Degree Offered
- Master of Science in Journalism
Nature of the Program
The master of science in journalism (M.S.J.) program in the Reed School of Media and Communications is designed to help persons involved in various aspects of mass communication to better understand and to cope not only with the increased complexity of their own majors but also with fields outside mass communications.
The program, created to assist each student in reaching his/her potential as a worker, teacher, or scholar in mass communications, prepares a master’s candidate not only for a first job but also for long-term and productive career development through the study of mass communications and related fields. Students who obtain the M.S.J. degree should excel in professional skills.
The M.S.J. program is intended to afford liberal arts graduates an opportunity to concentrate on advanced study in mass communications; to provide intensive study for persons who have undergraduate journalism training and who wish to pool their journalistic skills with extensive knowledge in another substantive area or areas (e.g., political science, economics, science); and to give persons who have had considerable professional experience an opportunity to broaden their academic bases through carefully selected advanced studies.
Assistantships and Tuition Waivers
A limited number of graduate assistantships are available for School of Media and Communications students across West Virginia University each academic term. Graduate assistants may assist professors with their research or create content for such University support units as the Libraries, Research Office, Student Activities or Health Sciences Center, among others. Students might also work for WVU Student Media outlets to obtain solid professional experience outside of the classroom.
Students may receive stipends for the academic term and may apply for tuition remission for the entire year. Although sometimes renewed for a second or third term, assistantships and internships are typically granted for one academic term. Graduate assistants and interns work an average of twenty hours per week during the academic year.
Persons who wish to be considered for assistantships or internships should have their applications on file with the Director of Graduate Studies before March 1 of the same year.
Tracks
The School of Media and Communications offers two tracks—the teaching/research track and the professional track—within the M.S.J. program. In either track, the M.S.J. program offers five Areas of Emphasis (AOEs) that students may pursue, if desired, to obtain additional focus in a specific curricular area. AOEs are available in Advocacy & Public Interest Communications, Media Innovation, Digital Publishing, Visual Journalism, Reporting & Writing, and Television.
Teaching/Research
The teaching/research track is generally a program for persons who wish to pursue a Ph.D., to teach at the college/university level, and to conduct research in areas of mass communications. Persons in this track normally take research and theory courses both inside and outside the School of Media and Communications, as well as social science courses. The program culminates in a thesis, which is a scholarly theoretical study of an important aspect of mass communications.
Professional
The professional track is designed primarily for persons who wish to become excellent practitioners in some field of mass communications and who have less desire to teach or to become mass communications researchers. Persons in the professional track normally take communication and outside area courses that will help them to become better practitioners. The program culminates in a professional project, which helps a student to extend his/her practical and theoretical knowledge about a given aspect of mass communications and should be a non-routine project on which the student could work as a professional.
Time Limitation
Students must complete all graduate degree requirements, including either a thesis or a professional project, within eight years of beginning the initial coursework of the program. After this period, courses must be revalidated according to the procedures set forth in the WVU Graduate Catalog.
Maintenance of Scholarship
A journalism graduate student must maintain satisfactory progress toward the M.S.J degree. The candidate’s graduate record begins with the first course credited toward the master’s and includes all subsequent courses. Every graduate student must maintain at least a 2.75 grade point average and complete all requirements within eight years. Anyone who fails to meet this standard will be subject to academic probation and possible dismissal from the program.
Each person working toward the M.S.J. should register for at least one hour during every regular (fall and spring) term. This enrollment may be in coursework or in research.
International Students
Believing that mutual benefit is derived when scholars from other countries study in the School of Media and Communications, the faculty welcomes international students. At the same time the faculty recognizes that journalism, more than any other field, requires language skills. To profit from journalism study, international students must have a ready understanding of English. International students, for whom English is not their official language, must include TOEFL scores. The minimum TOEFL scores needed for consideration at WVU are 550 (paper test), 213 (computer test), or a 79 (internet test). The minimum score for IELTS is a 6.5; the minimum for Duolingo is 105.
