Journalism

Associate of Arts Course of Study
Recommended basic skills standards are
• ENG 090
• REA 090

From the early days of our nation, the Founding Fathers realized the importance of a free press. Through the Civil Rights Movement and our present Information Age, journalism has played a vital role in our nation’s well-being. Journalists witness and record our lives. Journalism also makes a great partner for those pursuing other careers. It is learning how to write and then developing an expertise in a cognate area, such as business, science, law, the performing arts, literature, and the social and behavioral sciences.

Many of our authors, including Ernest Hemingway, Tom Clancy, Erma Bombeck, Edna Buchanan, Dave Barry, Mary Brody, Katherine Anne Porter and Stephen King, began their careers as reporters. Photojournalists, as well as reporters, have served as historians by recording messages and providing images for future generations.

Students have access to a black-and-white photo lab, as well as a Journalism-Tech Writing lab using digital photography with a PC format. Students can learn how to retrieve information; develop, print and edit photos; conduct computer-assisted reporting; edit copy; interview; design and lay out news pages on a computer; and produce newsletters. They also learn to write news releases, features, newspaper and magazine articles, advertisements, and headlines. Along with these skills, journalism students are encouraged to gain a general education background and start a portfolio by working for the school newspaper, The Pikes Peak News. After completing the journalism program at PPCC, students transferring to four-year colleges may obtain editorial positions with college newspapers.

Students enrolled in the PPCC journalism program can earn an associate of arts degree and choose from four emphasis areas: advertising/public relations, news/editorial, newsletter and multimedia.

I. Communication
Nine (9) credit hours
GT-CO1: ENG 121
GT-CO2: ENG 122
COM 115 or COM 125

II. Art and Humanities
Nine (9) credit hours
Select three (3) courses, with no more than two (2) courses from any one (1) of the following categories:
GT-AH1: ART 110, ART 111, ART 112, ART 207, MUS 120, MUS 121, MUS 122, THE 105, THE 211, THE 212
GT-AH2: HUM 121, HUM 122, HUM 123, LIT 115, LIT 201, LIT 202, LIT 205, LIT 211, LIT 212, LIT 221, LIT 222, LIT 225
GT-AH3: PHI 111, PHI 112, PHI 113, PHI 114, PHI 214
GT-AH4: FRE 211, FRE 212, GER 211, GER 212, JPN 211, JPN 212, RUS 211, RUS 212, SPA 211, SPA 212

Required Courses

Category 1

Category 2

Category 3

III. Mathematics
Three (3) credit hours minimum (credit hours over three (3) will be applied to the electives category).
GT-MA1: MAT 120, MAT 121, MAT 122, MAT 123, MAT 125, MAT 135, MAT 155, MAT 156, MAT 166, MAT 201, MAT 202, MAT 203, MAT 215, MAT 255, MAT 265
*Students must take both MAT 155 and MAT 156 to satisfy this requirement.

Suggested Courses

IV. Social and Behavioral Sciences
Nine (9) credit hours
Select 3 courses, at least 1 of which must be History, with no more than 2 courses from any 1 category.
GT-HI1: HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 201, HIS 202, HIS 247
GT-SS1: ECO 201, ECO 202, POS 105, POS 111, POS 205, POS 225
GT-SS2: GEO 105, GEO 106
GT-SS3: ANT 101, ANT 107, ANT 111, ANT 215, ETH 200, PSY 101, PSY 102, PSY 205, PSY 217, PSY 226, PSY 227, PSY 235, PSY 238, PSY 249, SOC 101, SOC 102, SOC 205, SOC 215, SOC 216, SOC 231

Suggested Courses

Category 1

Category 2

Category 3

Category 4

V. Physical and Life Sciences
Eight (8) credit hours: select two (2) courses (credits over eight (8) will be applied to the electives category).
GT-SC1: AST 101, AST 102, BIO 105, BIO 111, BIO 112, BIO 201, BIO 202, BIO 204, CHE 101, CHE 102, CHE 105, CHE 111, CHE 112, GEY 111, GEY 121, MET 150, PHY 105, PHY 111, PHY 112, PHY 211, PHY 212, SCI 155, SCI 156
*Students must take both SCI 155 and SCI 156 to satisfy this requirement.

VI. Fine Arts/Communications
One to three (1-3) credit hours
Select one (1) to three (3) credit hours from approved list

Suggested Courses

VII. Computer Communication
Three (3) credit hours
CSC 105 or CSC 120

VIII. Electives
Sixteen to eighteen (16-18) credit hours selected from the AA approved course list.
Choose 16-18 credits from the suggested courses below 

Suggested Courses