Magazine Track Overview
The magazine program is designed to introduce students to the world of magazines and add to students' appreciation of the role of magazines in the diverse American society. In addition, the program offers students a chance to work on ORANGE, the four-color UT student magazine produced by School of Journalism magazine students each semester.
On finishing the magazine program, students should be prepared for employment at any type of magazine — consumer, specialized/niche, trade/business or association.
Although many jobs exist in the magazine industry today, both nationally and locally, many magazine graduates of the School of Journalism are drawn to New York. To make the transition easier, UT has an active and vibrant core group of alums working in The Big Apple on magazines such as Entertainment Weekly, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, Jane, Time, Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated, Redbook, Citing and Twist. In addition, the editor-in-chief of Woman’s Day and the managing editor of Business Week are UT grads.
The UT magazine program, headed by Professor Dave Garlock, is also well-known to the prestigious American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) summer internship program. Although the program is highly competitive and few schools can count on consistently winning a spot, UT usually places a student in the yearly program.
Magazine program students find national internships in many other places, ranging from National Geographic to Rolling Stone to Texas Monthly to specialized and trade magazines around the United States. In addition, some 20 to 30 local Austin publications regularly use our students, and our graduates hold responsible jobs on dozens of trade and association magazines based in Austin.
Major Magazine Courses
J315. News Media Writing and Editing
Introduction to fundamental journalistic writing skills for the media and to fundamental copy editing, including selection, processing and display of news and other information, studies in news audience interests, readability, clarity, verification and style. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 312 and 315 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310 with a grade of at least C; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test.
J320D. Intermediate Reporting
Information-gathering and information-retrieval skills, reporting and editing techniques, and interviewing. Introduction to electronic resources for journalists. Three lecture hours and six laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 320D and 322 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310 and 315 with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test.
J327. Feature Writing
Restricted to journalism majors. Practice in researching, reporting, writing, structuring and editing feature stories and news features for the print media. Identifying and contacting appropriate freelance markets regarding queries and stories. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 327, Latin American Studies 322 (Topic 4: Feature Writing), Mexican-American Studies 374 (Topic 6: Feature Writing). Prerequisite: Journalism 310 and 315 with a grade of at least C in each; credit or registration for Journalism 320D; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test.
J330. News Editing
Advanced editing for news media. Emphasis on news judgment, language use and print editing, as well as skills necessary for the collaborative production of multimedia news. Three lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 314 and 330 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310, 315 and 320D with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test.
J336. Visual Design
The history, design and production of media materials. Topics include design principles, visual perception, typography, manipulation of images and photographs, printing processes and color reproduction, and page design for print. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 324K and 336 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310 and 315 with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test.
J347S. Magazine Management
Study of the business of launching and maintaining successful publications. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 347S and 352 (Topic 3: Magazine Management) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; a major in journalism; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test. Journalism 327 and/or 336 also strongly recommended as prerequisites.
J349T. Magazine Production
Study of the revenue and production aspects of launching and maintaining successful magazines; advertising, production, printing, and the business sides of the industry. Students produce ORANGE magazine. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Journalism 320D and 347S with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test. Journalism 327, 336, and/or 374D also strongly recommended as prerequisites.
J374D. Advanced Feature Writing
Study of researching, reporting, writing and structuring advanced feature stories for consumer/trade publications and newspapers, with a concentration on identifying and contacting appropriate freelance markets regarding queries and stories. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Journalism 368 and 374D may not both be counted. Prerequisites: Journalism 320D and 327 with a grade of at least C in each.
J377D. Print Design
Advanced print design and layout. Graphics techniques and production processes; planning content and format of newspapers and magazines. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Journalism 324, 349T (Topic 6: Print Design), 375, 376D and 377D. Prerequisite: Journalism 330 and 336 with a grade of at least C in each.
Additional Recommended Magazine-Related Courses
J331. Web Publishing
Advanced skills in Web design and in publishing multimedia content. Emphasis on collaborative work in creating an ongoing Web information product. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 331 and 352 (Topic 11: Multimedia Publishing) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310, 315 and 320D with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test; and consent of instructor.
