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Students who consider themselves majors in journalism, public relations, new media, or TV or radio broadcasting can "jump start" their academic and professional careers by taking journalism classes at Olympic College. OC's journalism program focuses on developing core skills for pre-journalism and pre-communications majors including writing, interviewing, and copy-editing and observance of ethical and legal considerations.
Pre-Journalism/Communications students who plan careers in newspapers, broadcast journalism, public relations, or any aspects of new media should plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor's degree in their chosen communications specialization.
While at OC, journalism students will earn an Associate of Arts & Sciences (AAS) degree as they complete the first two years of liberal arts and science classes. With an AAS degree in hand, transfer students move to a four-year institution as a junior-year student to complete journalism/communications coursework. Students should plan to transfer to a four-year school that is accredited in their area of specialization.
Former pre-journalism and pre-communications students who have earned AAS degrees at Olympic College have completed Bachelor's degrees in journalism, communications, and related fields at Western Washington University, Washington State University, the Evergreen State College, and the University of Washington as well as other schools throughout the country.
Recommended Courses
Recommended OC courses for journalism/communications students are:
- Journalism 100
This is a freshman-level college course that concentrates on interviewing, reporting, and news-writing skills as well as the legal and ethical issues of journalism and communications. Students will learn to write engaging leads and well-developed organized news and feature stories. They will also discuss current ethical and legal issues that arise in professional newsrooms and student college newspapers. Students who plan to major in Journalism or Communications are encouraged to take Journalism 100 early in their studies at OC.
- Journalism 101/201 and 110/210 sequences
This sequence of Journalism classes may be started after successful completion (with at least a 2.0) of Journalism 100. The courses in this sequence allow students to continue to develop written communications skills. Students in these classes continue to develop the skills that are valued in professional newsrooms. Students in these classes produce the Olympian , OC's student newspaper.
- Journalism/Humanities 290
In this mass media survey course, students explore the theories and practices of media including books, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, film, advertising, and the Internet.
- Photojournalism
Students in photojournalism will learn how to shoot photographs for publication in newspapers and magazines including both print and web-based. Emphasis will be placed on learning how to shoot news, sports, and features photos (photos that are never digitally enhanced or altered) as well as photo illustrations.
Olympian
Students are also encouraged to practice and improve their writing and editing skills by working on The Olympian , OC's student-produced newspaper. The Olympian is published every two weeks during the school year (excluding summer). The paper is written and produced by student journalists who are enrolled in journalism writing, design, and editing classes. Students uphold the highest standards of journalistic practices and ethics while they sharpen their skills and fulfill the paper's mission: to be the Olympic College community newspaper.
Over the past 11 years, the paper and its staff have won top awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Northwest Student Journalism Awards, and the American Collegiate Press Association.
Among available Olympian positions (some paid) are:
- Reporters (after completing Journalism 100)
- Copy Editors (after completing Journalism 100)
- Editors (after completing Journalism 100)
- Photo staff (after completing Photojournalism or a related class)
- Page designer (with permission from the Olympian advisor)
- Editorial cartoonist (with permission from the Olympian advisor)
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