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Department of Journalism » News-Editorial Journalism
Graduate Program in News-Editorial Journalism
Candidates for a Master of Science in Journalism may enroll as either full- or part-time students. 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.
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 that demonstrates substantial accomplishment in original reporting for newspapers; or two nonfiction, professional-quality magazine articles, each approximately 5,000 words long. 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.
