The 2-year Journalism Associate’s Degree for Transfer at Moorpark College

The Journalism Associate of Arts for Transfer (AA-T), now called Associate’s Degree for Transfer (AD-T) provides students with a solid foundation in the ethics, ethos and energy of the Journalism field. Students take 9 units of required core classes, one elective from List A and two GE classes from List B for a total of 18 units.

In the required three-course core of the major, students gain a broad overview of the media today as well as a foundation in how to report and create stories for publication in today’s many media outlets and platforms. JOUR M01, Introduction to Mass Communications, is a Gen Ed-qualifying course that stresses media literacy, ethics, law and effects in its survey of today’s media of mass communications. Jour M02, Writing & Reporting for Media,  provides the how-to specifics of learning to write and produce stories in text and other multiple media for publication (CSU- and UC-transferable). JOUR 10A, Student News Media Staff, provides the platform for students to apply everything they have learned as they produce stories for regular publication in the StudentVoiceOnline.com and Student Voice. There, they culminate their experience with the lasting learning and excitement of being part of a cohesive and collaborative team of students working together to produce the news, sports and entertainment features of the Student voice. (CSU-transferable and considered a valuable extra-curricular activity for UC.)

Meanwhile, students choose three additional electives from two lists. List A requires one elective in Journalism (Public Relations, Digital Storytelling, Visual Communication, Intermediate Writing & Reporting, Staff Editing, or PhotoJournalism). List B requires two additional General Education-qualifying courses (See List B below) to complete their Associate’s Degree for Transfer. Because at least some classes in each of the three tiers are also General Education courses, students can ‘double dip’ between the major and the CSU Breadth, leaving lots of options for electives and making the degree attractive to both CSU- and UC-bound students.

 

PROGRAM OF STUDY
Associate in Arts in Journalism for Transfer AA-T

Students completing the AA-T degree in Journalism are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not necessarily to a particular CSU campus or major of their choice.

To earn an AA-T in Journalism, students must complete the following:

1. 60 CSU transferable semester units.

2. Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework. While a minimum of 2.0 is required for admission, some transfer institutions and majors may require a higher GPA.

3. Completion of 18-23 specified major units. All courses in the major must be completed with a grade of C or better (Title 5 § 55063).

4. Certified completion of the California State University General Education-Breadth pattern or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC for CSU) pattern.

REQUIRED CORE: Complete the following 3 courses

JOUR M01 Introduction to Mass Communications 3

JOUR M02 Introduction to Reporting and Writing for Media 3

JOUR M10A Student News Media Staff, the Student Voice 3

 

LIST A: Select and complete 1 course (3-4 units)

JOUR M03 Intermediate Reporting and Writing for Media 3

JOUR M10B Student News Media Staff Editing 4

JOUR M14 Introduction to Public Relations 3

JOUR M15 Digital Storytelling 3

PHTC M35 Basic Photojournalism 3

JOUR M05 Introduction to Visual Communication 3

 

LIST B: Select and complete 2 courses from Group 1, or select and complete 2 courses from Groups 1-6, with courses selected from at least two different Groups.

Group 1

BUS M38 Advertising 3

GR M24 Publishing and Prepress 3

Group 2

COMM M07 Argumentation and Debate 3

COMM M25 Introduction to Rhetorical Criticism 3

ENGL M01B Literature: Critical Thinking and Composition 3

ENGL M01BH Honors: Critical Thinking and Composition 3

ENGL M01C Critical Thinking and Composition 3

ENGL M01CH Honors: Critical Thinking and Composition 3

PHIL M05 Critical Thinking and Analytic Writing 3

PHIL M07 Introduction to Logic 3

PHIL M09 Introduction to Symbolic Logic 3

Group 3

MATH M05 College Algebra 3

MATH M06 Trigonometry 3

MATH M07 College Algebra and Trigonometry 5

MATH M10 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers 3

MATH M15 Introductory Statistics 4

MATH M15H Honors:Introductory Statistics 4

Group 4

GR M10 Design and Society 3

PHOT M10 Beginning Photography 3

SPAN M01 Elementary Spanish I 5

SPAN M02 Elementary Spanish II 5

Group 5

ANTH M02 Cultural Anthropology 3

POLS M01 Introduction to Politics 3

POLS M02 Comparative Politics 3

POLS M03 American Government and Politics 3

POLS M03H Honors: American Government and Politics 3

POLS M05 National,State & Local Politics 3

PSY M01 Introduction to Psychology 3

PSY M01H Honors: Introduction to Psychology 3

PSY M05 Social Psychology 3

PSY M08 Abnormal Psychology 3

PSY M11 Psychology of Communication 3

SOC M01 Introduction to Sociology 3

SOC M01H Honors: Introduction to Sociology 3

Group 6

ECON M01 Principles of Microeconomics 3

ECON M02 Principles of Macroeconomics 3

ECON M02H, Honors: Principles of Macroeconomics 3

Total Units for Journalism Major 18 – 23