Capstones

The following courses satisfy the capstone requirement. Please note that our offerings vary from semester to semester*:

• JOUR325/625, JOUR655 or JOUR367/667: Full-time Capital News Service Bureau (9 credits for undergraduate students/6 credits for master's students). Students work four days a week in a Capital News Service bureau in Washington (reporting/writing), Annapolis (reporting/writing) or College Park (audience engagement and social media, broadcast or data and graphics). Washington and Annapolis prerequisite: JOUR320/JOUR620. Audience Engagement and Social Media prerequisite: JOUR368D/JOUR384/JOUR657 or JOUR389D. Broadcast prerequisite: JOUR361/JOUR661. Data and Graphics prerequisite: JOUR352/JOUR652.
• JOUR328B/628F: Covering Overlooked Communities (3 credits). This class will provide students with the challenge of developing a beat, cultivating sources and relationships, diving into issues and writing stories about the rich and diverse communities that border the University of Maryland. Through this hands-on course students will produce stories and packages that tell the stories of often overlooked communities. Prerequisite: JOUR320/JOUR620.
• JOUR328G/628G: Sports Enterprise Reporting (3 credits). Students will work as a team on a sports enterprise project. Previous topics have included gender equity in sports, youth sports & the media, betting and college sports, the economic impact of a new stadium on a city, and the future of football. Prerequisite: JOUR320/JOUR620.
• JOUR328K/628K: Business & Economic Reporting (3 credits). Students will explore why economic and business themes are among the top stories generating reader interest. Topics vary each semester but can focus on the economic impact of immigration, employment, income inequality, wage stagnation, trade wars and affordable housing. Students will learn to identify newsworthy stories and interpret and integrate numbers and financial data into stories in a compelling way. Prerequisite: JOUR320/JOUR620.
• JOUR353 or JOUR355 or JOUR357: Part-time Capital News Service Bureau (6 credits). Students work two days a week in a Capital News Service bureau in Washington (reporting/writing), Annapolis (reporting/writing) or College Park (audience engagement and social media, broadcast, data and graphics, and investigative reporting). Washington, Annapolis and Investigative Reporting prerequisite: JOUR320/JOUR620. Audience Engagement and Social Media prerequisite: JOUR368D/JOUR384/JOUR657 or JOUR389D. Broadcast prerequisite: JOUR361/JOUR661. Data and Graphics prerequisite: JOUR352/JOUR652.
• JOUR362/662: Broadcast News Producing (3 credits). Students work as producers overseeing the Capital News Service’s newscast, “Maryland Newsline.” Prerequisite: JOUR262/JOUR347/JOUR603 and JOUR360/JOUR660.
• JOUR364/664: Advanced Audio and Podcast Reporting (3 credits). Students will receive professional skills training in the reporting, writing, editing, voicing and production of radio news. Students will be required to do extensive out-of-class field reporting, along with writing and mixing broadcast-quality radio pieces. Prerequisite: JOUR334/JOUR634.
• JOUR368O/668O: Advanced Studio Production (3 credits). This course will take you through every production aspect related to studio production and work as production support for live sports or video game news shows. Prerequisite: JOUR368L/JOUR636.
• JOUR368Q/668Q: Long-Form News Videography and Production (3 credits). Students will develop their skills as versatile video journalists, working independently to produce in-depth visual stories on community-driven topics. This course emphasizes creative storytelling through video, with a focus on investigative techniques and immersive, hands-on filming and editing. Prerequisite: JOUR361/JOUR661 and JOUR368T/JOUR668T.
• JOUR389L/689L: Local News Investigation (3 credits). Students in this class will learn and put into practice classic investigative news techniques. The class emphasis is on finding, preparing for and interviewing people with sensitive information. Prerequisite: JOUR320/JOUR620.

*For more information on courses, visit the common capstone application.