Journalism (AAT)
Program Overview:
Bring the News of the World to Your Community's Doorstep
Interview a local politician about the lack of city funding for the homeless, travel to the Amazon for a feature on indigenous tribes in the twenty-first century, choose which picture to run for a story on urban community garden plots, blog your reviews on new, hot restaurants. Careers in Journalism can reach the farthest corners of the earth, uncover issues within our communities, and make us more aware of what is happening in our world.
Journalists report on and write about news, events, and human-interest stories to inform the public through print, radio, multimedia, social media, television and new and emerging communication channels. Technology allows news to travel faster than ever, making this a career that depends on reporting the truth in real-time. It’s a job that requires determination, curiosity, passion for the truth, and an awareness of changes within society.
Careers in Journalism
Today’s journalists mostly work for media corporations. Yet, thanks to the rise of social and digital media, journalism and non-fiction writing careers have expanded to include many more opportunities to be self-employed.
Here are some careers and their salaries you could have with a Journalism degree:
Career information below taken from bls.gov February 2020. Go to bls.gov for most current career information.
Inform the public about news and events. Collect and analyze facts about newsworthy events by interview, investigation, or observation. Report and write stories for newspaper, news magazine, radio, or television.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $66,430/year | $31.94/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 5% increase (as fast as average) | 1,460 |
Prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily. Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $87,720/year | $42.17/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| Less than 5 years | 3% increase (slower than average) | 1,630 |
Analyze, interpret, and broadcast news received from various sources.
Data for state of California
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $102,480/year | $49.27/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 1% increase (little or no change) | 360 |
Plan, coordinate, and revise material for publication in books, newspapers, or periodicals or on websites. Editors review story ideas and decide what material will appeal most to readers. During the review process, editors offer comments to improve the product and suggest titles and headlines. In smaller organizations, a single editor may do all the editorial duties or share them with only a few other people.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $80,650/year | $38.78/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| Less than 5 years needed | 9% increase (faster than average) | 5,410 |
Create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $146,250/year | $70.31/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 4% increase (as fast as average) | 2,700 |
Use technical expertise, creativity, and composition skills to produce and preserve images to capture moments to tell a story.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| High School or Equivalent | $56,980/year | $27.39/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 10% increase (much faster than average) | 3,300 |
What You'll Learn at LASC in Journalism
You can get Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Arts for Transfer (AAT) degrees through LASC’s Journalism program where you will hone your writing and investigative skills, build your portfolio, and establish real-world connections to launch your career in journalism:
- Improve your critical-thinking skills in non-fiction writing, interviewing, research strategies, and fact-checking techniques while learning media ethics, content management, web design, video editing, media law, shorthand, and other technical skills.
- Gain invaluable experience working on LASC’s online newspaper, The Word, where you’ll join forces with like-minded people to develop your research, writing, and interview skills to build your resume and portfolio while being mentored by faculty with experience working in journalism.
- LASC provides internships so you can build your career connections and create community ties for after you graduate.
- Dive into the diversity of today’s 21st-century journalism to see how digital and social media platforms have changed the journalist’s role by circulating news and events in real time.
- To transfer with your Associate in Arts for Transfer (AAT) degree in Journalism, you will save money on your first two years of college learning from dedicated, experienced faculty as you graduate with guaranteed admission into a CSU. See your academic counselor for details.
Degrees & Courses You Will Take
Review the LASC Associate in Arts in Journalism for Transfer (AAT) degree and Associate in Arts in Journalism (AA) degree below along with our suggested course of study for these programs. Go to LASC’s current Course Catalog for specific course information:
Major Code: 602
Total Units Required: 60
If you are planning to transfer to a CSU or UC, then an Associate in Arts in Journalism is for you! You can complete an Associate in Arts for Transfer Degree (ADT) in Journalism if you are planning to transfer to a CSU Journalism bachelor’s program, and by successfully completing this degree, you are guaranteed admission to a CSU upon completion of this program!
The Transfer Degree is designed to provide you with a Transfer Model Curriculum focusing on how to report and write the news, how to shoot news photographs, and how to design a college newspaper using computer technology.
The Associate in Arts in Journalism for Transfer Degree requirements include:
- completion of 60 CSU transferable units, including the minimum 18 units in the major and the completion of either IGETC or CSU GE;
- a minimum GPA of 2.0.
If you are interested in completing an Associate Degree for Transfer, you must:
- Complete 60-semester units of 90-quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following: *
- The Intersegme
- A minimum of 18-semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district. 2. Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.ntal General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements
*As required by Senate Bill 1440 & California Education Code section 66746.
- ADTs also require that you must earn a C or better in all courses required for the major area of emphasis. A “P” (Pass) grade is not an acceptable grade for courses in the major.
You should meet with a counselor to determine the necessary course work to complete the general education requirements.
| Required Courses: | Units |
|---|---|
| JOURN 101 Collecting and Writing News | 3 |
| JOURN 105 Mass Communications | 3 |
| JOURN 123 Convergent Journalism | 3 |
| JOURN 217 Publication Laboratory | 2 |
| JOURN 219 Techniques for Staff Editors | 1 |
| Select Two Courses | |
| MATH 227 Statistics | 4 |
| OR | |
| ECON 1 Principles of Economics I | 3 |
| OR | |
| ECON 2 Principles of Economics II | 3 |
| OR | |
| POL SCI 1 The Government of The United States | 3 |
| OR | |
| POL SCI 2 Modern World Governments | 3 |
| OR | |
| ENGLISH 103 Composition and Critical Thinking | 3 |
| TOTAL UNITS | 19 |
Upon successfully completing this program, you should be able to:
- Analyze the ethical concepts, legal implications, considerations and practices that guide online forums.
- Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the production, editing, and presentation of visual and textual, or other web-based content.
| Required Courses: | Units |
|---|---|
| ENGLISH 103 Composition and Critical Thinking | 3 |
| ENGLISH 111 Writing for New Media | 3 |
| ENGLISH 223 Creative Nonfiction | 3 |
| JOURN 101 Collecting and Writing News | 3 |
| JOURN 105 Mass Communications | 3 |
| JOURN 123 Convergent Journalism | 3 |
| TOTAL UNITS | 18 |
Get Ready Before You Start
Interested in a career in journalism? Before your first class starts at LASC, you can start preparing for your journalism career:
- Make an appointment with your LASC academic counselor to review LASC’s program, start to develop a Student Education Plan (SEP), and discuss which four-year colleges and universities would be a good match for your career goals.
- Still in high school? See if your school has a school paper or yearbook club to join. You’ll gain enormous experience on how to create content under a deadline and build your own portfolio.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze the ethical concepts, legal implications, considerations and practices that guide online forums.
- Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the production, editing, and presentation of visual and textual, or other web-based content.