Journalism, MS
for the degree Master of Science in Journalism
The M.S. program is designed to meet the goals of three types of students: 1) students who have recently earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism or a related field and want to explore a specific type of journalism in greater depth, 2) mid-career journalists who want to expand their professional skills, and 3) students who either hold or are pursuing a terminal degree in selected fields (including but not limited to science, technology, engineering and math) seeking to complement their expertise with journalistic skills for communicating it to the public.
Admission
The M.S. program places a strong emphasis on journalism, and candidates who are accepted are most often those with a demonstrated interest in practicing journalism. It is imperative that all applicants supply writing samples.
Applicants to the M.S. program must have a 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution or one of recognized standing abroad. A grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is the minimum requirement for admission to the Graduate College, with exceptions by petition only. Because the master’s program has an enrollment ceiling, some applicants with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher may not be admitted. Ordinarily, students are admitted to begin graduate study in the fall semester.
Letters of recommendation are required for application. An interview with the head of the department or director of graduate studies is helpful but not required. Students whose native language is not English must present their official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination as part of their applications. The department follows the Graduate College’s recommendations for English proficiency. Detailed information about admissions and financial aid can be found on the department's website.
Financial Aid
Fellowships are available only for select M.S. students. Fellowships are awarded on a quarter-time basis and carry a waiver of tuition and most fees. A limited number of merit-based scholarships are available for M.S. students.
for the degree Master of Science in Journalism
The Director of Graduate Studies must approve any non-Journalism courses chosen as electives to meet the requirements below. For additional details and requirements, refer to the department and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Science in Journalism1
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| JOUR 501 | 4 | JOUR 500 | 4 | JOUR 515 (Section B) | 4 |
| JOUR 505 | 4 | JOUR 515 (Section A) | 4 | ||
| Electives -- minimum of 4 hours at the JOUR 4-- level2 | 4 | Electives -- minimum of two JOUR 4-- courses2 | 8 | ||
| 12 | 16 | 4 | |||
| Total Hours 32 | |||||
- 1
1 Undergraduates pursuing a B.S. in Journalism at Illinois are eligible to apply for the M.S. under a joint B.S./M.S. degree program. The B.S./M.S. requires a greater number of credit hours and more theoretical courses than the B.S./M.J. program. Students can apply for the B.S./M.S. program in the first semester of their junior year and, once admitted, are encouraged to select their remaining undergraduate journalism elective courses at the 200- and 300-level from courses covering skills other than those they emphasized in completing their undergraduate degree. As graduate students, they will enroll in a minimum of four advanced electives at the 400- and 500-levels, in addition to the required graduate courses JOUR 500, 505, and 515 (sections A and B). Electives may be in areas inside or outside Journalism to allow them to pursue a topical specialization. Those electives would require the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. The B.S./M.S. requires a minimum of 16 hours of 500-level coursework, a 3.0 or higher GPA, and additional details and requirements are available on the department’s website and in the Graduate College Handbook.
- 2
The Director of Graduate Studies must approve any non-Journalism courses chosen as electives.
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 16 |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
for the degree Master of Science in Journalism
- Knowledge of principles of journalism and its history and trends.
- Expertise in news gathering through documents and data, interviews, and field observation.
- Expertise in one of the major presentations methods in journalism, choosing among text, audio or video presentation, with an understanding of all of these presentation methods include the use of mobile devices.
- An understanding of professional journalism, including its changing business models, job descriptions and increasing cross-disciplinary collaborations.
- An understanding of various qualitative and quantitative methods in data journalism.
for the degree Master of Science in Journalism
Programs in Journalism
Undergraduate Programs:
- majors: Journalism, BS
- minors: Journalism | Media | Public Relations
Graduate Programs:
- degrees: Journalism, MS
for the degree Master of Science in Journalism
Department of Journalism
Head of Department: Mira Sotirovic
Director of Graduate Studies: Melita Garza
Department of Journalism website
Department of Journalism faculty
119 Gregory Hall, 810 S. Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-0709
Journalism email
College of Media
College of Media website
Admissions
Graduate College Admissions & Requirements