The FGCU Journalism degree program prepares students for media careers in which they will be expected to report, edit and present high-quality journalism for a variety of platforms—including newspapers, magazines, audio, video and Internet-based technologies—and for a combination of these formats.
The program emphasizes clear writing, factual accuracy, critical thinking, ethical and legal principles, social consciousness, technological skill, and practical, hands-on reporting and editing experience. Students will develop an awareness of the role of journalism in a democratic society and think critically about emerging issues in journalism and mass media.
Career Information:
With a journalism degree, students are prepared to work in the following jobs:
- Reporter for online news source
- Copywriter or editor
- On-air reporter for television news station
- Producer, videographer or editor for television news station or online news source
- Photojournalist
- Social media specialist
- Digital news graphic designer
"As a reporter at NBC News Digital, I still use tools I learned while in the J-program.
The hands-on guidance I received from my professors helped focus talents I already
had and sharpen areas where I needed more work. Today, whether I’m reporting from
my desk or out in the field, I’m using those skills on my beat as a staff reporter
covering youth and activism for NBC News." ~ Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC New Digital
Data about post-graduation employment (From Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce):
- Journalism graduates can expect to earn about $51,000 a year. (Median salary, full-time, full-year workers with a terminal bachelor’s).
- Salaries from the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile range from $35,000 a year to $80,000 a year.
- According to glassdoor, starting annual salaries for journalists average about $36,000.
