Literary Journalism

Tomorrow’s nonfiction storytellers need a polished set of advanced writing and reporting skills to successfully engage in deeper information dives than the standard “who, what, when, where and why” of fast-paced news coverage, as they tackle some of society’s most compelling, troubling and important topics in their writing pursuits. This kind of reportage requires a well-developed set of writing, research, interviewing and storytelling skills that draw from the disciplines of journalism and creative nonfiction. UC is uniquely equipped to offer such a cross-disciplinary writing curriculum, thanks to the strengths of its award-winning faculty in the Journalism and English/Creative Nonfiction writing programs.

This certificate will provide undergraduate students in Journalism, English and other disciplines with a competitive advantage through the critical study and practice of in-depth narrative writing, reporting and research methods. While this certificate has potential to steer students toward careers in journalism (especially magazine-style reporting) or nonfiction writing, it also serves to enrich students’ intellectual experience as an end in itself, providing valuable skills in professional research, writing and critical thinking. As journalistic platforms change to meet the needs of new audiences and ever-changing methods of delivery, in-depth reporting and storytelling is more relevant, more important and more necessary than ever. This certificate will prepare aspiring journalists and nonfiction writers for opportunities in writing and publishing longform journalism, while also enhancing their personal and intellectual development through their literary journalism/nonfiction writing pursuits.

The primary advising point person for this certificate is Jenny Wohlfarth in the Department of Journalism (Jenny.Wohlfarth@uc.edu).

UC's urban campus lends itself to great storytelling and reporting opportunities for UC students. The award-winning faculty in Journalism and English who teach the courses in this certificate bring real-world experience to the classroom and provide professional connections to students who are pursuing internships and jobs in this field. The optional internship course (JOUR-5050) that students pursuing this certificate may choose as an elective can provide them with experience working at a magazine or other publishing company to strengthen their professional skills and employability after graduation.

Also, students in the UC College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-extensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban location offers exciting opportunities for global education (including faculty-led study abroad programs), internships, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

Courses included in this certificate offer experiential, hands-on learning opportunities that can include faculty-led study-abroad opportunities, service-learning opportunities, and an optional internship experience. Students pursuing this certificate can intern with magazines, news organizations, digital-only publications, non-profit organizations and legacy publishing companies. UC students can also gain valuable experience by taking research-intensive or service learning courses, by studying abroad, and by submitting their work to student-run publications on campus.

Students who are pursuing a degree at UC will need to designate this certificate as part of their degree program when they apply for graduation.