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JOURN

Journalism and Mass Communication

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The department at a glance

All recorded grades
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades

How grades break down

Grades over time

Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison

About these statistics

GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.

Fall 2026

Recorded this term
courses with offerings
instructors recorded

Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.

Find your next class

45 courses

Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.

Examines the role of communication in health, the impact of information technology on health communication, and the assumptions driving technological efforts in this field.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

Examines disability and media interaction, representations, and access.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Explores the evolution of US mass media within political, social, and economic contexts.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course includes three tests and a large final research paper, with textbooks and novels as required reading materials.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Intensive reading and discussion of mass communication literature.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

Introduction to sports communication professions including journalism, broadcasting, marketing, and public relations.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Justin Doherty: Papers were described as simple and applicable to real life, with a low difficulty rating of 1.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 162 introduces the roles and functions of various media forms in multicultural America through international comparisons.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course includes weekly quizzes, five multimodal assignments, and peer tasks, but reviewers describe the workload as easy and manageable despite the four-credit load.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 176 is a special topics course focusing on specific conceptual issues or topics within mass communication.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Assignments are reported as not hard, and the instructor is not a tough grader, resulting in low difficulty ratings.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to mass communication covering the organization, function, technology, economics, politics, and social implications of mass media in modern society.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course is rated as low difficulty, with a fun and engaging atmosphere that makes the time pass quickly.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 202 teaches sophisticated communication skills including writing, editing, data gathering, and presenting stories across media forms.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Lucas Graves: Reviewers report a high volume of deadlines and assignments to track, though Canvas is maintained well.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 203 teaches information skills for journalism and strategic communication using the CVAP approach.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 335 teaches basic reporting for print and electronic media by creating news stories on public issues.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Jack Mitchell, Stephen Vaughn: Reviewers characterize the class as easy to moderate, noting that weekly beat reporting can be a hassle but grading is lenient if students avoid carelessness.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to strategic communication principles and practices for advertising, public relations, health, and political campaigns.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course features a large group project that reviewers describe as consuming and difficult, though it provides significant professional experience and learning opportunities.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 350 explores sports marketing communications, covering research, branding, promotion, sponsorships, and PR.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Advanced in-depth reporting course focusing on critical evidence evaluation and analyzing government impacts through community context stories.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2023 · limited sample

JOURN 405 Creative Nonfiction teaches creative non-fiction storytelling and writing skills for newspapers, magazines, and books.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical feedback indicates the course covers a variety of material and provides helpful feedback on assignments, rated as moderately difficult.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2024 · limited sample

Covers magazine publishing through management, writing, editing, design, and multi-platform production.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

JOURN 425 teaches video journalism techniques including videography, editing, and producing engaging news stories with strong visuals and sound.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Introduces the creative aspects of message development for advertising, public relations, and other strategic communications.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Dominique Brossard: The course difficulty was rated as moderate, though specific workload details are not provided in the single available review.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

JOURN 449 teaches the process of planning, implementing, and analyzing strategic communication campaigns.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

JOURN 450 teaches core skills in sports reporting and writing for a mass audience in a changing media landscape.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

JOURN 463 teaches digital media strategy and tactical planning within strategic communication campaigns.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

JOURN 475 explores advanced journalism concepts and skills in depth, with topics varying by term.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Debra Pierce: One reviewer reported that Debra Pierce assigned a ridiculous amount of homework for the course.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

MEDIA AND THE CONSUMER examines mass media content from the consumer's perspective, focusing on information needs, media evaluation, and effective use guidelines.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students report multiple readings weekly, five exams, a final paper, and a semester-long group project, requiring consistent preparation and time management.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

Introduces key concepts and issues in mass media and global communication studies.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2025 · limited sample

Examines the interrelationships of news media, political campaigning, and the electorate, focusing on the impact of media coverage and persuasive appeals on voting and participation.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The workload consists of smaller assignments rather than heavy textbook reading, requiring consistent submission to pass.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

JOURN 620 examines historical, political, economic, and cultural trends in global mass communication systems.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students report significant writing requirements and rigid rubrics where grades are docked for small details, requiring careful attention to project instructions.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

JOURN 658 is a survey of methods for investigating mass communication processes and their effects.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

One historical reviewer reported high difficulty and a heavy workload characterized by frequent quizzes.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 669 explores the literary aspects of journalism through critical reading of exemplary reporting and writing.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

JOURN 676 is a special topics course focusing on the in-depth analysis of a conceptual mass communication issue.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Stephen Vaughn: One reviewer reported a huge research paper assigned at the start, with daily changes to requirements and an expectation of website coding skills.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Across course levels

Recorded this term

No released grades for this term.

Recorded offerings over time

Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.