the rise of misinformation. It is no exaggeration to say that democracy depends on it. But we are seeing not only newsrooms but also journalism programs closing across the country. We are proud and excited to be able to offer an accessible and future-proof degree that will train the next generation of journalists and communications professionals with particular attention to new trends in digital media," says Dean of Arts Dr. Shannon Dea.
Dea is also very excited about another new and related program. "We are doubly proud that this degree is being launched at the same time as First Nations University of Canada's new degree and post-degree programs in Indigenous Journalism and Communication Arts. These two complementary programs offer students unique choice and flexibility that is unparalleled within Canadian universities."
Since 1980, the University of Regina has long held the reputation for being a leading undergraduate journalism program in western Canada. Newsrooms and communications departments across the Prairies including CBC, Global, Postmedia, not-for-profits, small businesses, large corporations, and government, are filled with U of R J-School graduates.