Admissions for 2025-2026
Admission to the M.S.J. program is limited to recipients of baccalaureate or equivalent degrees from institutions of higher learning. Applicants should have combined verbal and quantitative Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test scores of 153 Verbal and 144 Quantitative and should have earned at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. Applicants who have two or more years of professional work experience -- or applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher are exempt from submitting GRE scores. All other applicants are required to submit GRE scores (taken within the past five years). If applicants are unsure if their work/internship experience qualifies for a GRE exemption, they should contact the Director of Graduate Studies.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum GRE and/or GPA requirement(s) may be accepted only if the low GPA or GRE scores are offset by extraordinary factors. Excellent recommendations, unusual grading patterns (e.g., a steady rise of grades), an outstanding statement of purpose, or examples of professional accomplishment sometimes can offset low GRE scores or a low GPA. Applicants should submit to the School of Media and Communications Director of Graduate Studies a detailed statement of purpose explaining why the student wishes to undertake graduate study in journalism, what the student hopes to glean from the graduate journalism program, what his/her long-term goals are, and how graduate education in journalism can help achieve those goals.
Students applying for admission to the M.S.J. program are encouraged to send non-returnable supporting written/multimedia work products/samples to the School of Media and Communications Director of Graduate Studies. All other materials (e.g., transcripts, GRE scores, application forms) should be sent to the Office of Admissions.
Students may also apply online at: https://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply.
Major Code: 3747
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 5 | |
| Master of Science in Journalism Major Requirements | 25 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 5 | |
| Total Hours | 5 | |
Master of Science in Journalism Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses toward the major. | ||
| JRL 500 | Introduction to Graduate Studies | 1 |
| JRL 604 | Mass Media and Society | 3 |
| JRL 528 | Media Ethics and Law | 3 |
| JRL 620 | Advanced Journalistic Writing and Research | 3 |
| Select one of the following: ** | 9 | |
Area of Emphasis | ||
School of Media and Communications Electives | ||
| Complete one of the following options: | 6 | |
Thesis Option | ||
| Research (6 Hours) | ||
Professional Project Option | ||
| Research (6 Hours) | ||
Coursework Option | ||
Select two of the following: | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Multimedia News Publication | ||
| Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications | ||
| Introduction to Digital Marketing Communication | ||
| Introduction to Data Marketing Communications | ||
| Research * | ||
| Audience Insights and Analysis | ||
| Advertising and Public Relations Campaigns | ||
| Crisis Communication | ||
| Advocacy Communication | ||
| Public Interest Communication | ||
| Strategic Event Planning and Promotion | ||
| Interactive Media and Audience Building | ||
| Disruptions & Trends in Media Enterprise | ||
| Community Journalism | ||
| Next Gen News Analytics | ||
| Product Development for Newsrooms | ||
| Total Hours | 25 | |
- *
Students who choose to write either a thesis or a professional project must register for at least 6 credits of Research (JRL 697).
- **
Excluding the research hours, a minimum of 18 credit hours must be earned in the School of Media and Communications. Students may choose either an Area of Emphasis or School of Media and Communications electives.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 500 | 1 | JRL 620 | 3 |
| JRL 604 | 3 | Electives* | 3 |
| Electives* | 5 | JRL 528 | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 697** | 3 | JRL 697** | 3 |
| Electives* | 3 | Electives* | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | ||
| Total credit hours: 30 | |||
- *
Various electives. In both programs, sixty percent of the graduate credits submitted for the degree (eighteen credits) must be in courses numbered 500–799
- **
Students who choose to write either a thesis or a professional project must register for at least 6 credits of Research (JRL 697) .
Students should note that the majority of credits submitted for the degree must be in courses numbered 500 or above.
The thesis or professional project will be graded as an S or U (satisfactory or unsatisfactory).
Except for thesis, professional project, and internship courses, no student may take a course on a P/F or S/U grade basis without prior approval of the Director of graduate studies.
Thesis/Professional Project
Each student must complete a thesis or a professional project involving original work in his/her area of interest. The master’s candidate should have a thesis or professional project proposal written by the end of the academic term in which the first nineteen hours of coursework are completed.
Each student is responsible for developing ideas for the thesis or professional project. Through consultations with journalism faculty, the student can determine faculty interests and areas of expertise; he/she then refines a preliminary idea to a significant, feasible thesis/project topic.
Normally students will enroll for six credit hours of research courses. The Director of Graduate Studies must approve any deviations from this norm.
In addition to this six-hour limit, no graduate student will be permitted to enroll in more than six hours of research courses without approval from the director of graduate studies.
