Photo of students editing picture in photo lab.

Department of Journalism » Graduate Programs

Guidelines for Graduate Journalism Degree Candidates

Forty eight credits are required for graduation, plus a professional project or thesis for news-editorial journalists. Broadcast Journalists can chose from two creative project options, and photojournalists must create a portfolio. The thesis or professional project does not count toward 48 credits. An internship is encouraged.

You are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA, to obtain at least a B- grade in both Journalism Principles & Techniques and Advanced Journalism Seminar and to have no more than one grade of less than B- per semester. Failure to maintain these standards can result in dismissal from the program.

The Department of Journalism offers the following graduate degrees:

  • MS in Broadcast Journalism
  • MS in Business & Economics Journalism
  • MS in Science Journalism
  • MS in Photo Journalism
  • MS in News-Editorial Journalism

By the start of second semester, full-time MS degree News-Editorial Journalism candidates will declare and register their intended concentration area, choosing from one of the following:

  • General Assignment Reporting
  • Political Reporting
  • International Reporting
  • Sports Reporting
  • Magazine Journalism

Our objective is to provide you with solid education in the core principles and practices of journalism and one area of expertise that constitutes a concentration in a topic area. Under most circumstances, you also will be expected to take at least one course that expands your ability to work in other formats and, when possible, one course in a field unrelated to your concentration. For example, an MS candidate in News-Editorial Journalism should consider a course in Broadcast News for Non-majors or Multimedia Publishing and a sports journalist would do well to take at least one course related to politics or business reporting.

Work with your advisor and plan your program carefully to get the most out of your time here. Planning ahead and following the schedule to create a thesis or professional project is critical.