BA in Journalism

Journalism

On Campus

Make a difference. Tell compelling stories that inform and entertain people. Share your passion for journalism with others just like you and learn from the very best in the business. Our award-winning faculty can help you learn to write, shoot and edit like a pro on whatever platform you choose: digital, broadcast, mobile, podcast or print media.

Journalism students monitor the screens in the control room of the communications center during a live broadcast

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Preparing the Next Generation of Journalists

Image shows journalism student Ayah Galal hosting the Q30 student news show, intro to video — Ayah Galal ’17, a journalism and political science double-major, applied what she learned in the classroom throughout her extracurricular activities and internships to secure a prestigious internship at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Currently, Galal is a producer and reporter for WFSB-TV.

Program Overview

Journalists find sources, conduct interviews and gather the information needed to produce informative and interactive news, feature stories and documentaries for TV, podcasts, radio, mobile applications, digital and print media. You can even select a minor and choose electives to specialize in certain areas, such as sports or politics. At Quinnipiac, you’ll take courses that will provide a solid foundation for reporting, writing and storytelling. We’ll also teach you to become proficient with video cameras, non-linear editing and producing software in our state-of-the-art communications center.

Quinnipiac’s proximity to premier media centers in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts provides numerous internship opportunities. Many alumni work at such places as CBS News, ABC News, ESPN, the Oxygen channel, Major League Baseball Productions, NBC Universal, NBC News, CNN and Fox News. There are even internship opportunities in other countries.

Real-world experience can be acquired right on campus by working on the Quinnipiac Chronicle newspaper and website, the Q30 campus TV station, WQAQ-FM student radio, and with the Quinnipiac Bobcats Sports Network.

Program Statistics

94.6% Success Rate

The percentage of our 2022 graduates with a BA in Journalism are either working or in a secondary education program six months after graduation.

$75K Well-Positioned

The median annual salary for writers and editors is $75,080. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

Alumni Network

With a university alumni network more than 50,000 strong, we have connections with thousands of employers around the world. Some of our recent graduates hold the following titles:

Boston Red Sox/Boston Bruins Foundation, Fan & Youth Engagement, Representative & Team Lead (Red Sox), Silent Auction Monitor (BBF)
Business Insider, Insider Inc., Junior Reporter
CLNS Media, Sports Reporter
KFDX-TV, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter
KSN, Host/Producer
Lands' End, Copywriter
MassHousing, Client Services Analyst
Quincy Broadcast, Morning News Producer
Sullivans Castle Island, Business Analyst
Tailored Media, Marketing Coordinator

The TJX Companies, Inc., Merchandise Assistant
Toast, Inc., Software Configuration Specialist
Wayfair, Onboarding Business Account Manager
WBTW-TV, Reporter, Producer
Wentworth Institute of Technology, Director of Digital and Social Media Strategy
WHDH-TV, News Writer
WJXT, Associate Producer
WOAY, Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter
WVII ABC 7/Fox 22, Reporter

Career-Building Resources

Students speaking to recruiters at the University-Wide Career Fair held in the Athletic and Recreation Center.

Design your career path

With an abundance of career-focused information and resources, the career advisers within the School of Communications support students as they expand their professional networks and attract the attention of prestigious employers.

Learn more about career development

Student Spotlight

Toyloy Brown smiles in front of a USA Today sign

The summer Toyloy Brown III wrote his own story

Well before his recent job offer to cover high school sports for the Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee, Toyloy Brown III ’22 was still trying to figure out life after graduation. Where would he be next? What would he be doing?

Brown listened carefully as Greg Lee, senior assistant managing editor at The Boston Globe, told him he was one of just 16 students who had been accepted into the Sports Journalism Institute. It was the perfect gig, a summer training and internship program designed to develop college sports journalists and promote racial and gender diversity in America’s newsrooms.

In that one memorable moment, Brown became the first Quinnipiac student to be accepted into the prestigious Sports Journalism Institute. Over the last 30 years, SJI alumni have been hired by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, ESPN and other major media outlets.

Brown was assigned to write for USA Today and its parent company, Gannett. His internship began remotely before pivoting to Gannett’s New York City offices on Broadway near Times Square. As a native New Yorker, it wasn’t just home. It was a perfect placement in the biggest media market on the planet.

Read the Quinnipiac Magazine article

Experience a Day in the Life

Selfie of Carly Mac Manus, plays video — Want to experience a day in the life of a Quinnipiac student in the School of Communications? Join Carly Mac Manus '23, MBA ’24 as she covers Super Bowl LVII with Quinnipiac’s Ability Media.

Students walk outside in front of the Center for Communications and Engineering — Are you interested in journalism and curious about how to balance classes and internship experiences? Follow Nina Pezzello '24 as she takes you through her day of classes in this #QuinnipiacDayInTheLife.

Nicole McIsaac in her dorm room — Are you interested in the media field and want to know what student organizations you can join on campus? Follow Nicole McIsaac '23, a journalism major, as she takes you through her day of classes and a variety of student media organizations in this #QuinnipiacDayInTheLife.

Dena Dupree in her dorm room — Are you a college student, or headed off to college soon, and wondering how to find your place when you get there? Follow Dena Dupree '22, a journalism major, as she shows you what her day is like, and discusses how she has found her place at school, in this #QuinnipiacDayInTheLife.