Advisory Committee
The student, with approval of the director of graduate studies, selects a journalism graduate faculty member who would be best able to chair his/her Advisory Committee, subject to the agreement of the faculty member. If questions arise about a faculty member’s interest or knowledge, the student should consult the director of graduate studies. With the chairperson, the student further refines the topic to a “preliminary proposal” stage, in which concepts and appropriate methodology are on paper but not necessarily in formal proposal form.
After the student has written a preliminary proposal and selected a faculty chairperson, the student should select other members of his/her committee, subject to their willingness to serve. The committee must consist of no fewer than four members (including the chair) and at least two persons must be members of the WVU faculty; others may be from other departments at WVU. Committee chairs must be members of the School of Media and Communications graduate faculty. The fourth member of all thesis committees must be affiliated with the graduate program at an accredited university (or another department at WVU). The fourth member of professional project committees may be from the professional realm.
Proposals
At this point, students in the thesis/professional track must submit proposals to their committee, which must approve all topics (but not research methods, specific research questions, or hypotheses, etc.). After securing committee approval, students schedule a proposal defense date. Proposal defenses are required of all students.
Working under the committee’s guidance, each student revises the thesis or project proposal, extended from the preliminary proposal. Guidance for designing a proposal is available from the Director of Graduate Studies.
Once the committee agrees that the proposal is ready, a proposal defense is scheduled.
Final Thesis/Project Approval
After the thesis/project proposal defense, the committee votes to accept (often with revisions) or to reject a proposal. The student whose proposal is approved works closely with the committee chair to complete his/her final thesis or project. A master’s candidate must inform his/her committee and consult its members for advice (as needed and as desired by them) as the thesis or project develops.
After each advisory committee member is satisfied with the thesis or project, a final defense is scheduled. Announcements of the defense should be posted in Martin Hall. (Interested students and faculty may attend the presentation portion.) Students also should make certain that they file their thesis/project signature form with the director of graduate studies (and the University Libraries) two weeks before their defense date.
Only committee members may vote on acceptance or rejection of a thesis. Although someone may cast a recorded dissenting vote, a majority vote is sufficient to approve a thesis/project. Furthermore, at least three signatures (two of which must belong to School of Media and Communications faculty members) must appear on the approval sheet. Often, only small changes are required prior to final submission to the committee chair and then to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation system.
Master’s candidates should follow APA (or another chair-approved stylebook) during preparation of a thesis or professional project.
Each committee chairperson will ultimately decide whether the candidate has properly made the requested corrections (after the final defense); that chairperson also will check the style and form of the final version. Every graduate student is responsible for delivering a copy of a final thesis or professional project to the director of graduate studies; he/she also must file a thesis or professional project electronically (to the University Library) before the academic term’s deadline.
Areas of Emphasis Offered:
- Advocacy and Public Interest Communication
- Digital Publishing
- Media Solutions and Innovation
- Reporting and Writing
- Television
- Visual Journalism
Advocacy and Public Interest Communication Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are expected to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Interactive Media and Audience Building | ||
| Crisis Communication | ||
| Advocacy Communication | ||
| Public Interest Communication | ||
| Special Topics (Audience Development/Engagement) | ||
| Independent Study (must be approved by grad director) | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Digital Publishing Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are expected to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Interactive Marketing Commctns | ||
| Experimental Journalism | ||
| Multimedia Storytelling | ||
| Documentary Storytelling | ||
| Digital Publication: Social Video | ||
| Special Topics (Data Journalism for a Better Story) | ||
| Special Topics (Ethics in an AI Society) | ||
| Multimedia News Publication | ||
| Independent Study (must be approved by grad director) | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Media Solutions and Innovation Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are expected to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Interactive Marketing Commctns | ||
| Experimental Journalism | ||
| Multimedia Storytelling | ||
| Documentary Storytelling | ||
| Interactive Media and Audience Building | ||
| Special Topics (Data Journalism for a Better Story) | ||
| Special Topics (Ethics in an AI Society) | ||
| Special Topics (Audience Development/Engagement) | ||
| Multimedia News Publication | ||
| Independent Study (must be approved by grad director) | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Reporting and Writing Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are expected to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Sport Journalism | ||
| Adventure Travel Writing & Photography | ||
| Investigative Reporting | ||
| Special Topics (e.g. Science/Health Journalism; Nonfiction Storytelling) | ||
| Independent Study (must be approved by grad director) | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Television Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are expected to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Live Sports Video Production | ||
| Special Topics (e.g. Digital Publication; Social Media Video) | ||
| Advanced Video Reporting and Producing | ||
| Multimedia News Publication | ||
| Special Topics (e.g. Audience Development/Engagement) | ||
| Independent Study (must be approved by grad director) | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
- *
WVU News requires JRL 488 as a prerequisite.
