Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication at University Canada West

The Department of Journalism and Media Management offers majors in Broadcast Journalism, Electronic Media, Journalism and Media Management.

The Department of Journalism and Media Management emphasizes hands-on learning and critical thinking within a multicultural, international context. Our students consistently win regional and national awards, and obtain prestigious internships and long-term positions in a competitive media marketplace. Additionally, they are meeting the challenges of the evolving media industry through entrepreneurial leadership.  Our graduates also gain admission to excellent graduate programs and professional schools in a variety of fields.

Four majors are offered in the Department of Journalism and Media Management. The department's programs attract students interested in working in these specific fields, but also provide strong writing, creative, and analytical skills to students who pursue careers in other fields, such as law and business.

The School's major in Journalism prepares students to be writers, editors and designers for a variety of media from mainstream and alternative newspapers and magazines to online media and entrepreneurial ventures. We emphasize effective storytelling through writing, audio and video recording, photography, graphics and data visualization. Reporting skills, analytical thinking and journalistic ethics are stressed throughout the program. Students are encouraged to work for The Miami Hurricane, the student-run newspaper, Distraction magazine and the Ibis yearbook, all of which are nationally award-winning publications.  The robust South Florida media market also provides off-campus opportunities at various professional publications and websites. 

Students majoring in Journalism may concentrate their studies in one of several tracks or areas or they may customize their course of study. The suggested tracks include: Reporting and Writing (which is the general journalism or custom track); Media and Journalism Studies (a more conceptual and less applied track for students interested in media analysis); Visual and Documentary Journalism (which allows for the study of photography, web design and videography or documentaries); and Sports, Travel and Lifestyle Features (which focuses on these as related areas of content). These tracks allow students the flexibility to design programmatic concentrations in everything from writing to web design to documentary and visual storytelling. 

The School's facilities include a state-of-the-art radio studio, two high-definition television studios, digital post-production suites and related capabilities.

The Journalism & Electronic Media major is designed for students interested in the fields of journalism and/or television, film and online media. The department offers two tracks within the Journalism & Electronic Media major: Journalism and Broadcasting & Electronic Media. The Journalism track offers courses that deal with evaluating news, reporting and writing stories, newsroom organization, interviewing, feature writing, improving and trimming stories, headline writing, layout, graphics, social media, search engine optimization and related informative communication. The Broadcasting & Electronic Media track educates students in the theoretical background and practical application of television and film production inside and outside the studio, enabling them to pursue specialized projects in producing and directing programs in a variety of audio, video and multimedia formats.

Global Media offers a vast array of career opportunities in the fields of media, entertainment, and creative industries in the knowledge economy. Students have a multitude of options to develop their interests, skills, and talents in a variety of areas.

This program combines theory with practice, global learning with problem-solving, and opportunities with challenges. Students think, reflect, and produce creatively and analytically.

The program emphasizes writing, visual thinking and speech communication/presentation, as well as emphasizes portfolio development, global perspectives in studying media, and personal attention in academic and career planning.

Students are required to spend two full-time semesters abroad taking courses in their chosen concentrations with the approval of the department chair.