The bachelor course Science Journalism is characterized by the combination of theory (research orientation) and practice (job orientation). Its objective is to enable the students to work in journalism, especially in news media. Particularly, the students learn to investigate topics in natural sciences, medicine and technology and to report about these subjects appropriately. Besides, the bachelor’s degree provides the basis for the master studies, in which the technical knowledge and the journalistic skills are extended.

 

 

The eight-term bachelor course includes five components with a total of 240 credits:

 

• study unit journalism (74 credits)
• second subject (91 credits)
• bachelor thesis (8 credits)   
• two internships (together 15 credits)
• one-year editorial traineeship (60 credits)

 

 

The students pass the first six terms of their bachelor studies at the university. Afterwards they pass a one-year editorial traineeship in journalistic mass media to complete their studies.

 

In the first six terms the study unit journalism offers all classic basics of journalism: investigation technique and stylistics, forms of journalistic statements from news to reportages, media law, media economy and ethics. Besides, the students work in the educational editorial offices of the Institute. Beyond the university the students get to know the journalistic practice in external internships and - eventually - in the one-year editorial traineeship (Volontariat). To learn more about the practical training please follow the link >> journalism. 

 

During the first six semesters the journalistic education makes up 50 percent of the students' curriculum. The other half is dedicated to the second subject. The students can choose from three options: natural sciences (with the focus biosciences/medicine or physics), engineering sciences (with the focus mechanical engineering or electrical engineering) or data analysis and statistics. You find more detailed information about the curriculum of the second subjects following the link >> second subject. 

 

The bachelor thesis is written at the end of the sixth term before the beginning of the one-year editorial traineeship. The thesis is to be finished within eight weeks and should not exceed 50 pages. 

 

 

 

The bachelor course always starts once a year in winter term. There are ten regular university places. The admission to the studies depends on a university course entrance restriction (numerus clausus) which varies each year according to the number of applications. The number of places is limited due to the editorial traineeship. The offers of editorial traineeships are rare and the number of applicants for such places exceeds the number of such jobs offered by the media many times over. To guarantee that every student gets a traineeship, the number of new students is restricted to ten each year. There are up to five additional university places reserved for applicants who have already completed their editorial traineeship.