Courses

• COM JO 705: Science Unbound
  An introduction to writing magazine articles about science. Through real-world assignments students will learn to write the short to medium-length pieces that appear in the front-of- the-book or online editions of publications such as?The New Yorker,?Wired, Discover, ?and?Science.??Class discussions will also examine several areas in which media have had a troubled role in communicating science-related issues, such as climate change and public health. Open to Science Journalism students and others by instructor's permission. Four credits.
• COM JO 706: Digital Toolkit
  This "bootcamp" course on visual journalism prepares grad students for advanced photo, broadcast and online courses, providing fundamental skills in shooting and editing photos and video. Grad students also produce a short profile story. This is a?hybrid or blended?course, employing a number of online resources to help with independent learning. We meet for two full Saturdays, and there are 16?three-hour labs available.?Students are required to attend a minimum of six hours of lab time. Two credits, fall semesters.
• COM JO 707: Video Reporting
  This introductory course is about reporting, writing and producing the news for television and the internet. Students learn the fundamentals of news- gathering, story generation, research, videography, writing, editing and presentation. Strong stories air on BUTV and are posted on the department's news-service website. Four credits, fall semester.
• COM JO 711: Video Journalism
  Recommended for students in the TV journalism specialization. Students learn to set up, shoot and edit video news reports, using current HD cameras and editing software. This is a production class requiring students to produce several video news reports broadcast on television and posted to the Internet. Four credits, fall semesters.
• COM JO 712: Online Radio Newsroom
  For students who like the teamwork and adrenaline of a real newsroom. Students produce a half-hour news show on the student radio station, WTBU, during each class. Students report, write, produce and engineer all the news sports and commentary on deadline. Students use social media to report stories. Content is uploaded to the department's news- service website. Students file stories frequently, and programs from NPR, BBC, WBZ and other audio news outlets will be critiqued. Four credits, fall and spring semesters.
• COM JO 718: Magazine Workshop
  This capstone magazine writing course is designed to create a published magazine as a writing portfolio for students. This is a studio course, taught by two professors, that covers writing and design in a setting that captures the dynamics of professional practice. Working in groups, students assume professional positions and conceptualize, write, edit, design, and publish magazines. Magazines are designed and published using required Adobe Creative applications. Design concepts and techniques, along with computer programs used in this course, are taught with step-by-step instructions. Four credits, spring semesters. (Graduate Prerequisite: COM JO 721.)
• COM JO 719: Feature Writing
  In this course, students are invited to go beyond the demands of hard-news writing and to explore a much broader range of topics and a richer array of approaches. The essence of feature writing is "enterprise" -- feature stories are those that do not have to happen and cannot be written by formula; individual journalists make them happen. Through readings and by reporting and writing their own features, students develop a sophisticated sense of stories and a stylish prose technique. Emphasis is on telling great stories at various lengths and in different formats. Four credits. (Prerequisite: COM JO 721.)
• COM JO 721: Introduction to Reporting
  Students learn newswriting and reporting by covering a full range of news stories in a newsroom environment. This foundation course emphasizes stress on deadline pressure, writing, and reporting for all media. Includes weekly discussion of journalism principles as illustrated by current events and controversies. Four credits, fall semesters.
• COM JO 722: Reporting in Depth
  Using the city as our subject, students cover working "beats" in Boston and surrounding areas. Students are responsible for proposing and covering stories dealing with courts, crime, education, local and state politics, and other essentials of community reporting across all media. Stories may appear in the BU News Service or in professional news outlets. Four credits, spring semesters. (Prerequisite: COM JO 721.)
• COM JO 723: Science Newswriting I
  Students develop experience in writing about science, technology, and medicine for the consumer press. At instructor's option, students may write scripts for broadcast and/or articles for publication in scientific, professional, or business magazines and periodicals. Four credits, fall semesters.
• COM JO 724: Science Narrative II
  This seminar,?a continuation of Science Narrative I, begins by analyzing examples of work by established writers. We also discuss the work of several established visiting writers, who share insights and respond to our questions. Mostly, this will be about YOUR work, specifically a full-blown long-form narrative of publishable quality. Research and analysis will continue to play a central role as well as consideration of structure, scene-setting, character development and voice.?We will carefully edit our work in multiple workshops, and respond to those edits with revisions. Required of all Science Journalism students and open to other students by permission of the instructor. Four credits, spring semesters.
• COM JO 727: Special Studies
  
• COM JO 732: Conflict and Commentary in Science Reporting
  A course in writing about science policy issues, including in-depth coverage of controversial issues and writing scientific-related essay, such as those that appear in Slate and Salon. classroom discussions will involve complex areas of science reporting, including scientific fraud and business issues related to science. Four credits. (Prerequisite: COM JO 705.)
• COM JO 733: Video Enterprise Reporting
  Students produce in-depth, original video reports similar to those seen on network news magazine programs, news web sites or local television stations. The course includes a review of job trends in the industry and instruction in how to produce a resume/reel website. Four credits, spring semesters. (Prerequisites: COM JO 707 and COM JO 711.)
• COM JO 734: Television Newsroom
  Students produce a weekly half-hour newscast, broadcast on cable TV and the Internet, with live coverage and video reports on local, national and international news as well as sports highlights and weather. Students rotate positions weekly, using television studios and the control booth, collaborating to broadcast a fresh, informative and accurate newscast while facing the daily deadlines of a working newsroom. Four credits, spring semester.
• COM JO 737: Journalism Internship
  Student develops a portfolio of professional work while working in the field. The student works 120-200 hours per semester or summer at the internship. Comprehensive paper, employer evaluation, and portfolio required upon completion of internship. Variable credit.
• COM JO 738: Business & Economics Internship
  Required internship under supervision of faculty.
• COM JO 741: Multi-media for Science Communication
  A hands on course in multimedia production, including website design and construction, audio and video production and photo essays, podcasts and more. As part of this course students will design and produce a science related web magazine that will serve a s a professional portfolio. Four credits.
• COM JO 743: Science Web Magazine
  A hands-on course in multimedia production, including website design and construction, audio and video production and photo essays, podcasts and more. As part of this course students will design and produce a science-related web magazine that will serve as a professional portfolio.
• COM JO 754: Science Journalism Internship
  To be taken during the summer between second and third semesters of the program and then registered during the third semester.

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