Wheaton’s Journalism Certificate is an ideal preparation for graduate education or entry-level careers in journalism. We feature coursework and professional networking that builds foundational skills and provides advanced experiential opportunities. Our strategic partnership with Christianity Today International will connect qualified students with local internships and global news networking. We also provide need-based support for internships and travel to national or international conferences.
Students pursuing the Certificate will be approved by the Program Coordinator and will be expected to meet regularly with the Coordinator and other Journalism students for program review, networking, and career discussions. Certificate students will be required to attend two co-curricular or extra-curricular journalism events per semester for 4 semesters. Events may include: guest lectures, involvement with The Record or other student publications, consultation with visiting practitioners, participation in World Journalism Institute conferences, and travel to Global Christian Internet Alliance (in partnership with Christianity Today International). Students are encouraged to take advantage of courses beyond the required 24 hours.
Required Courses
See the Wheaton College Course Catalog for more information about specific Communication courses.
On the Role of a Christian Journalist
Journalists provide a critical check on the operations of power within a society, exposing both truths and injustices. Recent advances in convergent media technology are altering the journalism profession, demanding that the journalist combine skills in visual storytelling and social media with the time-honored capacities for gathering information, crafting clear prose, and editing.
Christian journalists, in particular, have a significant calling as truth-tellers against the forces of poverty, oppression, disease, and corruption in our world. Christian journalists also can provide crucial perspective and informed insight into the ways that religion intersects with public and private lives. Importantly, the Christian journalist has a vital role to play as an agent of peace within society, relying on investigative and communicative skill to encourage the state in its pursuit of a just social order (cf. 1 Timothy 2:1-4). Today’s proliferation of global digital communication provides greater need for reliability, accuracy, and trustworthiness in the dissemination of news.