No, you are not required to be matched with a supervisor at the start.
The MA Professional Track, which is designed for students seeking professional journalism careers, is for three types of students:
- Students 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.
- Students with little journalistic background and seeking marketable professional training to accompany an undergraduate degree in another field such as liberal arts, engineering, or political science.
- Students with journalism experience in non-U.S. media and seeking to develop an understanding of the purpose, principles and process of journalism in the U.S.
This degree requires 30 hours and a professional project.
The MA Research and Theory is designed for students who already have some professional experience and are planning to enter a doctoral program, or who desire a general conceptual foundation for media-related careers.
This degree requires 30 hours and a thesis, which is a research study using social scientific methods.
Yes, students without a Journalism undergraduate degree will benefit from the MA Professional Track because they will learn journalistic skills as well as the purpose, principles, and process of journalism.
You must have or expect to complete a master’s degree prior to beginning the doctoral program. If you do not have a master’s degree, you may apply to our master’s program – the Research and Theory track is designed for this purpose. During the second year in our master’s program, students can apply to our doctoral program. Deadlines are the same as for new applicants but the process is different; contact the Graduate Coordinator for assistance.
We do not admit applicants as “transfer” students. Even if you are in a graduate program, you must apply in the usual way. Your application will be considered along with all others received by our admissions deadline. For more details, visit The Graduate School: Transfer Credit.
The University of Texas does not offer application fee waivers.
Information on tuition, fees, and cost of attendance is available from Texas One Stop.
Doctoral students will be given first consideration for Teaching Assistant (TA) positions providing they have the skills necessary for the course and/or have had previous teaching experience. MA students may also be considered for a TA position depending upon the student's skills and experience and whether or not there are positions available in the department.
To be considered for a TA position, student will fill out a TA survey that is distributed each semester by the Graduate program coordinator. Once admitted, please email the Graduate Coordinator. Be sure to include your software skills on your resume or CV.
Nine credit hours per long semester, or three courses that are three credit hours each, is a full-time course load for graduate students.
One 3-credit hour course is considered full-time for students who wish to enroll in the summer semesters.
Yes, contact the Graduate Coordinator. It is best to try to visit when the University is in session.
International students applying to The University of Texas at Austin must submit either an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing (IELTS) score report demonstrating an adequate knowledge of English. Scores must be sent directly from the testing center. The ETS code for The University of Texas at Austin is 6882. Scores generally take at least ten (business) days to be delivered to institutions you designate. Make sure that your scores will be received by the Office of Graduate Admissions by the deadline of December 1. Do not send photocopies of your scores to Graduate Admissions; scores must be sent directly from the testing agency.
Submission of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is OPTIONAL for application to our MA and PhD programs. If you choose to submit GRE scores when you apply, the Graduate Admissions Committee will review the scores as part of your application.
Applicants recently accepted to the master’s program had an average GPA of 3.49 and GRE score in the 70th percentile or above.
Applicants recently accepted to the doctoral program had an average GPA of 3.72 and GRE score in the 74th percentile or above.
Successful applicants are those who show the greatest promise for success as a graduate student in our program and as a professional after graduation. We look for students whose interests align with our faculty’s expertise and course offerings. Be sure to familiarize yourself with our faculty's specialties and our graduate course offerings to determine if this is the right program for you. We turn down many otherwise qualified applicants because we do not have the facilities or faculty expertise to provide.
The admissions committee considers all applications holistically. We do not employ arbitrary threshold or minimum values for such factors as GRE scores or GPA, nor do we have geographic preferences or quotas. Each application is reviewed by multiple faculty members, therefore no one can accurately assess the chances of an application’s success in advance.
Due to the volume of applications, we cannot offer advice for improving applications on a personal basis, nor can we give applicants specific details or feedback about why they were not admitted to the program.
After you submit your online application, you'll receive an email (within 2-3 days) that will provide you with MyStatus login information. You can monitor the status of your application via MyStatus. MyStatus offers applicants secure, individualized information from initial application submission to the final admission decision and beyond. Use it to track the receipt submitted application materials, to upload required supporting documents, to confirm that your application file is complete, to get your decision. Use it often - it's the only way you'll know if items are missing from application file.
The Journalism Graduate Admissions Committee will begin delivering admission decisions at the end of February. Applicants can check their status via MyStatus. We send out admissions letters shortly thereafter. If you are offered Fellowship funding, the details will be included in the admissions letter. We make decisions on Teaching Assistantship funding in April; students will be notified by the end of April.