Cleveland State University recently became the first institution of higher education in Northeast Ohio to offer 11 new interdisciplinary degrees designed to empower undergraduate students with the skills, versatility and adaptability they need to work at the intersection of multiple disciplines or fields. They are each a purposefully designed blend of curriculum for students whose paths require expertise in several disciplines. 

The university’s combined majors developed not only from faculty members’ proposals, but also from collaboration with local employers, who weighed in on which of the proposed programs might meet the area’s workforce needs.

“As a regional public, as an institution that seeks to serve this community, we said, what do our employers need?” said CSU Provost Nigamanth Sridhar, who is spearheading the initiative.

Today, we are highlighting the Journalism and Criminology or Sociology Bachelor of Arts degree.

“Journalism has always played a pivotal role in democracies through holding those is power accountable for their actions and providing accurate information to citizens,” said Director and Associate Professor in the School of Communication Robert Whitbred.  “Today’s social media driven environment is rife with disinformation about topics studied in the fields of Sociology and Criminology. These integrated majors hold the promise of better informing the community to facilitate decision-making that better serves the public.”

The journalism and criminology concentration integrates an understanding of the causes, consequences and prevention of crime, law with communication and journalism, providing students a comprehensive education in these fields. 

The program provides a unique opportunity for students to not only learn public policy, but also the role of journalism in democratic societies, as well as how journalists often are the catalyst in addressing inequities and unfair outcomes while studying crime and criminal justice systems along with communication-oriented theory and journalism. 

Social research, information literacy, media writing, reporting, multimedia storytelling, digital content creation (e.g. podcasting, video editing, etc.) are among the key topics covered within the curriculum. 

Conversely, the Journalism and Sociology B.A. integrates a historical and theoretical understanding of society, research, social issues and their causes with the means to address them through journalism-oriented communication. Students pursuing the major gain insight into poverty, race, gender, religion and ethnography in addition to the role of journalism in democratic societies and how journalists often are the catalyst in addressing inequities and unfair outcomes.

Some of the key topics covered within the sociology focus include social interaction, world population, community organizing, social research, information literacy, media writing, reporting, multimedia storytelling, digital content creation (e.g. podcasting, video editing, etc.) and more.

“In both majors, students will take journalism classes- including media writing, editing, digital content, reporting, media law- and work on our Cleveland Stater CSU news laboratory,” said Whitbred. 

“Those focusing on sociology will be grounded in issues such as disparate outcomes in health, while those in criminology will learn about things such as inequities in policing and our criminal justice system.  Thus, graduates will have a unique combination of skills and background to make them more effective contributors in whatever professions they may pursue.”

CAREER OUTLOOK

Graduates can pursue a variety of career paths in media outlets of all types, non-profits, government agencies, law enforcement, community relations, public opinion agencies, research agencies and others involved in the areas of social justice, criminology and journalism. 

Students pursuing a degree in Journalism and Criminology can pursue careers in legal professions, grant writing, social work and other social sciences. 

Students in these majors have plenty of internship and career opportunities within the broader Cleveland community including the CSU Police Department (CSUPD), local community organizations, media outlets and more. 

Opportunities on campus include The Cleveland Stater, Cleveland Conversations, WCSB 89.3 FM, Society of Professional Journalists, Public Relations Student Society of America as well as working with faculty on research projects and participating in the FBI Cleveland Student Academy, a student organization that provides insight into the inner workings of the FBI.

For more information on CSU’s new integrated degree programs, click here.

For more information on the Journalism/Criminology B.A, click here. 

For more information on the Journalism/Sociology B.A, click here.