Visual Journalism Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are expected to maintain at least a 2.75 GPA. | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Multimedia Storytelling | ||
| Documentary Storytelling | ||
| International Media 1 | ||
| Interactive Media and Audience Building | ||
| Special Topics (e.g. Digital Publication; Social Media Video) | ||
| Advanced Video Reporting and Producing | ||
| Multimedia News Publication | ||
| Independent Study (must be approved by grad director) | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
- *
WVU News requires JRL 488 as a prerequisite
Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Programs
- B.S.J. in Advertising and Public Relations/M.S.J. in Journalism
- B.S.J. in Journalism/M.S.J in Journalism
BSJ - Advertising and Public Relations Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MDIA 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| GEF 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 | 22 | |
| Non-Journalism/Media Requirements | ||
| ECON 200 | Survey of Economics | 3 |
| BCOR 350 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| HIST 153 | Making of Modern America: 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| POLS 102 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
| STAT 111 | Understanding Statistics | 3 |
| English literature or Creative Writing course | 3 | |
| Two semesters of any foreign language/computer coding course or one language/coding course +study abroad | 6 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| School of Media and Communications Core Requirements | ||
| A grade of C- or higher must be earned in all major courses. | ||
| MDIA 101 | Media and Society | 3 |
| MDIA 215S | Media Writing | 3 |
| MDIA 225S | Media Tools & Applications | 3 |
| JRL 528 | Media Ethics and Law | 3 |
| Advertising & Public Relations Core Requirements | ||
| ADPR 215 | Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations | 3 |
| ADPR 421S | Advertising & PR Audience Insights & Analysis | 3 |
| Choose a capstone: | 3 | |
| Martin Hall Agency Experience | ||
| Advertising and Public Relations Campaigns | ||
| Select one of the following Areas of Emphasis (details below): | 12 | |
Advertising (ADV) | ||
| Advertising Copywriting | ||
| Choose three 300- or 400-level Advertising, STCM or advisor-approved electives: | ||
| Audience Psychology and Behavior | ||
| Creative 1 | ||
| Media Planning/Strategy | ||
| Interactive Marketing Communications | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Strategic Communication Strategy and Management | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Special Topics | ||
Public Relations (PR) | ||
| Public Relations Writing and Applications | ||
| Choose of the following: | ||
| Creative Design and Strategy | ||
| Web Development | ||
| Choose two 300- or 400-level PR, STCM or advisor-approved electives: | ||
| Integrated Marketing Communications for Public Relations | ||
| IMC for Sport | ||
| Strategic Event Planning and Promotion | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Public Relations Case Studies | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Strategic Social Media | ||
| Branded Content and Narrative | ||
| Required Minor | 15 | |
| General Electives | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 114 | |
MSJ Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses toward the major. | ||
| JRL 500 | Introduction to Graduate Studies (A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in all co) | 1 |
| JRL 504 | Mass Media and Society | 3 |
| JRL 520 | Advanced Journalistic Writing and Research | 3 |
| JRL 689 | Ethics of Mass Communication | 3 |
| JRL 697 | Research | 6 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | ENGL Literature or Creative Writing course | 3 |
| ADPR 215 | 3 | GEF 3 | 3 |
| MDIA 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | MDIA 215S | 3 |
| Language Course | 3 | Language Course | 3 |
| MDIA 191 | 2 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 2B | 4 | STAT 111 | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| MDIA 225S | 3 | HIST 153 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | PR 324S or ADV 315S | 3 |
| ECON 200 | 3 | Elective | 2 |
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 7 | 3 | 400-Level AOE Course | 3 |
| POLS 102 | 3 | BUSA 330 | 3 |
| ADPR 319S or PR 333S (or ADV AOE Elective) | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Elective | 6 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ADPR 421S | 3 | ADPR 559S | 3 |
| 300- or 400-Level AOE Course | 3 | JRL 528 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| JRL 500 | 1 | JRL 520 | 3 |
| JRL 504 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Elective* | 3 | JRL 689 | 3 |
| Elective* | 3 | JRL 697 or 698 | 3 |
| JRL 697 | 3 | Elective* | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | ||
| Total credit hours: 138 | |||
- *
These electives should be at the 500- or 600-level and may come from within or external to the School of Media and Communications.
