Department of Journalism

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The Department of Journalism offers Master of Science (MS) programs: Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, Business and Economics Journalism, Photojournalism, and Science Journalism. All five programs are designed to produce graduates trained to analyze and explain the complex events of our times as well as raise journalistic standards in all media.

Graduate students also have the opportunity to pursue a specific area of interest during their third and final semester. They work with an advisor to design an area of specialization including politics, sports, magazine journalism, and foreign reporting. A range of interests can be explored with the help of University faculty and other resources during this additional semester, including further enhancement of skills they have gained through previous journalism courses, such as multimedia, magazine, radio, and—of course—writing.

Journalism students at Boston University learn about the profession by covering the activities of local, state, and national government as well as various political, business, and cultural activities. Assignments are under the direction of experienced, accomplished journalists who are current or recent leaders in professional journalism.

The College of Communication ensures not only that students will be trained by the best faculty, but also that they will have the latest technology at their fingertips—for example, computer-assisted reporting and courses on the Internet and website production. (The College maintains its own Web page at College of Communication.) The radio facility features the latest in digital editing and audio equipment and is home to WTBU and www.wtburadio.org (89.3 FM/640 AM), a student-run radio station that airs regular newscasts, talk shows, and a wide variety of music. Broadcast students also have two fully equipped television studios, one of which is set up for news production, complete with digital editing suites. Participation in BUTV, our in-house television production company, is encouraged. BUTV produces a wide range of television shows that air on local cable networks.

The Beebe Library, located in the College of Communication, is stocked with all the important national and international publications. Journalism students have the opportunity to contribute to a number of student magazines, other publications, and the award-winning daily student newspaper, the Daily Free Press. Contact the Department of Journalism if you would like a sample of these publications.

Candidates for a Master of Science in Journalism may enroll as either full- or part-time students in the following:

The Journalism Program, which focuses on the full spectrum of journalistic skills, includes newswriting and reporting for newspapers and magazines. The degree requires a three-semester enrollment.

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Candidates for a Master of Science in Broadcast Journalism gain skills and experience necessary to report and produce news and public affairs programs for radio and television. The program entails three semesters.

The Business and Economics Journalism Program prepares students for a career in one of the most interesting areas of journalism, an area rich in career opportunities. The program, which assumes no previous business or economics training on the part of students, lays a foundation for reporting about people, trends, ideas, and issues in business and the economy. Students cover the Boston economy and their stories appear in area newspapers, magazines, and websites.

The Science Journalism Program is designed for those who seek careers as transmitters of scientific and technical knowledge, with a particular emphasis on the environment and medical journalism. The program is completed in three semesters.

The Photojournalism Degree Program is an intense, hands-on, career-oriented sequence employing both digital technology and traditional techniques. Advanced students graduate with a thorough knowledge of digital photography gained through use of our state-of-the-art cameras and photo lab. We are committed to educating well-rounded journalists with a full range of skills, so all students are required to take classes in news writing and fundamentals of journalism, as well as a strong foundation of liberal arts courses. For more than half a century, the Photojournalism program has graduated photographers who become top professionals at newspapers, wire services, agencies, and in the freelance market.

Typing/word processing skills are essential for admission to the journalism program, as are a general understanding of computer technology and, of course, a high level of proficiency in both written and oral expression.

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JOURNALISM PROGRAM

Program for International Students

Learning journalistic skills at the graduate level requires an unusually strong ability to understand, speak, and write English—often under deadline pressures. Experience has proven that students from outside the United States, even though they obtain reasonable scores in traditional English-language tests, sometimes cannot keep up in our graduate degree programs. In the 1st semester, selected international students enrolled in COM JO 721 can benefit from a weekly workshop, COM JO 437, that offers assistance in writing and reporting in English. The faculty reserves the right to reorganize a student’s curriculum until his or her English language skills reach the required standard. In some cases, such reorganization means an additional one or two semesters of study before a degree can be granted. Please refer to our website for updated TOEFL requirements.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the basic Master of Science degree in Journalism must complete 48 graduate semester credits.

In addition, each student must submit a thesis that, in the judgment of the faculty, makes an original contribution to the study of mass communication; a professional project of 5,000 words that demonstrates substantial accomplishment in original reporting for newspapers; or two nonfiction, professional-quality magazine articles, each approximately 2,500 words long; or a series of related reports published or suitable for newspaper publication totaling 3,500 words. Students choosing the professional project must submit their pieces by the department deadline. Substantial rewriting is usually required. (Students planning to enroll in the Specialty Studies program may wish to incorporate the thesis or professional project into their curricula.)

