Journalism, BS-MJ
for the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Master of Journalism in Journalism
head of department: Stephanie Craft
director of graduate studies: Brant Houston
email: journ@illinois.edu
department website: https://media.illinois.edu/journalism
department faculty: https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/faculty
overview of grad college admissions & requirements: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply
college website: https://media.illinois.edu/
department office: 119 Gregory Hall, 810 S. Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801
phone: (217) 333-0709
Master of Journalism
The Department of Journalism offers the M.J. degree as part of a 4+1 program focused on the development of a broad range of professional skills for undergraduates enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Journalism program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Students can apply for the B.S.-M.J. program in the first semester of their junior year; admitted students select their remaining undergraduate journalism elective courses according to a plan of study that reserves certain upper-division courses for the graduate portion of their program.
Programs in Journalism
Undergraduate Programs:
major: Journalism, BS
major: Journalism, BS-MJ
minors: Journalism | Media | Public Relations
Graduate Programs:
degree: Journalism, BS-MJ
degree: Journalism, MS
joint degree: Journalism, MS and Law, JD
The department does not offer a Ph.D. degree. For the program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in Communications, see Communications and Media, PhD.
Admission
The M.J. 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.J. program must be University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students in the B.S. in Journalism program with a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.40 and have junior standing (at least 60 but no more than 89 credit hours) to be eligible to apply. Because the master’s program has an enrollment ceiling, some applicants with grade point averages of 3.40 or higher may not be admitted.
Letters of recommendation are required. 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
M.J. students may not hold assistantships or other tuition and fee waiver-generating appointments. A limited number of merit-based scholarships are available for B.S.-M.J. students.
for the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Master of Journalism in Journalism
Total hours: 32 for M.J. portion, 152 for B.S. and M.J. combined
The B.S./M.J. is an integrated, accelerated program for Illinois Journalism majors that may be completed in less time than is required to complete both degrees separately and provides sharper focus on professional multimedia skills than would be available with the two existing degrees combined. Students who maintain superior academic performance are eligible to apply as juniors (after earning at least 60 but not more than 89 credit hours). Accepted students then work on both degrees simultaneously and will receive both at the same time, once all requirements for each have been completed.
For additional details and requirements, refer to the department and the Graduate College Handbook.
Journalism, B.S. component
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| In College of Media | ||
| JOUR 200 | Introduction to Journalism | 3 |
| JOUR 205 | History of American Journalism | 3 |
| JOUR 210 | Newsgathering Across Platforms | 4 |
| JOUR 215 | Multimedia Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR 220 | News Editing | 4 |
| JOUR 250 | Journalism Ethics & Diversity | 3 |
| JOUR 311 | Media Law | 3 |
| JOUR 315 | Adv Public Affairs Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR 335 | Audio Journalism | 4 |
| JOUR 340 | Video Reporting & Storytelling | 4 |
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| Multimedia Editing and Design | ||
| Video Storytelling 2-Producing | ||
| Unrestricted electives within College of Media | 8 | |
| Total in College of Media | 48 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Outside College of Media | ||
| CS 105 | Intro Computing: Non-Tech | 3 |
| ECON 102 | Microeconomic Principles | 3 |
| ECON 103 | Macroeconomic Principles | 3 |
| PSYC 100 | Intro Psych | 4 |
| RHET 105 | Writing and Research (or Comp. I equivalent) | 4 |
| STAT 100 | Statistics | 3 |
| Campus general education requirements not met by classes listed above | ||
| Recognized minor or one 18-hour specialization or two 9-hour specializations, approved by advisor, from outside College of Media and Department of Communication. May include hours listed above. Students may choose to complete a Public Relations minor in addition to the non-Media minor or specialization. | 18 | |
| Total outside College of Media | 72 | |
| Total B.S. component | 120 | |
Upon completion of the B.S. component, students must apply and be officially admitted into the Graduate College. They will be issued letters of admission from the Graduate College and the Journalism Department, at which time they will be considered graduate students and assessed graduate tuition beginning with the following semester. Students must satisfy the graduate student minimum residence requirement of 24 graduate credit hours and continue to maintain a graduate GPA of at least 3.0 to remain in the combined program.
Master of Journalism component
May begin after completing 60 hours
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Both of these, completing whichever was not taken for B.S. component: | ||
| JOUR 425 | Multimedia Editing and Design | 4 |
| JOUR 445 | Video Storytelling 2-Producing | 4 |
| These three 500-level courses: | ||
| JOUR 500 | Current Issues in Journalism | 4 |
| JOUR 515 | Master's Project (Part 1) | 4 |
| JOUR 515 | Master's Project (Part 2) | 4 |
| Choose 16 hours from the following electives: | 16 | |
| Media and Public Opinion | ||
| Research Methods in Journalism | ||
| Great Books of Journalism | ||
| Crisis Communications | ||
| Propaganda & the News Media | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| International Reporting | ||
| Science Journalism | ||
| Business Reporting | ||
| In-Depth Writing Styles | ||
| Advanced Reporting Topics | ||
| Literary Feature Writing | ||
| Immersion Journalism | ||
| Investigative Journalism | ||
| Professional Project | ||
| Internship Seminar | ||
| Total M.J. component | 32 | |
| TOTAL HOURS FOR BOTH DEGREES | 152 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 12 |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.5 |