You’ll gain hands-on experience in journalism and public relations – whether it be on our campus in the heart of downtown Indianapolis or on Zoom during an online class.
Our department offers undergraduate and graduate studies:
To give you boost for your freshmen year, high school seniors interested in majoring in journalism or public relations have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship in the amount of $1,820! Applicants must submit an essay that includes a description of your intended career path in journalism or public relations and how this opportunity will benefit your personal, professional, and career goals. Learn more!
Journalists and other storytellers have recorded the first draft of history since the beginning of modern civilization. They continue to be the chroniclers of society. In the Department of Journalism and Public Relations, we know that the practice of storytelling remains as crucial to society as it ever was.
Our students and former students serve on the front lines disseminating information about the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting on protests over racial inequality and on cultural flashpoints, and reporting from the Super Bowl or from the Olympics. They work as communication experts at companies, organizations and government institutions. We teach our students to adjust to the changing world by learning what questions to ask and where to go for answers; how to write well and think critically; and to recognize that we all have a responsibility to ourselves and to our society.
Such skills are not just important for a career in journalism or public relations. They are essential for many other careers as well. The skills you learn in our department prepare you to be a good reporter and researcher, creative and inquisitive thinker, good citizen, and discriminating consumer of the media. The skills you learn in our department prepare you to be part of the next generation of storytellers.
Good storytelling has always changed to adapt to the times. We have adjusted to the pandemic so that you will continue to receive quality education, whether you are learning face-to-face in the classroom or virtually. We will prepare you for the world in which you live and the one that awaits you.
-Chris Lamb
Graduates of the Department of Journalism and Public Relations in the IU School of Liberal Arts are working for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Wall Street Journal, the NCAA, WFYI Public Radio, and more. (See where else our alumni have landed.) Modest class sizes ensure you develop close working relationships and tight bonds with your professors and peers – regardless of meeting in-person, hybrid, or online.
You’ll be in the center of the action in downtown Indianapolis, which provides for unparalleled opportunities like covering demonstrations against injustice, interning at the State House, and reporting on national sporting events, such as Colts football games, Women’s and Men’s Final Four basketball games, and the Indianapolis 500.
As a public relations student, you can experience close-to-campus internships at world-class agencies, corporations and music and sport venues, such as Hirons, Eli Lilly and Company, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and Victory Field.
You’ll benefit from career-prep events and panels organized just for you. And our network of alumni is eager to help you by offering advice, connections, and internship opportunities.
You will be prepared to enter the ever-changing workforce of Journalism and Public Relations. Flexibility is the key to successfully building your media career. You will become knowledgeable about the world beyond your major. A good photojournalism student will also be a good writer. A student reporter will learn to shoot and edit compelling video. A public relations student will grasp the value of reporting and storytelling.
You’ll learn to tackle social media, print, and other mediums you’ll encounter in the working world.
All of this to pack your portfolio full of examples sure to impress a future employer.
“I am so grateful for the journalism program and the professors who have turned into mentors. I truly believe the experiences and teachers I had prepared me so well for covering this city.” — Darian Benson, B.A.J. ’19, reporter, WFYI Indianapolis
The Department of Journalism and PR is part of the School of Liberal Arts, which offers 100+ academic programs to boost your education to the next level.
Are you interested in journalism and PR, but pursuing another major? Check out our certificates that supplement any degree.
If you’re interested in journalism or PR, either as a new student or transfer student, please contact Samantha Walters, Journalism and PR Academic Advisor. You might also want to take a tour of the IU Indianapolis Campus.
Interested in earning a graduate degree in Sports Journalism or Public Relations? Please contact Ray Haberski.
