Additional information available on the Journalism Department website.
Recommended basic skills courses are
- College Reading & Writing Literacy
- College Quantitative Literacy
Journalists witness and record our lives and history. In the current technological era, learning how to write and then developing an expertise in a cognate area, such as business, science, law, the performing arts, literature, sports, news, and the social or behavioral sciences areas is invaluable to the industry. Journalism has changed in the past decade and offers a wider range of job opportunities.
Journalism studies at PPCC focus on the study of mass media, reporting, feature writing, publication design, and editing. Students will learn about the multiple facets of mass communication from the internet to the printed page. Students will learn to interview, research, and write feature, newspaper and magazine articles, headlines, news releases, and advertisements. Students can also use the courses to update their skills in the digital age of news, Social Media, and web content.
Courses in art and digital photography are also available for PPCC journalism students. In addition, students who have completed core journalism courses and who secure an internship can pursue credit for their experience. Along with specific journalism courses, journalism students are encouraged to gain a general education background and start a portfolio of their work. After completing the journalism course of study at PPCC, students transferring to four-year colleges have a variety of career writing and mass communication options to pursue.
Transferability is available throughout the state of Colorado. Internships can also lead to jobs. Currently, there are internship agreements in place with KRDO, The Gazette, The Independent, and the Colorado Springs Business Journal, as well as several magazines. The Journalism Department also hosts classes that run The Paper and Parley.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Journalism degree program, students should be able to:
- Research and write articles, news releases, and advertisements
- Create journalistic pieces for the online dissemination of news, documentary, and infotainment
- Follow principles and practices governing public relations management