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Associate in Arts Degree in Journalism

USA

What will I learn?

Journalists find out and tell the public about important issues and events. They gather information through research, first-hand experience and talking to people who know what’s going on. Then they take that information and decide what the story is and how it should be told. Finally, they write or produce, edit and present it to the public. (More often than not instantly, through digital media.) Most importantly, they play a vital role in American democracy.

They also spend a lot of time outside the office, doing work that can be pretty fast-paced.

The Outlook

CCC journalism alum have gone on to do Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage; work for major newspapers like The Washington Post, Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch and Las Vegas Review-Journal; serve as President of the USA Today Sports Media Group; even become Editor-in-Chief of PCWorld and MacWorld magazines. Others have gone into public relations and work for organizations like LEGOLAND and UC Berkeley. One recently became press secretary for the Governor of Oregon.

An Associate in Arts Degree may be earned by completing a minimum of 60 units of degree credit coursework, including the major requirements and breadth requirements, with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. Students must complete all courses for the major with a grade of C or better.

Required courses, with suggested sequence:

1st semester

1 unit JRNAL-110A News Practice Laboratory: Beginning I

3 units JRNAL-120 Newswriting and Reporting

3 units JRNAL-122 News Production: Beginning I

2nd semester

1 unit JRNAL-110B News Practice Laboratory: Beginning II

3 units JRNAL-123 News Production: Beginning II

3 units JRNAL-130 Mass Communication

3rd semester

1 unit JRNAL-110CNews Practice Laboratory: Intermediate I

3 units JRNAL-161 Newspaper Design & Layout

3 units JRNAL-222 News Production: Intermediate I

4th semester

1 unit JRNAL-110DNews Practice Laboratory: Intermediate II

2 units JRNAL-124 Sports Writing

3 units JRNAL-223 News Production: Intermediate II

Which department am I in?

Contra Costa College

Study options

Full Time (Minimum of 60 units)

Tuition fees
US$8,700.00 per year
USD $290/unit
Start date

September 2025

Venue

Contra Costa College

2600 Mission Bell Drive,

SAN PABLO,

California,

94860, United States

Full Time (60 units)

Tuition fees
US$8,700.00 per year
USD $290 per unit
Start date

September 2025

Venue

Los Medanos College

2700 East Leland Rd,

Room SS3-301,

PITTSBURG,

California,

94565, United States

Entry requirements

For international students

Graduation from a U.S. high school with grades of C or higher in academic English (not ESL) or equivalent.

English Proficiency Tests:

  • TOEFL iBT - 61
  • IELTS Academic - 5.5 (Minimum band scores of 4.5)
  • CAE (Cambridge English: Advanced) - 160
  • iTEP Academic (International Test of English Proficiency) - 3.5
  • PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic) - 45
  • TOEFL iTP - 500

Note from client: this is just for Fall 2020, but at least students will know they can still apply (in fact even a bit later probably).

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