Hey all,
I’m interested in journalism but not sure if I want to major in it because it may limit my choices later in life. Are there alternate majors/double majors/major + minor combos that would maybe give me a bit more choice but also be beneficial in the search for a journalism career after college? I was thinking English or Comm but honestly, I don’t really know where to start. Any help would be appreciated!
You can major in anything and be a journalist. Many successful journalists don’t major in journalism at all. But there’s also nothing wrong with majoring in it if you have a suitable double major (which can be anything, really). A common double major combo is journalism and political science or economics. But like I said, you can major in anything and be a journalist. Employers care more about experience than your major.
Thank you! Anyone else have any input?
Some creative writing programs within an English major offer an option in an creative nonfiction for long-form journalism. Programs in professional writing also might be an option to consider.
On the flip of that–you can major in journalism and end up in almost any job. I have a JO degree and work in marketing. I know others who work in TV. Others who became lawyers. Teachers. Honestly? After you’ve gotten your first job and have a bit of work experience, no one cares what you majored in. It rarely comes up. And if you decide to do something super specializes, you can go to graduate school.
So if you like journalism well enough, it’s not a bad thing to major in. You’ll learn writing, reporting, research & analytical skills, as well as how to work to deadline… you can transplant that to a lot of jobs & industries. Most good journalism programs are at schools that require a broad liberal arts education, so you’ll be getting additional experience that can aid you in lots of different places. And you can always double major or minor, pairing journalism with whatever interests you. Personally? I think the most useful things to double major in would be areas where you could develop a knowledge niche and carve out a career. Political science is super common for JO majors, and good if you want to do news/politics, but a science discipline is very smart to either double major or minor in, because finding good science journalists is really, really difficult. Women’s studies could be interesting. Sociology. I think doing journalism + English would be a waste–journalists don’t need a superior knowledge of literature, and English itself is kind of a catch-all “doesn’t specifically prepare you for any one job” kind of degree. Do it if it sounds fun, but it won’t give you any special boosts in job searching.
Thanks so much! That was really helpful.