BSJ Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MDIA 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| GEF 1, 2, 6, and 7 | 16 | |
| Non-Journalism/Media Requirements | ||
| HIST 153 | Making of Modern America: 1865 to the Present (GEF 5) | 3 |
| ECON 200 | Survey of Economics | 3 |
| BCOR 350 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| POLS 102 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
| STAT 111 | Understanding Statistics (GEF 3) | 3 |
| English literature or Creative Writing course | 3 | |
| Two semesters of any foreign language/computer coding course or one language/coding course +study abroad | 6 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| School of Media and Communications Core Requirements | ||
| A grade of C- or higher must be earned in all major courses. | ||
| MDIA 101 | Media and Society (GEF 4) | 3 |
| MDIA 215S | Media Writing | 3 |
| MDIA 225S | Media Tools & Applications | 3 |
| JRL 528 | Media Ethics and Law | 3 |
| Choose one capstone course: | 3 | |
| Multimedia Reporting | ||
| Advanced Video Reporting and Producing | ||
| Multimedia News Publication | ||
| Take 3 one-credit-hour skills classes: | 3 | |
| Podcast Producing | ||
| Advanced Video Editing | ||
| Voice Performance for Broadcasting | ||
| Immersive Storytelling: AR/VR | ||
| Take each of the following: | ||
| JRL 318S | Beat Reporting | 3 |
| JRL 319S | Editing and Curation | 3 |
| JRL 341S | Data and Design | 3 |
| JRL 458 | Interactive Media and Audience Building | 3 |
| Select two "track" electives from the following or from other advisor-approved upper-level JRL electives: | 6 | |
| Advanced Photojournalism | ||
| Media Design | ||
| Video and Audio News Writing | ||
| Advanced Video Storytelling | ||
| Beginning Video Reporting | ||
| Investigative Reporting | ||
| Social Media and Journalism | ||
| Documentary Storytelling | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Required Minor | 15 | |
| General Electives | 17 | |
| Total Hours | 113 | |
MSJ Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses | ||
| JRL 500 | Introduction to Graduate Studies | 1 |
| JRL 504 | Mass Media and Society | 3 |
| JRL 520 | Advanced Journalistic Writing and Research | 3 |
| JRL 689 | Ethics of Mass Communication | 3 |
| JRL 697 | Research | 3 |
| JRL 698 | Thesis or Dissertation | 3 |
| Electives (Internal or External to School of Media and Communications) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 25 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 191 | 2 | ENGL Literature or Creative Writing course | 3 |
| MDIA 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | Language Course | 3 |
| MDIA 215S | 3 | GEF 2B | 4 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
| Language Course | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| One-credit-hour JRL Skills course | 1 | JRL 318S | 3 |
| MDIA 225S | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | HIST 153 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| BCOR 350 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| One-credit-hour JRL Skills Course | 1 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 319S | 3 | STAT 111 | 3 |
| GEF 7 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| JRL 341S | 3 | Electives | 3 |
| POLS 102 | 3 | ECON 200 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | JRL "track" elective | 3 |
| One credit-hour-hour JRL Skills Course | 1 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 458 | 3 | JRL Capstone Course | 3 |
| JRL 528 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | Elective | 2 |
| JRL 500 | 1 | JRL 520 | 3 |
| JRL 504 | 3 | JRL "track" elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Elective* | 3 | JRL 689 | 3 |
| Elective* | 3 | JRL 697 or 698 | 3 |
| JRL 697 | 3 | Elective* | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | ||
| Total credit hours: 138 | |||
- *
These electives should be at the 500- or 600-level and may come from within or external to the School of Media and Communications.
Major Learning Outcomes
Journalism
Whether students in the M.S.J. program are interested in teaching and research or strictly professional pursuits, upon completing the program, they will be able to:
- Understand economic, ethical, historical, legal, political, social and technological forces that shape the roles and structures of the media.
- Employ writing, researching and editing skills to be a professional in the graduate’s chosen field.
- Articulate journalistic concepts, values and skills.
- Understand methodology used in historical, legal, cultural and other types of qualitative and quantitative research.
- Conduct original research that contributes to knowledge in the field.
- Effectively communicate orally, through writing, and through various media.
- Understand and critically evaluate public opinion polls and other types of quantitative and qualitative research.