A career in journalism requires a wide range of skills, superior training, and considerable dedication. Accordingly, the journalism program upholds the highest standards of excellence in teaching and student performance.

Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average each semester, in addition to earning a minimum grade of B – in COM JO 721 Journalism Principles and Techniques and COM JO 722 Advanced Journalism Seminar, to continue in the program. Any student failing to meet either of these standards will be dropped from the program, although the requirement may be waived by the chairman of the department and designated faculty members. In such cases, the student is considered to be on probation, and any subsequent failure to achieve the mandatory academic standards will result in dismissal without review.

The Department of Journalism places a great emphasis on student performance in COM JO 721 Journalism Principles and Techniques and COM JO 722 Advanced Journalism Seminar, the most intensive writing and reporting laboratory courses in the core curriculum. They challenge the student under real-life pressures and deadlines and are therefore excellent indicators of his or her preprofessional ability and suitability for the working newsroom.

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Journalism Curriculum

Required

First Semester

COM JO 525 Media Law and Ethics
COM JO 721 Journalism Principles and Techniques
COM JO 807 Advanced Journalism Research or
COM JO 503 Journalism Research
Elective

COM JO 722 Advanced Journalism Seminar
Three Electives

COM JO 737 JO Internship
COM JO 954 Political Reporting or
Directed Study in Specialized Area or
News Bureau Reporting or Specialized Reporting as approved

Students select four electives from 500-level or above courses in the College. Students who have strong interests in a special field are sometimes permitted to substitute a course in their area of interest from graduate-level courses in other Schools and Colleges of the University.

With the approval of their advisors, graduate students in the Journalism Program may also receive credit for appropriate 300-level courses.

Photojournalism Sequence

Graduate study in photojournalism provides students the opportunity to pursue intensive work in both photography and writing. After students have acquired the basic skills in the two media, the program curriculum is designed to allow principles learned in the classroom to be put to practical use in the creation of photo stories and illustrated text pieces.

To gain admission to the master’s degree program, candidates must submit a portfolio of twenty photographs in addition to the standard application materials. The photographs may be submitted in print or on CD-ROM, and should represent the best of the applicant’s recent work. If a student’s portfolio does not meet admission standards, the student may take COM JO 305 Basic Photography as a prerequisite but not for graduate credit.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science degree in Journalism with a specialization in photojournalism is a one-year program requiring completion of a minimum of 32 graduate semester hours of coursework. In addition, the student is required to produce a thesis-length photo and text project that meets professional publication standards.

Photojournalism Curriculum

COM JO 513 Advanced Photojournalism
COM JO 515 Photo Editing
COM JO 525 Media Law and Ethics
COM JO 721 Journalism Principles and Techniques

COM JO 538 Feature Writing or
COM JO 703 Magazine Writing
COM JO 537 Color Fundamentals
COM JO 722 Advanced Journalism Seminar
Elective

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WASHINGTON JOURNALISM CENTER

Boston University Washington News Service

Print and photojournalism students serve as the Washington correspondents for New England news outlets such as The Manchester Union Leader, The Bangor Daily News, The Worchester Telegram, and The Cape Cod Times. Students have the chance to hear clips and create a portfolio and résumé reel of national stories.  TV students work as correspondents for local New England television stations. Radio students work as correspondents for New England public radio stations. The BU news room is also equipped with state-of-the-art television and radio equipment. The newsroom is located on the Boston University Washington Center in northwest Washington, where students also live.

Journalism Internship

Students are provided with internships in the D.C. bureaus of national news organizations including USA Today, ABC and NBC News, The Boston Globe, National Public Radio, and Congressional Quarterly. Working side by side with national journalists, students can make contacts with potential future employers and earn bylines in national publications.

Political Reporting

A course in political reporting is taught by Washington Journalism Center Director and Professor Linda Killian. Weekly brown-bag lunches bring students together with newsmakers, editors, bureau chiefs, and top reporters. Special events include visits to the Newseum, meetings with editors and tours of the newsrooms of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today, and attend a taping of NBC’s Meet the Press.

