

Bachelor of Science
In Journalism
Join the only top-10 university with an undergraduate degree in journalism
If you are deeply curious about the world and want to research, report and produce journalism that matters, Medill offers the combination of a top-ranked university, a best-in-class journalism education and a Big Ten college experience.
Take a Northwestern Direction to experience our life-changing degree.
Why pursue a bachelor's in journalism at Medill?
- Learn from real-world experiences in local, national and international environments.
- Benefit from the reputation of Northwestern, a top 10 university.
- Join a high-quality network of more than 18,000 alumni working in journalism, media, communications and other industries all over the world.
- Study with a mix of academic scholars and experienced professionals who have won some of the top prizes in journalism for their work.
- Take core courses to learn the foundations of reporting, writing, editing, and critical thinking, and pursue journalism electives to build expertise in areas you’re passionate about.
- Get involved in student media organizations to practice skills while building community.
- Build a portfolio of meaningful published work.
- Earn a STEM-designation through our program.
- Program quick facts
- Total Students176(Class of 2025)
- States Represented32(Class of 2025)
- Countries Represented9(Class of 2025)
- Double Majored, Minored Or Earned A Certificate92%(Class of 2025)
My Medill Story
Discover the 4 components of the Bachelor's in Journalism Curriculum
Core Curriculum
The core curriculum is built to put all first-year students on the same page. We'll teach you the Medill way of reporting, writing, editing and thinking critically.
Journalism Electives
We offer a wide variety of journalism electives. Choose courses that will help you build expertise in the areas you are most passionate about.
Double Major, Minor or Certificate Opportunity
In addition to the core classes, students can select a concentration in a discipline outside Medill. You'll explore your passion for political science, history, economics, a foreign language, computer science and much more.
Journalism Residency
Work full time as a reporter or public relations specialist for one quarter at media outlets in the U.S. or abroad through Medill's Journalism Residency, a one-of-a-kind program.

Journalism Values, Practice and Trends
Students learn fundamental theories of human behavior and media consumption in order to understand new technologies, content opportunities, and relationship-building with journalism audiences.
Explore Journalism Values, Practice, Trends
Fundamentals of Reporting and Writing News
This course emphasizes the critical practices of ethical journalism and deadline reporting and writing and builds a strong foundation for all Medill classes.
Explore Fundamentals of Reporting and Writing
Fundamentals of Video Journalism
This course encourages students to explore, dissect, create and appreciate reporting, interviewing and storytelling with video.
Explore Fundamentals of Video Journalism
Journalism in Practice
During spring break, you and faculty travel overseas to report in a different country. Other sections offer hands-on reporting experiences in the Chicago area.
Explore Journalism in Practice
Media Law and Ethics
The legal and ethical framework defining media freedoms and constraints in the US, including copyright and trademark issues.
Explore Media Law and Ethics
Journalism Residency
Put what you’ve learned into practice during the Journalism Residency program, where you will work alongside professional journalists for one quarter at one of Medill’s numerous media partners, giving you the real-world experience to propel your career.
Explore Journalism Residency
Framed: The Media and the Marginalized
This course will set a framework for recognizing and analyzing media narrative framing, as well as the representation of traditionally marginalized groups within that narrative frame.
Explore Framed: The Media and the Marginalized
Documentary
This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of HD video production specifically geared towards producing short documentaries that tell human stories.
Explore Documentary
Journalism of Empathy
This course will explore writing about people who live along the margins - individuals and places neglected and misunderstood by mainstream America.
Explore Journalism of Empathy
Media Design
This class explores the fundamental tools of design, typographic contrast and color theory. You will analyze current approaches to newspaper, magazine, web and mobile design.
Explore Media Design
Sports Commentary
The goal for each student in this course is to develop a distinctive voice that stands out from the cacophony of opinions in the sporting world, to create commentary that is informative, thought-provoking and entertaining and to adapt those messages for delivery across multiple media platforms: the written word, television, radio, podcasts and social media.
Explore Sports Commentary
Audio storytelling
Learn how to gather sound, conduct interviews, script stories, and produce your final pieces. The class will focus on news spots, vox, and news features.
Explore Audio storytellingYour Medill Journalism Network
Ndidi Massay (BSJ89)Vice President, Workplace Culture & Diversity Initiatives, CBS Sports
Robert Samuels (BSJ06)Co-author of "His Name is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice"
Andre Gaines (BSJ01)Producer, Cinemation Studios
Melissa Brotz (BSJ90)Chief Marketing Officer, Abbott
Melissa Brotz is Abbott's vice president of global marketing and external affairs, and serves as the company's chief marketing, communications and sustainability officer. Brotz also serves as president of the Abbott Fund, Abbott's philanthropic foundation. She was appointed to her current role in September 2018. She joined Abbott in 1996 after several years with leading public relations agencies, and rose through a series of positions in its pharmaceuticals business and corporate office, most recently heading the company's global communications group.
Joe Fryer (BSJ00)News Anchor/Correspondent, NBC News
Joe Fryer is an American journalist working for NBC News as a west coast correspondent based at the NBC News West Coast Bureau in Universal City, California. He joined NBC News in 2013 as a part-time correspondent and officially joined NBC News as a full-time correspondent in October of 2013. He reports for NBC Nightly News, TODAY, MSNBC, NBC News Now and other NBCUniversal properties.
Brian Rosenthal (BSJ11)Pulitzer Prize Winner and Investigative reporter at The New York Times
Cassidy Hubbarth (BSJ07)Host and reporter, ESPN NBA
J.A. Adande (BSJ92)Associate Professor and Director of Sports Journalism
Patti WolterHelen Gurley Brown Magazine Professor and Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Clinical Professor
Mei-Ling HopgoodProfessor
Karen SpringenAssistant Professor
Craig DuffProfessor
Elise De Los SantosLecturer
Elise De Los Santos is a lecturer at Medill and the editor of Medill Reports. She teaches undergraduate and graduate classes on reporting and writing.
Chris BensonAssociate Professor
Christopher Benson, a journalist and lawyer, is an associate professor of journalism. As a professional journalist, Benson has worked as Washington editor for Ebony magazine, city hall reporter in Chicago for WBMX-FM, and as a contributor for The Chicago Reporter, writing a weekly online column on justice, race and media issues.
Ceci RodgersAssistant Professor and Director of Global Journalism Learning
Ceci Rodgers is an assistant professor and director of global journalism learning at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and president-elect of the Faculty Senate. Rodgers teaches business and economics reporting courses, as well as video journalism and basic writing and reporting to graduate and undergraduate students.
Arionne NettlesLecturer and Director of Audio Journalism Programming
Arionne Nettles is a lecturer and director of audio journalism programming at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. As a culture reporter in print and audio, her stories often look into Chicago history, culture, gun violence, policing and race & class disparities as a contributor to the New York Times Opinion, Chicago Reader, The Trace, Medium's ZORA and Momentum, Chicago PBS station WTTW and NPR affiliate WBEZ.
Jeremy GilbertKnight Professor in Digital Media Strategy
Jeremy Gilbert is the Knight Professor of Digital Media Strategy. Both his work and teaching focus on the content and revenue strategies of existing and emerging media companies. He explores the intersection of technology and media, examining how new tools and techniques will affect the creation, consumption and distribution of media.