Follow your passion for storytelling, gain professional experience and kickstart your career in the media and marketing industry.
You love storytelling, so let your college story start here. As a media and journalism major at USD, you will engage in interactive projects and activities that will prepare you with the skills and experiences you need to succeed in the rapidly-changing media industry.
You'll develop writing, research and creative thinking skills as you explore topics like advertising, public relations, broadcasting, print, video production, social media marketing and multimedia storytelling. You'll benefit from hands-on learning experiences, an expansive internship network and expert faculty who are dedicated to helping you succeed. Whether you dream of working in a creative ad agency, promoting a professional sports team or becoming an investigative reporter, USD can help you get there.
Become the experienced, inspired and driven storyteller you aspire to be as a media and journalism major.
The media and journalism program prepares you to solve problems, think critically and work ethically in your chosen field. As a student in this program you will choose to specialize in journalism or strategic communications, focusing your coursework on the career path that is right for you.
Expand your skills in media technology with a media and journalism minor. Our interdisciplinary program can be tailored to meet your academic and career goals.
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Internships provide you with opportunities to gain professional-level media experience in real-world environments under the supervision of professional practitioners. They also provide opportunities for developing resumes, making media contacts and networking. Internships are valuable experiences which potential employers look for on students' transcripts and resumes.
We greatly value the participation and contribution of professionals in this process. Internship relationships between USD and strategic communication and journalism professionals can exist only as long as there is mutual respect for the quality of student interns available. In order to maintain this integrity, only declared major students who are adequately prepared to both contribute and gain meaningful experience from an internship will be permitted to participate in the department-sanctioned, for-credit internship program.
Our partnership with South Dakota Public Broadcasting ensures the most comprehensive media program in the region and gives graduates an edge in the industry. Students work in marketing, digital storytelling, radio, and TV production.
Station KYOT-TV is a student cable television station owned by USD and operated by the Department of Media & Journalism. KYOT provides you with hands-on experience and prepares you for communication careers. Participation in various positions and activities involve administration, creation, production and marketing of programming and the station. No matter what your major is, you can become part of the Coyote News team.
Coyote News TV: Wednesdays live at 5 p.m., KYOT Cable Channel 21
Coyote Radio, KAOR-FM, 91.1 MHz, is the student radio station of the University of South Dakota. Coyote Radio is licensed as a non-commercial education FM station by the Federal Communications Commission to the Board of Regents of the State of South Dakota under the name of the University of South Dakota. Programming includes news, talk shows, music, movie reviews, live sports play-by-play and color commentary, among many other program options.
The Volante is our award-winning weekly student newspaper that is consistently ranked among the top college weekly publications in the country. Joining The Volante staff enables you to experience news writing, reporting, editing, photography and more. All majors are welcome to participate.
Students brainstorm ideas, write scripts and then produce video promotions for the department, other campus entities and real-world clients. Projects are designed to not only promote our "clients," but to also provide samples for students' portfolios.
Generation Us, GEN:US, is a student-led digital marketing agency at the University of South Dakota. GEN:US was formed to help create, promote and engage the community of Vermillion and the students of USD by connecting one another through digital media. Students work with clients by assisting them create social media strategies and digital content that help their businesses, programs and organizations flourish in digital areas.
Members of the USD chapter of the AAF are involved in various activities associated with the advertising industry, including internships and conference participation. The USD National Student Advertising Campaign (NSAC) team competes at the highest level for household name brands. Student members work with local clients in developing advertising strategies for products and services. Practical experience that gives students an edge in the job market is obtained through the chapter's work and the Coyote Creative agency.
The USD chapter of the national PRSSA offers students the opportunity to explore career options in public relations, network with professionals and develop a sense of professionalism and ethics. Students also participate in field trips and meet with company or ad agency representatives to learn first-hand about the inner workings of the profession.
Media connects us to each other and our world. Explore the art of storytelling and media marketing through the Department of Media & Journalism.
Your education isn't limited to the classroom; you have a variety of out-of-class experiences waiting for you at USD. Experience creative control at The Volante student newspaper, Coyote News or Coyote Radio. By joining student media groups, you can create print or on-air stories that interest you and the campus and experience creative control over your work.
Our student media is entirely student-run and provides you with the challenges of creating eye-catching designs, writing and producing ethical hard-hitting stories and being the main news source for USD and Vermillion. Work with other students who are interested in the field and network with professional reporters at events you cover or at local and national conventions you may attend.
Outside the classroom, you are encouraged to seek internships that will provide you with real-world experience as you become a successful candidate for future opportunities. Our students have interned locally for KELOLAND, Avera Heath, Argus Leader and Sanford International. Nationally, USD students have worked in news organizations around the country that have landed them careers for companies like CNN. Discover a career you're passionate about while obtaining your degree.
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SD Residents, SD Advantage* & Child of Alumni
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Out-of-State
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Tuition (30 cr.)
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9432
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12942
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Fees (30 cr.)
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1659
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1659
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Books (estimate)
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1200
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1200
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Housing
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4890
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4890
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Food Service
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4194
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4194
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Total
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* SD Advantage: The in-state rate is available to new undergraduate students who are residents of South Dakota, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas (starting Summer 2024), Minnesota (starting Summer 2024), Missouri (starting Summer 2024), Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming and children of alumni of USD.
This is an estimated annual cost. Other factors may change the cost of tuition.
Learn more about tuition and fees for undergraduate students and see how your out-of-pocket costs at USD compare to those at other colleges and universities.
Navigating options for how to pay for college can be challenging, but you are not alone. The Office of Financial Aid will work with you and your family to explore how you can make your college education even more affordable.
USD awards nearly $9.5 million in scholarships each year. View our scholarships to see which ones you may qualify for and how you can apply.
The Department of Media & Journalism presented so many opportunities for me. I am the public relations and digital communications intern for Avera Medical Group in Sioux Falls. I would not have been able to succeed with Avera if it was not for USD. Being a student at USD now gets me excited for the community that I am going to be surrounded by once I am an alumna.
Chloe Fullenkamp
B.A. Media and Journalism '22
