Journalism and Mass Communication (M.A.)

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts program in journalism and mass communication is designed to provide intellectual growth and advanced training for persons already engaged in mass media or public information work. Students wishing to specialize in a particular area, such as marketing communication or international business journalism, sociological or political communication, are encouraged to design a sequence of elective courses that best meets their interests.

Admission

Students are required to have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. For students who have been out of school for some time, work experience or other relevant criteria may be considered in lieu of a lower than 3.0 GPA. Students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 in their bachelor’s degree may still be considered for provisional admission and should provide an explanation of extenuating circumstances and/or a demonstration of outstanding work experience.

Any applicant who does not have an undergraduate degree in mass communication from an accredited university or whose bachelor’s degree is in a discipline other than journalism and mass communication will be provisionally admitted but will be required to take a set of pre-requisite courses (up to three courses). Students must complete these courses with grades of B or higher before enrolling in any 5000-level courses.

Students are also required to submit two recommendation letters from relevant, credible sources and a personal statement of purpose. The statement of purpose will be evaluated for clarity of expression, creativity, and persuasiveness in arguing that:

• The applicant has the necessary record of preparation and performance to succeed in the program.
• The applicant’s goals can be served by the program’s courses and experiences.
• The program itself can benefit from the applicant’s experiences.

Applicants are also required to submit an updated curriculum vitae, official transcripts of all university degrees, and samples of professionally published or broadcast work if available.

An academic writing sample (in English) that demonstrates the potential to write clearly and critically is also required. If the student has graduated within the last three years, an academic paper from the undergraduate (or M.A.) coursework will suffice. Examples of academic writing samples include a term paper, a chapter from an Honors or M.A. thesis, or a conference paper. Students who graduated more than three years prior to their application to the program should include an essay of 500-700 words about a recent local, regional, or international communication issue that he/she deems important. The essay should demonstrate clarity of thinking, updated knowledge of the field, and the ability to use academic sources efficiently. Please note that newspaper or trade magazine articles, biogs, TV scripts, links to videos, etc., do not count as academic writing samples.

All applicants must attend an interview in person before any decision is made.

Admission Checklist:

• Official transcripts
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Two letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Curriculum vitae
• Samples of published/broadcast work
• Academic writing sample