NYU announced in an email on Friday that the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute undergraduate program will offer two journalism minors, one in print and online and one in broadcast and multimedia starting fall 2019.

NYU Journalism Undergraduate Student Advisor Andrea Brown specified that students will now have an option to reduce the already small eight-course major — that requires students to double major — to a five-course minor in an email to journalism students. The two minors will differ slightly in course requirements and electives.

Print and Online
The print and online minor will have two core classes: Journalistic Inquiry: the Written Word and the Beat. It will also require three electives. For students that have already started the major, other introductory courses for the major — Investigating Journalism and Journalistic Inquiry: Multimedia — can count as one of the three electives for the minor.

Broadcast and Multimedia
The broadcast and multimedia minor will only require two electives and have three core classes: Journalistic Inquiry: the Written Word, Journalistic Inquiry: Multimedia and the Beat.

CAS junior Tyiana Combs dropped her Journalism major last semester to pursue a major in Africana Studies as well as minors in Creative Writing and History.

“If the minor would have been available earlier, I do think that I would’ve taken it,” Combs said in a message to WSN. “Only because I had already completed two of the needed classes and it would’ve been easy to just take three more and be done.”

In the past, students expressed a desire for a minor to faculty and staff, according to Brown. The journalism department first discussed adding one last year and, with unanimous faculty support, began a formal petition process with the CAS Undergraduate Program Committee.

Brown said the three fewer courses required could make a significant difference in some students’ schedules and that the lack of a double-major would also play a role in making the minor a more appealing choice for certain students.

“Students who minor will be able to get some substantive journalistic training without having to double-major,” Brown wrote in an email to WSN. “We think the double-major is well worth it (and students I’ve discussed this with agree), but we recognize it’s not feasible for everyone.”

Brown said that she is unsure if offering the minor will result in a net loss of journalism majors, as although some may drop down to minors, others may do the opposite.

“We think there may also be students who will begin a minor and then decide they want to pursue further coursework and declare a major,” Brown wrote. “At the end of the day, different students have different needs and goals, and we’re excited to support them and help them get the most out of their journalism education whether they choose to pursue the major or a minor.”

This is a developing story and will be updated as WSN learns more. Email Meghna Maharishi and Victor Porcelli at [email protected].