J331K. Projects in Professional Experience (Internship)
Internships to be arranged by student and approved by instructor. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. May be taken only once. Journalism 321K and 331K may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310, 315 and 320D with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test; and consent of instructor. Each student must also have earned a grade of at least C in the following course or courses appropriate to his or her area of concentration: broadcast news: Journalism 322D; print journalism: Journalism 320D; photojournalism: Journalism 325; for students with approval to complete a multimedia internship: Journalism 320D.
J131P. Internship
Internship and discussion hours to be arranged. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. May be repeated for credit, but only one hour may be counted toward degree in the College of Communication. Journalism 121P and 131P may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 331K; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test; and consent of instructor.
J334. Multimedia Journalism
Review of online reporting techniques, advanced multimedia skills and current issues in news media. Three lecture hours and three laboratory hours a week for one semester. Journalism 334 and 352 (Topic 10: Online Journalism) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310, 315 and 320D with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test; and consent of instructor.
J338. Computer-Assisted Reporting
Study of computer-assisted journalism, including electronic document retrieval and manipulation, spreadsheet and database management, and Internet skills. Collaborative work on major investigative projects. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Journalism 338 and 352 (Topic 5: Computer-Assisted Reporting) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 310, 315 and 320D with a grade of at least C in each; a score of at least 45 on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test; and a score of at least 29 on the School of Journalism Word Processing Test; and consent of instructor.
J340C. Topics in Journalism, Communication, and Culture
Issues concerning minority or non-dominant groups within the United States. Topics include Mass Media & Minorities, African Americans & the Media, and Journalism & Religion. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Some topics may require additional laboratory hours. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
J349T. Topics in Journalism
Contemporary social, professional and intellectual concerns in the practice of journalism. Topics include Business Journalism, International Reporting and Oral History as Journalism. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Some topics may require additional laboratory hours. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
J367E. Journalism in Latin America
Study of the practice of journalism in Latin America. Survey of the region, including historical, political, economic, cultural, ethnic and geographical aspects. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Journalism 352 (Topic 8: Journalism in Latin America) and 367E may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and a major in journalism, or consent of instructor.
J373D. Advanced News Reporting
Study of community and institutional news sources; reporting on courts and city, county, and state governments; emphasis on fact-finding and skill in writing; in-depth reporting of significant events. Three lecture hours and six hours of laboratory reporting a week for one semester. Journalism 361 and 373D may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Journalism 320D with a grade of at least C.
Getting Involved
ORANGE magazine is an interesting periodic project involving undergraduate students, graduate students and magazine program faculty. Although the core of the magazine is produced by magazine students in two classes (J347S and J349T-Magazine Production), other students from the School of Journalism can also take part. Students and faculty work closely together in a way that resembles the real world of magazine production. Students are welcome to contact the current editor or advisor Contact information can be found on the sixth-floor ORANGE / Magazine Club bulletin board.
The Daily Texan
Magazine students are highly encouraged to work on the Daily Texan before they work on ORANGE magazine. The newspaper deadline experience will only help magazine students in their future magazine careers.
The Magazine Club
Magazine students may want to check the sixth-floor Magazine Club / ORANGE bulletin board for information on joining the MAG club. Joining the club is strongly encouraged for magazine or pre-magazine students, even as freshmen. Joining SPJ and Women in Communication is also helpful.
Getting that First Magazine Job
Getting your first magazine job is not as hard as it seems. We recommend that you seek out an internship for credit as soon as you have completed J327 (for writing internships) or J336 (for design internships) as a first step. Internships give you real-world experience. The contacts and networking can be crucial in landing that first job. Many association and specialized magazines are located in Austin, most offering outstanding writing, editing and design opportunities.
We also suggest you maximize your computer skills, look for chances to improve your copy editing (in and out of class), and take some math and business classes. Finally, get to know Dave Garlock, the magazine program head and internship supervisor, as well as your other professors and the fine folks at Career Services. They are frequently sources for job leads. You should register with them immediately.
Contact information
Dave Garlock, program head, CMA A7.256, 512-471-1757.