{"id":5666,"date":"2023-02-13T12:11:27","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T17:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/spark\/?page_id=5666"},"modified":"2026-06-03T12:25:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T16:25:51","slug":"jmcl","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/spark\/students\/jmcl\/","title":{"rendered":"HUB XC 473 and COM JO 573 Justice Media co-Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"

Applications are OPEN for Fall 2026 |<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Fridays from 11:15 \u2013 2:00 PM*<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Overview<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Justice Media co-Lab is an <\/span>application-only course<\/b> offered in fall and spring semesters in partnership with the BU HUB Cross-College Challenge. Students from Journalism, Computing, and Data Sciences team up to report and publish data-driven investigations with established news partners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Student teams in the course have published in a variety of prestigious news outlets, including the front page of the Boston Globe and local television stations, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Who Should Apply?<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you are studying computer science, data science, computer engineering, mathematics, statistics, information systems, data analytics, or journalism disciplines, HUB XC 473 or COM JO 573 will match you with computational journalism projects provided by external media partners (such as the Boston Globe, CBS Boston, GHB, and USA Today).<\/span><\/p>\n

You will work on computational investigations focused on issues of justice and accountability, guided by veteran faculty practitioners in journalism and computer science. Since publishing in one semester is not always possible, projects are graded on progress toward a written, publishable, data-driven, investigative story with visual elements.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Two Course Options<\/b><\/h2>\n

As of Fall 2027, students can participate in the Justice Media co-Lab while being registered for either HUB XC475 or COM JO 573. Both courses meet at the same time and place on Fridays from 11:15 \u2013 2:00 PM, but serve different curricular functions:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nHUB XC 473<\/b><\/td>\nCOM JO 573<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best for<\/b><\/td>\nUndergraduate students fulfilling Hub requirements<\/span><\/td>\nGraduate students and select undergraduates exploring computational journalism<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hub Credit<\/b><\/td>\nYes (fulfills CRI, RIL, TWC, WIN)<\/span><\/td>\nNo<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Repeatable?<\/b><\/td>\nNo<\/span><\/td>\nYes\u2014ideal for students participating across multiple semesters<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Key Note<\/b><\/td>\nPrimary pathway for journalism and CDS majors<\/span><\/td>\nGateway course for the anticipated MS in Computational Journalism (pending approval for Fall 2027)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Qualifications\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

These courses are designed for students with <\/span>backgrounds<\/span> in:<\/span><\/p>\n