The Master of Science in Journalism is a comprehensive, 50-credit program designed to build cross-platform mastery. Whether you are a recent graduate or a career changer, our curriculum equips you with the advanced data, visual, and investigative skills required to navigate and lead today’s complex media landscape.
Throughout your three semesters at BU, you will establish a solid ethical and legal foundation, develop specialized subject-matter expertise, and build a publication-ready professional portfolio.
Learning Outcomes
We do not teach abstract media theory. Every credit hour in this program is mapped to concrete professional competencies. By the time you graduate, you will have mastered the ability to:
- Execute Multiplatform Reporting: Produce accurate, clear, and compelling news packages under tight deadlines across digital, broadcast, and print platforms.
- Navigate Legal & Ethical Boundaries: Apply deep structural knowledge of media law, privacy regulations, First Amendment rights, and ethical standards to high-stakes investigative reporting.
- Evaluate & Verify Sources: Identify, vet, and interrogate sources, deploying rigorous investigative methodology to verify facts and counter deep-tech disinformation.
- Manage Complex Story Assignments: Produce high-impact journalism under real-world time constraints and challenging field conditions.
The 50-credit curriculum framework
To earn your degree, you will complete 26 credits of foundational core requirements and 24 credits of advanced professional electives tailored to your chosen reporting specialty.
Core Requirements (26 credits)
The core curriculum establishes your technical and ethical foundation. It includes your intensive first-semester bootcamps and your final semester capstone project.
Recommended Journalism Elective Courses (24 credits)
Working with your advisor, you will select six elective courses (4 credits each) to build deep, domain-specific expertise. You can blend courses across disciplines or focus entirely on a dedicated reporting track:
- Students may choose electives (500+ level) that are not listed below.
- (The same elective courses are not offered every semester. Other special topics courses may be offered on a semester basis.)
Curriculum Offerings
- also available: Computational Journalism (4 cr)
Interdisciplinary + Off-Campus Opportunities
Journalism does not happen in a bubble. We actively encourage our graduate students to take advantage of cross-college courses and global bureaus to specialize their portfolios:
- Business Reporting: Take graduate business courses through the Questrom School of Business (with advisor approval; prerequisites may be required).
- Global Health & Crisis Reporting: Apply for the prestigious Pulitzer Center Crisis Reporting Fellowship to fund international reporting projects.
- Political Reporting: Earn credit while working as a correspondent through the university’s Washington, D.C. Multimedia & Journalism Program or take electives in the Political Science department.
Academic Policies & Regulations
In addition to the University Bulletin, master’s students should refer to the College of Communication Graduate Handbook for a comprehensive guide to policies, academic regulations, and student resources.