Students looking to major in journalism and communications may be misled by Binghamton University’s undergraduate admission’s Web site.

The admissions department’s home page categorizes the listing ‘Journalism, Communications and Rhetoric’ under ‘academic offerings.’ But while the listing rests beside a host of other academic majors, BU offers no such combined concentration ‘ just classes.

‘At Binghamton University, students can pursue journalism through Harpur College via a concentration in the English department or through the Individualized Major Program (IMP),’ said Gail Glover, a BU spokeswoman.

‘Because many students reference ‘majors’ or ‘academic interests’ in different ways at college fairs and high school visits, we refer to our academic offerings in several different ways as well,’ she said in an e-mail.

Students declaring majors in English are given six options for concentrations ‘ including global culture, rhetoric, creative writing and combinations of the three.

The rhetoric concentration is highlighted specifically under the listing as the foundation for a concentration in journalism.

And according to lecturer Mary Haupt who instructs print journalism courses, students wishing to work in the field of journalism can follow the English major and fill the six allotted electives with journalism classes ‘ such as Introduction to Journalism, Opinion Writing and Feature Writing.

Students can also create majors combining two fields, such as political journalism, using the IMP program, she said. But the program does not provide students with special leverage for certain rhetoric classes.

‘Doing so does not guarantee that they can get into the English department’s journalism classes, [as] they don’t have any special standing when it comes to registering or petitioning,’ Haupt said.

Journalism classes, which allow an average of 25 students to enroll, close up early in the registration process. As a result, many students aren’t able to enroll in such classes until their junior or senior years.

‘It makes it hard for someone like me who’s trying to explore all the options I have early enough,’ said Mary McNamara, a sophomore English major, ‘so that I can make a better decision about what I want to focus on with time to really work with it.’

Students that take the classes and decide to go to graduate school for journalism are not at a disadvantage for lacking an official degree, according to Binghamton faculty.

‘Grad schools in journalism seem happy to have students who majored in something else as undergrads,’ Haupt said. ‘That’s why schools like Columbia don’t offer journalism at the undergrad level.’

Haupt added that BU students with classes in journalism should also be able to compete in the job market.

‘As for jobs, a student who takes the courses, works in student media and does at least a couple of internships has a good shot at getting a job,’ she said. ‘Plenty of my students have done so, and some are doing very well.’

BU students have expressed interest in journalism, but University spokesman Ryan Yarosh said that there are currently no plans to add a journalism or communications major or concentration to the English department.

‘I’d definitely consider journalism if it was offered, and I think it’s an important option for an English major to have,’ McNamara said.