Santa Monica College Journalism Program

Degrees offered

Santa Monica College (SMC), a public community college, offers journalism coursework leading to an associate degree and transfer preparation, rather than a four-year journalism degree of its own.

Programs and emphasis

The program begins with journalism history, media law, and ethics before advancing to news writing and reporting. Students can enroll in Journalism 16 (Producing the Campus Newspaper), Journalism 22 and Photography 14 (Photography for Publication), and Journalism 7/Media 25 (Engaging Audiences for Journalism and Social Media). Training covers print, photography, video, audio, social media, and digital production, preparing students for roles including reporter, editor, and broadcast producer.

History

Santa Monica College was founded in 1929. Its student newspaper, The Corsair, was founded the same year and is the first community college newspaper included in the California Digital Newspaper Collection; its full paper archive (1929-2011, roughly 14,000 pages) was digitized in a project led by journalism professor and Corsair adviser Saul Rubin.

Student-run media

The Corsair, SMC's student-run newspaper (print and online), publishes in fall and spring semesters and maintains a website and active social media accounts. In 2025, Corsair staff won 22 state awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, 10 honors from the Associated Collegiate Press, and 15 awards from the California College Media Association.

Location and contact info

Website
https://www.smc.edu/academics/academic-departments/communication/journalism.php