BA in Journalism
Lawrence Township, USA
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 61,215 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for international applicants studying in country | international applicants studying out of country: 15 june 2025
** for living on campus | living at home: 43,515 USD per year
Rider’s B.A. in Journalism will prepare you to think critically and produce powerful multiplatform and broadcast news, sports, and features content to meet the needs of today’s dynamic digital field by combining traditional reporting and writing with digital video production, photography, data analysis, and social media skills that are in demand today.
Program Overview
Rider University journalism students learn news writing and reporting, editing, photography, and publication design skills. These fundamentals are paired with video production tools and industry software, social media strategies, and attention to computer-assisted reporting – the well-rounded basis to successfully enter careers in news, sports, features, and investigative journalism.
Students also learn how to pitch stories to editors, how to find sources and conduct interviews, how to access key state and federal public records, and how to effectively present news content in today’s multimedia world. In our state-of-the-art Mac journalism labs, students learn the Adobe design package, including Photoshop and InDesign; they build audio-slideshows and video packages using Adobe Premier; and ultimately help build a journalism website using content management systems.
Many of our students participate in extracurricular activities at the university’s fleet of award-winning media: The Rider News consistently wins state and regional journalism prizes from the Collegiate Press Association; The Rider University Network (R.U.N.) TV station has won numerous awards for audio management, video music entertainment, sports play-by-plays, and video documentaries; and in 2023, The Bronc 107.7 was named the best college radio station in the nation.
Engaged learning
Journalism, professional ethics, and the analytical skills the field fosters are highly valued at Rider: each year, the student executive editor of The Rider News is awarded a full-tuition scholarship and the student managing editor is awarded a half-tuition scholarship. In addition, newspaper section editor posts are paid positions and serve as these students’ on-campus jobs. Students also have the opportunity to spend a semester in Los Angeles to study and intern with industry professionals while living full-time in the heart of Hollywood's entertainment industry.
Rider’s financial aid office works with families to ensure an undergraduate education is affordable at every income level. Scholarship and aid award offers are customized to fit your unique financial circumstances.
To get a full picture of the scholarships, grants, and other aid that you may be eligible to receive, apply to Rider and transmit your FAFSA using federal school code 002628. Merit-based scholarships and aid are automatically awarded when you apply, and once we receive your FAFSA, the Office of Financial Aid can help identify additional resources to fund your education.
Scholarships and Awards
The scholarships below are competitive and are typically awarded based on a comprehensive review of the student's academic record, including cumulative high school GPA, rigor of academic course selection, test scores, and auditions (if applicable), and other supporting credentials.
| Scholarships Awards | Award Range | Maximum value over 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Merit-based scholarships | $14,000 - $27,000 annually | Variable based on financial aid offer. Students who meet the criteria and qualifications for a scholarship automatically receive the award upon admission to Rider. No additional scholarship application is required. |
To be considered for a merit-based academic scholarship, you must:
- Apply to Rider: Submit your completed application for admission, including official transcripts, standardized test scores (unless applying test-optional), essay, and one letter of recommendation by January 15. (Note: the final deadline is November 15th for all Musical Theatre and Acting applicants.)
- Rider offers Test-optional Admission, which means SAT/ACT scores are not required for admission and most scholarships at Rider. Test-optional applicants will be given full consideration for most merit-based scholarships.
- Are you a high achiever? Students with a 4.0 GPA and 1300+ SAT/28+ ACT score may be eligible to receive the maximum merit-based scholarship offer of $27,000. You must submit your SAT/ACTs to Rider in order to qualify for this award level.
- Complete an audition, if required (audition results are a factor in scholarship awards).
- Be regularly admissible to the University as a full-time student.
- Have a minimum cumulative academic 2.7 GPA (unweighted) on a 4.0 scale.
For New Jersey residents—the Rider Tuition Guarantee:
Rider guarantees free tuition for qualified in-state students! If you're a New Jersey resident with a GPA of 3.5 or above based on a 4.0 grading scale, an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less, and are receiving both full TAG and Pell grants, you may be eligible to attend Rider University tuition-free when you apply as an undergraduate student for the fall 2025 or spring 2026 start terms. Terms and conditions apply.
Visit our website to learn more about the scholarships and aid opportunities.
Core classes in the journalism program include news reporting and writing, copy editing, publication design, feature writing, in-depth reporting, computer-assisted reporting, and advanced speech. Other classes include communication theory, writing for broadcast, public relations, organizational communication, photography, internal communication, and more.
Major Requirements
Departmental Core
- Introduction to News Writing
- Communication, Culture, and Media
- Fundamentals of Video Production
- Digital Media: Theory and Practice
- Advanced Speech Communication
- Communication Law
- Communication Ethics
Journalism Major Required Courses
- Introduction to Social Media
- News Reporting and Writing
- Copy Editing, or Television Production, or Sports Multimedia Reporting
- Digital Publication Design, or Sports Television and Field Production, or Broadcast News Practicum
- Computer Assisted Reporting
- Feature Writing, or Writing for Broadcast
- Photography
- In-Depth Reporting
Select one of the following:
- Podcasting I
- Introduction to Web Design
- Content for Social Media
- Social Justice and Journalism
Internships and co-ops
Rider's Department of Communication, Journalism and Media offers one of the most extensive communication internship programs anywhere. Because the University is located in a media-rich corridor, opportunities usually outnumber available students. Rider has working relationships with organizations such as NJ.com, ABC 7 New York, Condé Nast Publishing, the New York Giants, and Comcast Sportsnet. Our students have also landed internships with the Trenton Thunder, Pinstripes Plus, and regional newspapers like The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fox 29 Philadelphia, The Times of Trenton, The Trentonian, The Courier Post, Asbury Park Press, and The Hudson Reporter. In recent years, our students have also landed prestigious, paid summer internships at The Washington Post, The Austin-American Statesman, and Barron's Financial News in New York City.
Rider's multiplatform and broadcast journalism majors graduate with polished, digital multiplatform portfolios to showcase their work and talents. Unlike at larger universities, freshmen and transfer students are able to immediately begin publishing articles, photographs, and online video in the award-winning student newspaper, The Rider News, or gain broadcast experience at 107.7 The Bronc and the Rider University Network.
Common career fields:
- Sports and Athletics
- News and Politics
- Travel and Food
- Digital Web Sites
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Television
- Entertainment