MS in Journalism

Good journalism is harder to do than it’s ever been – and more necessary. This program is built around that reality. You won’t just study the craft — you’ll practice it in newsrooms, on deadline, and for audiences beyond the classroom.

What makes this MS in Journalism different

Professional production facilities—BU’s TV Studio West gives broadcast students hands-on experience with the same types of equipment and workflows used in professional news environments.

Flexibility to specialize—Build expertise in investigative journalism, sports journalism, broadcast journalism, photojournalism, documentary journalism, data journalism, arts and entertainment, and more – and tailor your electives with help from your advisor.

Programs beyond campus—Report from the Massachusetts Statehouse through COM’s Statehouse Program, spend a semester in Washington, D.C., or travel to Padua, Italy for summer study in Conflict & Crisis Reporting. Details below.

Pulitzer Center partnership–Work on sponsored investigative and global reporting projects through COM’s partnership with the Pulitzer Center and Program on Global Health Storytelling. Details below.

Where do MS in Journalism graduates go?

Alumni work across local, national, and international news organizations, public media, documentary production, investigative reporting, digital journalism, communications, and content strategy.

Outlets where alumni work: Boston Globe, New York Times, LA Times, The Guardian, WBUR, WGBH, San Francisco Chronicle, ProPublica, CNN, NPR, PBS, and many more.

Roles alumni hold: Reporter, correspondent, producer, director, documentary filmmaker, photojournalist, editor, broadcast news analyst, data journalist, technical writer, communications manager, film and video editor, web developer, and more.

By specialty: 

• Sports journalism: Boston Globe, ESPN, FOX Sports, Macalester College, USA Today Sports, New England Patriots, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox
• Broadcast journalism: ABC News, Bloomberg, CNN, Condé Nast International, The Daily Show, NBCUniversal, New York Times, NPR, PBS, San Francisco Chronicle, US Department of State, WMUR
• Photojournalism: CNN, New York Times, La Presse
• Documentary journalism: CNN, PBS, WBUR’s Kind World

BU offered an incredible hands-on lab setting, all in the heart of one of the most beautiful cities in the country. I loved that that would afford me more time for internships, training, and networking to really curate a graduate school experience for myself. I looked at my time in Boston as a time period where I was totally redefining my trajectory, and BU was the perfect setting for that story to unfold.

Ashley Davis, Alumna and Senior Producer at CNN

What You’ll Learn in the MS in Journalism

In three semesters (12 courses), the MS in Journalism combines foundational reporting skills, specialized coursework, and a professional-quality capstone designed to prepare you for today’s journalism landscape.

First semester classwork focuses on the fundamentals: reporting, news judgment, writing, visual skills, law, ethics, and introduction to digital media. You’ll work across platforms in a professional newsroom setting.

Second semester and beyond, you’ll choose from courses in investigations, data-driven journalism, photojournalism, sports journalism, broadcast journalism, documentary journalism, and more. COM’s partnership with Boston Neighborhood Network Media gives you opportunities for local reporting, and the Newsroom Initiative connects students with news organizations across New England.

Your final Master’s Project is a professional-quality piece of journalism produced under faculty direction – the centerpiece of your portfolio and a demonstration of your specialty.

Explore our curriculum and courses.

You’ll also have access to our annual Power of Narrative conference which brings together narrative practitioners from around the world.

Make the Studio Your Classroom

Students power COM-sponsored newsrooms including BU News Service, WTBU radio, and BUTV10 television, as well as the award-winning independent Daily Free Press newspaper. These aren’t classroom simulations. They’re active publications and broadcasts serving audiences across campus, Boston, and beyond.

Boston is a journalism city

Boston is one of the country’s leading media markets, with opportunities spanning newspapers, public radio, television, digital media, investigative reporting, and nonprofit journalism. The Boston Globe, Axios, Politico, WBUR public radio, GBH public radio and television, a statehouse news bureau, and five commercial television newsrooms are all here – which means internship and career opportunities that aren’t hypothetical. They’re walkable.

COM works with students to connect with top internship employers and fellowship programs locally and across the country. Paid fellowships are available through WBUR and the Program on Global Health Storytelling, cosponsored by the Pulitzer Center. The Newsroom Initiative connects students with an in-house editor and news organizations across New England. Campus chapters of national news associations, such as the National Association of Black Journalists, Society of Professional Journalists, and National Press Photographers Association, are all active at BU.

You can also extend your reporting beyond Boston – to the Massachusetts Statehouse through COM’s Statehouse Program, to the nation’s capital through the University’s Washington, D.C. Multimedia & Journalism Program, or to Padua, Italy for the summer Conflict & Crisis Reporting course.

Learn from Award-Winning Journalists

BU COM’s journalism faculty write bestsellers, produce documentaries, take Pulitzer Prize–winning photos, conduct investigations, and create content of all kinds. They’re reporters, editors, photographers, and documentary makers who are still working — from print, television, radio, and digital newsrooms. They teach graduate students as emerging colleagues – providing the feedback, expectations, and mentorship common in professional newsrooms.

See a list of our Pulitzer Prize winners.

In the study of journalism, we ask people to tell us their stories. Sometimes the best way to learn how to do that is to practice telling your own. Two BU COM professors helped me to do that – and I now bring those concepts into my own classroom and encourage my students to focus on the bits of wisdom and pieces of humanity that bind us together.

Noelle Graves, Alumna, Award-Winning Journalist, and Senior Lecturer, Department of Journalism

Rankings

BU’s MS in Journalism is consistently recognized as one of the best journalism master’s programs in the country – ranked by Intelligent’s Bast Master’s in Journalism Degree Programs and SCI Journal’s 25 Best Journalism Schools in the US (2024).

Common questions about the MS in Journalism at BU

Do I need a journalism background to apply?

No. The first semester is designed to build foundational skills across platforms, making it accessible to students from a range of undergraduate and professional backgrounds. Strong writing and a demonstrated interest in journalism are what matter most.

What is the Master’s Project?

The Master’s Project is a professional-quality piece of journalism produced in your final semester under faculty direction. It’s the capstone of your degree and the centerpiece of your portfolio – the kind of work you’d show to a hiring editor.

Can I specialize in a specific type of journalism?

Yes. The program offers flexibility through electives in investigative journalism, sports journalism, broadcast journalism, photojournalism, documentary journalism, data journalism, and more. Your advisor will help you build a program that fits your goals.

Are there opportunities to report outside of Boston?

Yes. COM’s Statehouse Program puts you in the Massachusetts state capitol. The Washington, DC Multimedia & Journalism Program offers a semester in the nation’s capital. And a summer course in Padua, Italy covers Conflict & Crisis Reporting.

What fellowships are available?

COM works with the Pulitzer Center, WBUR, and other partners to connect students with paid fellowships and sponsored investigative projects. Merit scholarships are also available through COM with no separate application required.

See all Frequently Asked Questions.

Also worth exploring

Learn more about our other graduate programs in communication and media, including:

• MS in Television: For students focused on the business and creative side of television – developing, pitching, and selling ideas to networks and streaming platforms.
• MS in Public Relations: For students who want to work on the communications side – media relations, crisis communication, and digital strategy.
• Graduate Certificate in Civic Science Communication (Online): A four-course online certificate for students who want to communicate science clearly to public audiences.