In Their Words

Melanie Careri posing under a CNBC digital sign

Melanie Careri ’23

Interned at CNBC

The most valuable takeaways I acquired while interning at CNBC were collaborating with professionals as well as further refining my attention to detail. My creative and storytelling skills were applied in ways they never have before. It was such a positive experience and I learned so much from everyone I worked with. By the end of the summer, I produced, edited, wrote, and delivered a Shark Tank promo for air! It was an incredible experience I'll never forget.

Katie Coen posing in front of a Channel 3 digital sign

Katie Coen ’23

Interned at WFSB Channel 3

Interning at WFSB Channel 3 gave me the greatest experiences I could have asked for. Not only did I learn so much about the broadcast news industry, but I met so many amazing people. I worked with producers and on-air talent everyday and got to see what my future could look like while applying all the skills I learned from my classes and being a Producer for Q30 Television. After interning for the summer, I got hired as a Producer for the station.

Photo of journalism student Isabelle Agricola at Fox Sports Radio

Isabelle Agricola ’21

Interned at Fox Sports Radio as part of the QU in LA program

“This experience at Fox Sports Radio totally solidified the fact that I want to work in sports media. Everyday I would wake up excited to go into work. I basically got to talk about sports all day and create content centered around them which was my dream! I met so many great people and learned so much that I not only still want to go into the sports media field but I feel incredibly prepared to go into it as well."

Journalism alumni Nhung An reporting for WTNH News 8

Nhung An ’19

Interned at WTNH News Channel 8

“I shadowed reporters on all sorts of stories [at WTNH]. I got to do my own stand-ups, look-live shots, edit my own package, and participate in a breaking news livestream. I also got to learn how to put together promotional videos for social media because that is more important than packages nowadays—they attract more viewers. I would love to spend the rest of my life putting together news packages while eating lunch in the company car and being on the phone with three producers at once. The stress is worth it at the end of the day when I get to see my stories live on TV, informing the local people of what they may want to know.”

Enhance your learning with a related minor

The Ed McMahon Communications Center

Our Ed McMahon Communications Center has the tools ready to help you realize your creative vision, no matter your abilities. Our collection of professional equipment and software includes:

Jimmy Jib Triangle Pro Crane
- Creates unique movements popular on sitcoms and dramas
- Used by networks on many live news and sporting events
HTC Vive virtual reality environment
Six 360 capable cameras for live and recorded 360 acquisition
DJI Mavic and spark drones for aerial and interior perspective shots
Sony 4K/IP video production switcher in our control room
Same switcher series as used in many network studios

Two students wearing headsets sit behind a large control board in the McMahon Center communications room — Our communications center houses a professional studio where you can write, produce and direct your own productions.

A film professor assists a student with shooting a scene behind a video camera — We have a full complement of audio equipment and lighting gear to create your individual or group projects.

Two students go over notes together as they sit in the control room of QU's television studio — Our professional television studio includes a 4K editing suite with more than 90 media workstations.

A full class in session in the Media Innovations Classroom with blue light fixtures — The Media Innovations Classroom gives students an opportunity to develop broadcast, print, mobile and interactive news content for campus media and other outlets.

A student lines up his film camera outside on the quad while another student holds a boom mic in the background — You’ll work on the latest industry standard software and equipment for design, film, sound and more.

Two cameras in the McMahon Center production room. — Tell your story in cinematic detail using our professional-grade 4K video cameras.

4K Hitachi camera in the McMahon Center production room. — Our technology is up to date with the latest industry standards to help you jump-start your learning and gain experience with professional equipment.

Undergraduate and graduate capstone projects

Prior to graduation, all journalism students complete in-depth pieces of journalism as part of their capstone experience. The stories they tell, built upon interviews from diverse sources and rich statistical data points, shed light on relevant and compelling topics and demonstrate the students' mastery of how to present and produce news in digital, broadcast and print environments.

Explore the capstone portfolio

Journalism students visit Central America

Telling Global Stories is a course that immerses students in the history, economy, media, politics and culture of Central America and culminates in a trip to one of the region’s countries during spring break. Students conduct interviews with a range of citizens, including market vendors, farmers, fishermen, teachers, artists and former revolutionaries, to learn their stories and highlight their lives.

Most recently, students traveled to San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala, a municipality on the shores of Lake Atitlán in the country’s southwestern highlands. Past trips have included visits to areas in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

“Students are not only learning about a different country and culture, they also get the chance to practice real journalism,” said Margarita Diaz, associate professor of journalism.

The stories and photography that Diaz’s students return with are collected and published on the blog tellingglobalstories.org. They reflect day-to-day life in poor countries deeply affected by decades of civil war, political corruption, economic downturn and a complicated relationship with the United States. Moreover, they challenge commonly held beliefs about Central America and its people.

Read the blog

Journalism students inspect their photo cameras — Students conduct a workshop to teach the members of the co-op how to document their work.

Professor Margarita Diaz speaks with a Nicaraguan boy

A group of journalism students pose in front of a Nicaraguan mountain range — Michaela Mendygral, Lindsay Pytel, Tatyana Youssef, Giulanna Grosso and Shayla Colon—atop Cerro Negro volcano, near León, Nicaragua.

A journalism student and a Nicaraguan boy smile on the beach

A journalism student snaps photos with her camera — As part of their trip, students documented their work and wrote blogs that were posted on a microsite.

A journalism student takes notes while interviewing a Nicaraguan woman — Fully immersed in the Nicaraguan culture, students learned more about the locals by conducting interviews.

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BA Journalism

Preparing the Next Generation of Journalists

Program Overview