Journalism Master of Arts Program Tracks

Journalism shares much with the social sciences and humanities; both seek to analyze and report on the social world. Unlike those fields, however, journalism education trains students to enter a specific profession. We believe that a well-rounded and rigorous program of graduate study provides the best training for a professional communicator. In an era of rapid change, both in careers and the industry, we feel it is the best long-term investment for the student and helps improve, rather than simply perpetuate, current practices in the profession. Students can choose one of two tracks for the Master of Arts degree (M.A. degree) in journalism: the research and theory track or the professional track.

Research and Theory Track

The research and theory track is designed for students desiring a general conceptual foundation for media-related careers or entrance into doctoral programs in communication.

Professional Track

The professional track is designed for students seeking professional journalism careers. The professional track has two different emphases: the reporting and writing emphasis, which teaches general skills in reporting, writing and editing while building on a strong conceptual foundation; and the photojournalism and design emphasis, which teaches how to communicate with photography and graphic design.

Both tracks are open to two major types of students. One is the student with an undergraduate journalism degree and/or professional experience who is already familiar with journalistic techniques and can broaden and advance his or her job qualifications through M.A. work. The other kind of student has little journalistic background and seeks marketable professional training to accompany an undergraduate degree in another field such as liberal arts, engineering or political science. It may be recommended that students with little or no previous background in journalism take additional qualifying undergraduate coursework.