The Washington Journalism Center is a joint program of Boston University’s Department of Journalism and the International Programs Division. Students earn 16 academic credits for the semester. Tuitions and fees are the same as those at Boston University’s Charles River Campus.

The BU Washington Center, where participants in the Washington Journalism Program live and work, has fully equipped newsroom, library, computer lab, student lounge, and classroom facilities as well as fully furnished apartments. The fall semester runs from early September to mid-December. The spring semester goes from mid-January to early May. Visit our website for more information: Boston University Washington Center.

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BOSTON STATEHOUSE PROGRAM

This program is open to seniors, post-graduates, and graduate students.

The Boston Statehouse Program offers the same hands-on experience as the Washington Program in the setting of the Massachusetts Statehouse. Students work as statehouse correspondents for Massachusetts newspapers, covering the legislature and other aspects of state government on a daily basis. In addition to the eight-credit-hour course in filing for newspapers, students take a four-hour course on covering government and politics. The course includes guest lectures and seminars with leading journalists and politicians. Students also are placed in internships with various magazines, newspapers, and other local publications to expand their knowledge, experience, and contacts in the media. Practical experience is stressed in all aspects of the program. Students’ work is edited and critiqued by their professor and reviewed by the editors of their assigned newspapers. Students benefit from the contacts they make with other statehouse reporters by working in a bureau located in the Massachusetts Statehouse. The program also offers opportunities to broadcast majors, with contacts to a growing list of radio stations in the state.

BROADCAST JOURNALISM PROGRAM

The graduate curriculum in broadcast journalism is designed to give the highly qualified student an opportunity to develop professional understanding and experience in all forms of news and public affairs programming for the electronic media. Initiative in original reporting for news programs and diligent researching for public affairs programs are emphasized as essential to broadcast journalism. Students write copy for news broadcasts and public affairs programs and learn how to seek out the information needed for such productions. This curriculum is appropriate for the student who wishes to pursue a career in television, radio news, or public affairs as a reporter, writer, editor, or producer.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Master of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism must complete a minimum of 48 credits of required and approved elective classroom work and a thesis or professional project. Because so many of the courses for the MS degree in Broadcast Journalism are, of, necessity, devoted to work within your area of concentration which focuses more on television news reporting and production, students are required to use their three electives to take one course that enables them to work in another format, and two courses that focus on subject matter, such as foreign reporting, or covering sports, the presidency, international terrorism, science or business and economics. Doing this will broaden and deepen your knowledge of various topics you may eventually be assigned to cover.

Learning to work in another journalistic format provides you with the versatility to take advantage of job opportunities that may arise outside the broadcast industry.

Any request to vary from these requirements must be done by petition that is approved by the student’s advisor, program director and the department chair.

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Broadcast Journalism Curriculum

Core Courses

COM JO 525 Media Law and Ethics
COM JO 707 Writing and Reporting Broadcast News
COM JO 711 Electronic News Production
COM JO 721 Journalism Principles and Techniques

Concentration Courses (4)

COM JO 733 Enterprise Reporting for Television or
COM JO 519 Advanced Radio
COM JO 734 Broadcast Journalism I
COM JO 735 Broadcast Journalism II (Thesis/ Creative Project)

COM JO 736 Television Newsroom

Third Semester

COM JO 735 Broadcast Journalism II
COM JO 737 Broadcast Journalism Internship
COM elective
COM or University elective

Electives—Formats (1 or 2)

COM JO 502 A1 Broadcast Journalism Master Class
COM JO 513 Advanced Photojournalism
COM JO 540 Multimedia Publishin
COM JO 703 Magazine Writing

Electives—Subject Areas (2) or (3)

COM JO 501 Introduction to Business and Economics Reporting
COM JO 516 Foreign Reporting
COM JO 523 The Presidency and the Media
COM JO 524 Sports Broadcast Journalism
COM JO 526 Covering International Terrorism
COM JO 535 Investigative and Project Reporting
COM JO 577 Diplomatic and International Reporting
COM JO 705 Science and the Mass Media
COM JO 737 Broadcast Journalism Internship

Core Requirements—First Semester (4)

1. COM JO 707 Writing and Reporting for Broadcast News
2. COM JO 711 Electronic News Production
3. COM JO 721 Journalism Principles & Techniques
4. SED HM 510 Sports Psychology (1st or 2nd Sem.) or
SED HM 710 Sport Theory in Social Systems

Concentration Courses (5)

COM JO 525 Media Law & Ethics (2nd Sem.)
SED HM 510 Sports Psychology (1st or 2nd Sem.) or
SED HM 710 Sport Theory in Social Systems
COM JO 524 Sports Broadcast I (2nd Sem.)
COM JO 807 Broadcast Sports II (Thesis/Creative; 3rd Sem.)
Choose one (1) from the following
COM JO 502 Sports Journalism Seminar (3rd Sem.)
COM JO 514 Sports Journalism or CM 536 Sports Communication

Electives—Journalism Formats (1) or (2)

COM JO 502 Broadcast Journalism Masters Class
COM JO 506 Writing Columns and Editorials
COM JO 513 Advanced Photojournalism
COM JO 519 Advanced Radio
COM JO 540 Multimedia Publishing
COM JO 703 Magazine Writing
COM JO 736 Television Newsroom

Electives—Topical area of Interest (1) or (2)

COM JO 501 Intro to Business and Economics Reporting
COM JO 516 Foreign Reporting
COM JO 526 Covering International Terrorism
COM JO 535 Investigative and Project Reporting
COM JO 577 Diplomatic and International Reporting
COM JO 705 Science and the Mass Media
COM JO 733 Enterprise Reporting for Television
COM JO 737 Broadcast Journalism Internship

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BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS JOURNALISM PROGRAM

The MS in Business and Economics Journalism is a practical and accessible program that provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to cover business and economics at the best media organizations in the world. “Introduction to Business and Economics Journalism,” a one-semester survey course, prepares students to pursue a wide range of core and elective courses that will expose them to concepts in corporate governance, operations and finance, various types of markets, including the stock market, and the economy. Students learn about the connections between business and government. They also learn about the important connections that exist among consumers, investors, workers, and citizens. The program is intended to produce skillful journalists who can cover news with confidence and write interesting stories. The program also allows students to adopt a broadcast track. Student stories deal with people, ideas, issues, events, and novel and important area companies, from biotech to retailing. Classes often spill into the streets of Boston, a worldwide financial and biotech center. Throughout the three-semester program, students get opportunities to publish or broadcast their work. The program emphasizes close contact with the student’s advisor and professors, both to learn about business and economics, and also to become better reporters and writers. The program is developing a strong online component so that graduates can report about business across a number of media platforms. The program is based in the Department of Journalism but it draws on three other areas of the University: the School of Management and the Departments of Economics and Philosophy. Many highly regarded professional journalists are frequent visitors to campus, speaking to classes about their work and meeting with students to discuss careers. Recent speakers have come from The New York Times, Washington Post, and Fortune Magazine. An internship, while optional, is stressed as a way to gain experience and a portfolio of work. The program’s faculty assists students in the internship process. Students who elect to study in the University’s Washington Journalism Center or the Study Abroad Program get assignments and internships that play to their interest in business.

Degree Requirements

The program requires MS candidates to complete a minimum of 48 credits that includes a professional internship.

COM JO 501 Introduction to Business and Economics Reporting
COM JO 525 Media Law and Ethics
COM JO 721 Journalism Principles and Techniques

Elective from School of Management, Department of Economics or, for an ethics course, Department of Philosophy (a group of courses has been approved by respective departments)

COM JO 800 International Business and Economics Reporting
COM JO 722 Advanced Journalism Seminar
COM JO 807 Advanced Journalism Research
Elective from Management, Economics, or Philosophy

COM JO 738 Business and Economics Journalism Internship
Three electives from Management, Economics, or Philosophy

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SCIENCE JOURNALISM

This graduate program is designed to teach students to report intelligently and write clearly about science, medicine, technology, and the environment for a general audience. Students are encouraged to examine and write about science as part of the fabric of our society. They are taught to evaluate scientific research and its applications and to decode jargon. They learn how to engage readers while explaining complex ideas. The curriculum includes a thorough grounding in basic newswriting and reporting. Graduates are prepared to take on jobs as reporters and editors for general-interest and specialized newspapers, magazines, and broadcast outlets.

Degree Requirements

The Science Journalism Program consists of a minimum of 48 credits.

Options

In addition to the required and elective courses described in this bulletin, the faculty periodically offer special courses based on student interest. These include history and philosophy of science; magazine editing, production, and design; and directed studies in science features for television. Students may also elect, with the program director’s permission, courses in the Department of Journalism and selected graduate courses in other Schools and Colleges of the University. Students without a strong natural science background may wish to take a science elective.

If approved by the director, special degree completion arrangements may be made for those students who are working or interning in the field by the third semester.

Internships

Each student is expected either to take a position as an intern during the summer between the second and third semesters or to complete a supervised directed study in science writing. All internships are supervised and must be approved by the director. Interns are expected to do meaningful work that develops their skills in research, writing, or editing. Within these limitations, students are encouraged to seek summer jobs that meet the internship requirement. Supervisors are asked to submit a written evaluation and grade following the completion of the internship.

Science Journalism Curriculum

COM JO 705 Science and the Mass Media I
COM JO 721 Journalism Principles and Techniques
COM JO 723 Science Newswriting I
COM JO 881 Broadcast Science News

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COM JO 724 Science Newswriting II
COM JO 732 Science and the Mass Media II
Two electives chosen with advisor approval

COM JO 702 Advanced Science Writing
COM JO 754 Science Journalism Internship
Two electives chosen with advisor approval

Center for Science and Medical Journalism

This specialty program is aimed at training future generations of scientifically competent and ethically grounded science and medical journalists. Students enrolled in the College of Communication’s three-semester Master of Science degree program in Science Journalism and professionals have access to the Center to learn how to identify, process, and report legitimate science and medical information to the general public. This includes developing very specific skills in the understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology. The Center funds a visiting scholar program for a distinguished journalist to take a semester’s leave from reporting to teach and conduct research on issues in science and medicine. It also offers training for mid-career reporters assigned by news organizations to cover medicine and health, and for international journalists interested in improving science and medical news coverage in their home countries. The Center further serves as a global reference source for science and medical news, with a website on which journalists from around the world exchange information, sources, and perspectives on science, medical, and public health issues. Every other year the Center sponsors an international conference on the practice and politics of science and medicine. The purpose of the Center is to improve the quality of science and medical journalism in print, broadcast, and online news organizations. In addition to the Journalism Department, instruction is provided by experts from Boston University’s School of Public Health and School of Medicine.

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PRINT JOURNALISM, SPORTS REPORTING CONCENTRATION

Sometimes the most engaging writing in a newspaper will appear on the sports pages. Unlike political and international reporting, there is a bit more latitude given to sports reporters, partly because the topics and issues most often focus ultimately on a portion of the entertainment field and on the “entertainers”—the athletes themselves.

That said, those who enter the field of sports journalism are expected to be fine writers, careful and accurate reporters, and a people who combine their avid interests in sports with a deeper and broader understanding of sports in the context of greater society. They know that sports and athletics are also business and social phenomena. As a result sports reporters must bring to their craft an ability to understand the economics, sociology, psychology, and social implications of sport celebrities, teams and events and their impact on local communities, nationally and sometimes internationally. The MS degree concentration in sports reporting in print journalism is designed to provide students journalistic skills, a deeper understanding of sports in societal context, and to give them as well some experience working in more than one format. Students are also encouraged to use at least one elective to explore other journalistic topics from a rich menu of courses offered.

COM JO 525 Media Law & Ethics
COM JO 539 Copy Editing
COM JO 721 Journalism Principles & Techniques
COM JO 722 Advanced Journalism Seminar

COM JO 502 Sports Journalism Seminar
SED HM 510 Sports Psychology
SED HM 710 Sports Theory in Social Systems
COM JO 737 Journalism Internship
COM JO 514 Sports Journalism or
COM CM 536 Sports Communication

COM JO 506 Writing Columns and Editorials
COM JO 516 Advanced Photojournalism
COM JO 524 Sports Broadcast Journalism
COM JO 534 Broadcast News for Non-Majors
COM JO 538 Feature Writing
COM JO 540 Multimedia Publishing
COM JO 703 Magazine Writing
COM JO 707 Writing-Reporting for Broadcast

Electives—Other Topical Areas of Interest (1) or (2)

COM JO 535 Investigative and Project Reporting
COM JO 516 Advanced Photojournalism
COM JO 523 The Presidency and the Media
COM JO 526 Covering International Terrorism
COM JO 577 Diplomatic and International Reporting
COM JO 705 Science and the Mass Media

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One Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215

28 September 2007
Boston University
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