Photo of students editing picture in photo lab.

MS Degree in Journalism
Sports Reporting: Print Concentration

Sometimes the most engaging writing in a newspaper will appear on the sports pages. Unlike political and international reporting, there's a bit more latitude given to sports reports, 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 interest in sports with a deeper and broader understanding of sportsin 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 sports celebrities, teams and events and their impact on local communities, nationally and sometimes internationally. The MS degree concentration in sports reporting 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 topics from a rich menu of courses offered.

Find the complete listing of graduate course descriptions in the COM bulletin.

Core Requirements (4)
  • JO 525 Media Law & Ethics
  • JO 514 Sports Journalism
  • JO 721 Journalism Principles & Techniques
  • JO 722 Advanced Journalism Seminar
Concentration Courses (5)
  • JO 523 Sports Journalism Seminar
  • SED HM 510 Sports Psychology
  • SED HM 710 Sport Theory in Social Systems
  • JO 737 Journalism Internship
  • CM 536 Sports Communication
Electives -- Journalism Formats (1) or (2)
  • JO 506 Writing Columns and Editorials
  • JO 513 Advanced Photojournalism
  • JO 519 Advanced Radio
  • JO 524 Sports Broadcast Journalism
  • JO 534 Broadcast News for Non-Majors
  • JO 538 Feature Writing
  • JO 540 Multimedia Journalism
  • JO 703 Magazine Writing
  • JO 707 Writing-Reporting for Broadcast
Electives - Other Topical Areas of Interest
  • JO 535 Investigative and Project Reporting
  • JO 516 Foreign Reporting
  • JO 523 The Presidency and the Media
  • JO 705 Science in the Mass Media