School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Magazine and Brand Media

Program Options

• Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (B.A.J.M.C.) with a major in Magazine and Brand Media

Magazine and Brand Media web page

The information on this page pertains to program requirements for students who matriculated in the 2024-2025 academic year.  View requirements for previous catalog years here.

Program Overview

The magazine and brand media major prepares students to be magazine writers, editors and creative directors for print and online publications. As part of their coursework, students:

• Write magazine articles for consumer, trade and organization magazines.
• Work as staff members for the nationally award-winning Think magazine, Urban Plains digital magazine, and other titles and websites published through the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine Studies.
• Produce a business plan and design for a magazine prototype of their own.

Unique to Drake: Drake is one of the few private, liberal arts colleges to provide a full four-year sequence for magazines. Many magazine and brand media majors also work outside of classes on the nationally award-winning Drake Magazine.

Accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Drake is among 115 accredited programs worldwide. To earn accreditation, schools meet 9 standards, which address such issues as class size, diversity, student services and curriculum. Accreditation reviews occur every 6 years. Drake's program has been continuously accredited, most recently in 2016.

Degree Requirements

• Meet all requirements of the Drake Curriculum
• Maintain a 2.0 grade point average during the first 30 credit hours
• Maintain a 2.25 grade point average at Drake after the 30th credit hour
• Maintain a 2.25 grade point average in SJMC course work after the 30th credit hour

Students should work with their advisers to ensure selection of courses best-suited to their educational and career objectives.  Please see Graduation Requirements and Regulations sections of the catalog for additional information.

Magazine and Brand Media Major Requirements

Required courses for the Magazine and Brand Media major are as follows:

Magazine and Brand Media Minor Requirements

The magazine media minor provides students with an overview of how to tell meaningful stories, deliver reliable information and communicate effectively with an audience. Students gain experience in basic magazine writing and editing. Students also have the opportunity to select from several courses for magazine journalists including options such as web page design, video production, and feature writing.

Required courses for the Magazine Media minor are as follows: