Department of Journalism
Master of Science degree in Journalism
Overview
A highly competitive 12- to 16-month program, the graduate program in journalism is guided by a prestigious faculty that includes Pulitzer Prize winners and nominees with experience as working journalists. The program combines academic excellence and sound professional training to meet the needs of students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than journalism, as well as those who earned their bachelor's degrees in journalism or have professional experience in the field and want more advanced study and practice.
The Graduate College and the Department of Journalism consider for admission only those applicants who have already earned a bachelor's degree (at the time of admission) from an accredited U.S. institution or from an institution of recognized standing abroad.
Students learn practical methods, acquire a broad understanding of communications theory and prepare for careers of responsible professional leadership in journalism and related fields. Small classes allow maximum opportunity for individual attention and development.
The program's emphasis is on news and public affairs reporting. Students without a journalism background receive highly concentrated training in the methods of print or broadcast journalism in the areas of television, radio, print and online reporting and editing and design and photography. Students with substantial journalism experience may develop, to a large extent, a specialized program.
The master's degree ordinarily is awarded after one full year of graduate study and practice — fall and spring semesters followed by a summer session for news-editorial students and a fall-spring-fall sequence for broadcast students. Both sequences finish with a master's project.
The deadline for application for fall admission is February 1.
Financial assistance is available to qualified master's candidates.
Contact us
Acting Department Head: Brian Johnson, bkj@illinois.edu
Director of Graduate Studies: Rich Martin, richmart@illinois.edu
Journalism department support staff:
Sheri Chambers, sheric@illinois.edu
Diana Schwanke, dking6@illinois.edu
Office location: 120A Gregory Hall, 810 S. Wright St., Urbana, IL
Phone: 217-333-0709
Additional information on the Master of Science degree in Journalism: