Journalism Education Certificate Guide Aspiring Reporters
18
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 75% of the certificate total
Earn a Teaching Credential or Jumpstart Your Career with an Online Journalism Education Certificate
Journalism is an exciting field that affects nearly everyone. A journalist can report on news from the local to the international level, including some of the most uplifting or devastating stories. If you have a desire to inspire young people to pursue journalism, or you would like a job as a journalist yourself, we have the program for you. Liberty University’s 100% online Journalism Education Certificate can provide you with the credentials you need to help meet your career goals.
Liberty maintains strict compliance with all licensure requirements for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Not a Virginia resident? We want to help find the best program for you! To view educational requirements and whether a specific program aligns with the licensure requirements for your state, please review our licensure/certification requirements webpage.
Why Choose Liberty’s Journalism Certificate Online?
At Liberty University, our mission is Training Champions for Christ. Because of this mission, we strive for excellence in all that we do. Here are some of the benefits of choosing to pursue your certificate in journalism education with us:
- Each of our courses is integrated with a biblical worldview to ensure that you can graduate as an ethically grounded professional.
- Your certificate courses are offered in a flexible, 100% online format, allowing you to continue to dedicate time to your work, family, and community.
- Each of your professors has professional experience as an educator with specialized knowledge in the area of journalism so you can be confident you’re learning from the best.
What Will You Study with Our Online Journalism Certificate?
Our Journalism Education Certificate can help provide you with the knowledge you’ll need to teach journalism courses to middle and high school students, sponsor a school yearbook or newspaper, or start your own career as a journalist. Courses that you take cover several foundational topics that are important to teach or pursue journalism.
You can learn about different writing styles in journalism, including writing for social media, news, magazines, features, and technical subjects. You may also learn about editing, reporting, layout, publishing, and strategic communication.
Potential Career Opportunities
Our Journalism Education Certificate can help you prepare for several career paths. Depending on your current knowledge, education level, and experience, there are many different positions that could benefit from our accredited certificate:
- Broadcast journalist
- High school journalism teacher
- Middle school journalism teacher
- Newspaper reporter
The writing and investigative reporting skills that you gain from our certificate in journalism education can be an asset as a journalism teacher and increase your marketability. Additionally, this certificate can help you gain a broad base of knowledge that can help you if you wish to pursue a career in journalism. Take the next step towards your personal and professional goals with a Journalism Education Certificate from Liberty University.
Required Courses
- DIGI 190 – Media Industry and Ethics or JOUR 356 – Social Media Writing
- DIGI 220 – News Writing and Reporting I or JOUR 225 – Writing for Media
- JOUR 354 – News Writing and Reporting II or WRIT 400 – Editing for Publishing
- JOUR 374 – Writing and Editing for Digital Magazine and Features or STCO 307 – Strategic Communication
- JOUR 485 – Investigative Reporting or WRIT 403 – Technical Writing
Certificate Information
- This program falls under the School of Education.
- View the Undergraduate Communication and the Arts Course Guides (login required).
Certificate Completion Plan
Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for all undergraduate courses at no cost to you. As a full-time student, this could save you an estimated $800-2,000 per year on textbooks!
Undergraduate Full Time | $390/Credit |
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Undergraduate Part Time | $455/Credit |
Military Undergraduate | $250/Credit |
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for Liberty’s Journalism Education Certificate
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9595.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official high school transcripts or official GED test scores.*
- Students may be allowed to enroll in up to 12 credit hours with Liberty with the submission of our High School Self-Certification Form (login required – you will first need to claim your Liberty Account).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system).
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
*Official high school transcript requirement may be waived with college transcripts from an accredited college/university showing at least 12 earned credit hours with an acceptable GPA.
Note: A 1.5 or above cumulative GPA is required for admission in good standing.
Transcript Policies
High School Transcript Policy
Applicants may submit a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of a final official high school transcript in order to enroll in up to 12 credit hours at Liberty University.
- Applicants may submit a college transcript showing 12 or more credits from an accredited institution and a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of high school transcripts.
Students must submit official high school transcripts, or official college transcripts showing at least 12 credit hours earned with an acceptable grade point average (GPA) from an accredited institution, in order to register for additional courses.
The official high school transcript, GED requirement, and High School Self-Certification Form can be waived if the applicant has earned an associate degree or higher.
Final transcripts must reflect all coursework and final grades received for grades 9-12, a graduation date, and an overall GPA. (Mailed transcripts must be in a sealed and unopened envelope.)
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.
Military Transfers
If you have military-only transfer credits (completed basic training and enlistment), you must request an official military transcript. Please go to the Military Transfer Credit webpage to request your military transcript.
International Applicants
If you are an international applicant, you may be required to have your international transcripts reviewed. Information regarding the transcript evaluation process for international students can be found by visiting NACES.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Admissions Office Contact Information
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Ready to Apply?
Submit your application online or over the phone.
Military
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
- Active Duty
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/Retirees
- Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
- Current Department of Defense Employees
Available Benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $250 per credit hour for undergraduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $565 per course)*
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
- Potential college credit for military training
*Not applicable to certificates.
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can this certificate help those pursuing a teaching license?
If you are interested in teaching journalism classes to middle or high school students, our certificate can help provide you with the journalism education requirements needed for add-on endorsement. This can give you a credential in addition to your teaching license so you can mentor future journalists and provide guidance on student newspapers.
How can this certificate help licensed teachers?
If you are interested in teaching journalism classes to middle or high school students, our certificate can help provide you with the journalism education requirements needed for add-on endorsement. This can give you a credential in addition to your teaching license so you can mentor future journalists and provide guidance on student newspapers.
How can this degree help aspiring journalists?
If you are interested in starting your journalism career, but you’re not quite sure about pursuing a full degree in journalism, our certificate may be the right program for you! This online certificate focuses on 6 journalism-specific courses so you can learn your craft and jumpstart your career without committing to an associate or bachelor’s degree.
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