The Bachelor of Journalism and Humanities (B.J.Hum. honours) degree is offered jointly by Carleton’s Great Books Program in the College of the Humanities and by the School of Journalism and Communication.
Jennifer Carswell (B.Hum 2005), Senior Broadcast Journalist, BBC World Television, London, England
Train for a Career while Indulging your Love of Great Books
B.J.Hum. students spend half of their degree taking the same Journalism courses as Bachelor of Journalism (B.J.) students. They receive professional training in writing and reporting, professional ethics and media law, and learn the skills appropriate to newspaper, radio, television, and new media journalism.
B.J.Hum. students spend the other half of their degree taking the same courses in the Great Books as Bachelor of Humanities (B.Hum.) students. This gives them in-depth training in political science, literature, philosophy, history, classics, art history, music, and religion so that they can bring to their journalistic career a great depth of analysis and breadth of context.
| Year One | Year Two | Year Three | Year Four |
| Core — Foundational Myths and Histories | Core — Reason and Revelation | Core — Culture and Imagination | Core — Politics, Modernity & the Common Good |
| Greek & Roman Literature | Origin of Judaism, Christianity, & Islam | European Literature, and History of Art or History of Music | Modern Intellectual History or Modern Science |
| Language Requirement | Religious Practice | Video and Audio Journalism | Research Seminar and Journalism Seminar |
| Foundations of Journalism | Fundamentals of Reporting | Digital Journalism and Reporting in Depth | Advanced Journalism Course |
| Canadian History and Indigenous Studies | Digital Journalism, and Media Law | Media Ethics | Advanced Journalism Course |
Please consult the course progression chart for the Bachelor of Journalism and Humanities degree for details. See also the overview of other Humanities degree streams.
One Degree — Two Academic Homes
B.J.Hum. students are full members of two communities, the School of Journalism and Communication and the College of the Humanities. On the Journalism side, this means that they are eligible for the internships and professional development offered by the School and have full use of their technical resources. On the Humanities side, this means that they are part of the small community of friends and scholars, with its own lecture hall, discussion room, and common room, and have access to the vibrant and intimate student life and extensive cultural program of the Bachelor of Humanities program.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Journalism and Humanities
Many Humanities graduates have gone on to rewarding careers in Journalism and related fields. To read about their career paths please see our Alumni Profiles.
Rosa Saba, B.J.Hum. 2018
How to Apply to the Bachelor of Journalism and Humanities.
Please consult our How to Apply page. The Journalism and Humanities instructions are under “Option C — Bachelor of Journalism and Humanities — CJH.”
Do I apply to the B.J., the B.Hum., or the B.J.-Hum?
The B.J.-Hum. is for students who want to combine their Journalism program with a very structured and intensive program in the Great Books, emphasizing reading, writing, and discussion, covering all the Humanities fields. Please look at the Bachelor of Humanities Program Overview page for details.
You do not have to be in the joint B.J.-Hum. degree in order to combine Journalism with another discipline. Students in the B.J. can add a combined honours or a minor in most disciplines. So, for example, if you are particularly interested in Journalism and English, but don’t really want to study Philosophy, Art, Religion, and History as well, you should apply to the B.J.
Enrolment in the joint B.J.-Hum. is very limited, so it is a good idea also to apply to whichever of the two constituent programs you would like as a fallback. So a student interested in the joint program who is most attracted to the Humanities aspect should list both the B.J.-Hum. and the B.Hum. as choices on the OUAC form, in that order. A student most interested in Journalism should list B.J.-Hum. and then B.J. as their choices.
Internal Transfers
Transferring from the B.J. or the B.Hum. to the B.J.-Hum.
A student who has completed the first year of the B.J. or B.Hum. in Good Standing may apply to transfer into the second year of the B.J.-Hum. and will be accepted at the discretion of the School of Journalism and the College of Humanities, and must normally have an overall CGPA of 10.00 (A-) or higher. Transfers into higher years will not be considered.
A student wishing to make such a transfer should contact the Undergraduate Advisor of the program in which they are currently not enrolled in.
Transferring from the B.J.-Hum. to the B.J. or the B.Hum.
A student who wishes to transfer from the B.J.-Hum. to the B.J. or the B.Hum. may apply through Admissions and will be accepted if, upon entry to the new program, they would be in Good Standing.
A student who fails any Academic Continuation Evaluation (A.C.E.) and who is consequently on Academic Warning or who must leave the B.J.Hum. program with Continue in Alternate (CA) may transfer into the B.J. or the B.Hum. only if they would be in Good Standing upon entry into their new degree.
For more details see the Carleton Academic Calendar.