There’s a magazine covering practically any subject—more than 15,000 magazines in the United States alone—which means that if you choose to become a magazine journalist, you will have a wealth of interesting career choices. Our magazine sequence of the journalism major includes courses introducing you to magazine writing, magazine production, and the magazine industry in general. You’ll also gain knowledge and experience in magazine editing, magazine design, and media ethics.
Ball State is one of just 16 American universities—and the only one in Indiana—with a full-fledged magazine journalism program. The magazine sequence has been in place for more than two decades and is continually updated to keep pace with technological changes within the industry.
Choose this major and you’ll begin with an introductory course focusing on the industry as a whole and the writing expectations that are unique to magazines. As you move on to magazine writing courses, you’ll learn the in-depth research techniques needed to write articles that tend to be longer and more complex than most newspaper or broadcast stories. In the magazine production and publishing course, you’ll gain experience by conceiving, designing, and producing a new magazine. And you’ll benefit greatly from the chance to work with our award-winning expo magazine and Ball Bearings online magazine.
As a magazine student, you’ll find it useful to explore electives and minors that further your knowledge of subject areas about which you’re most interested in writing. Pick the right minor and you could become a marketable specialist in business, consumer affairs, health/nutrition, art, sports, religion, education, law, entertainment—any area of interest to you that is covered by specialty magazines is reasonable to consider.