Journalism (JOUR)

Abstract

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism offers a Master of Journalism (JOMJ), a Master of Arts in Journalism (JOUR) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism Studies (JOST).

The College accepts full-time students to the master's program, which is designed to be completed in one year. There are specialized tracks in multi-platform journalism and broadcast journalism available to students. The College also offers a highly individualized program for veteran journalists, which may be completed on a part-time basis.

Students admitted to the standard master's program in multi-platform or broadcast journalism are not required to possess prior training or experience in the field. Students admitted to the returning journalist program, however, must have at least 5-8 years of professional experience.

The Ph.D. in Journalism is a full-time research-oriented program that prepares students for careers in university teaching, academic and industry research and media consulting. Doctoral students are expected to have some professional experience in journalism.

For more information, visit: http://www.merrill.umd.edu/

Admissions Information

Applicants seeking admission to the master's program must hold a bachelor's degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. Undergraduate study of journalism and professional experience in journalistic fields are not required. Completion of the general aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination is required and three letters of recommendation must be submitted.

Applications for the master's program are considered for admission in the Summer or Fall semesters. Students beginning the master's program in the summer can graduate within 12 months, whereas students beginning in the fall can graduate in 15 months. The program does not accept applications for admission in the Spring semester. The deadline to apply for admission to the master's program for the Summer or Fall semesters is February 1. Please note that applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered until the following year, and all supporting application materials must be received by February 1.

Applications for the doctoral program are considered only for Fall semester enrollment. The deadline to apply to the doctoral program is January 15, and all supporting application materials must be received by this date.

Application Deadlines

Type of Applicant Fall Spring Summer

Domestic Applicants; US Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials; International Applicants seeking admissions under A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants

International Applicants seeking admission under F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas

Application Requirements

GRE General
3 Letters of Recommendation
Personal Statement of Goals and Experiences
Official Transcripts
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (recommended)

Degree Requirements

Master of Journalism/Master of Arts (M.J./M.A.)

The master's degree is typically a 36-credit program (30 credits are required for students in the Returning Journalists specialization). The MJ is a non-thesis degree. Students pursuing an MA take six credits preparing a thesis.

Students who enter the program with significant professional newsroom experience can request to opt out of the two required 500-level courses. Students on the 12-month track begin in the summer and take six credits each in summer session one and two, and 12 credits each in fall and spring. Students who start in the fall semester take their coursework fall, spring, and the following fall. The program's capstone experience is the Capital News Service, where students serve as full-time reporters in news bureaus in Washington and Annapolis; at the college's TV station, UMTV; or for our online news magazine, Maryland Newsline, which is produced in College Park from our state-of-the-art facilities in Knight Hall.

For more information on our programs, visit: http://merrill.umd.edu/masters

For more information on the Returning Journalist program, see: http://www.merrill.umd.edu/masters/programs/returning-journalists

Detailed information on the requirements of our programs can be found in the master's program handbook, available online at: http://www.merrill.umd.edu/masters.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Maryland's Ph.D. in Journalism Studies is designed to prepare students for careers in university teaching, academic and industry research, and media consulting. The first two years of the program consist of coursework in theory, research methods, journalism and an outside area of interest. At the end of coursework, students take comprehensive examinations (in theory, cognate area, methodology, and in their areas of specialization). Students then conduct research and write the dissertation. Most successful candidates enter the program with a master's degree, but that requirement can be waived for people with extensive professional news experience.

For more information on the doctoral program, see: http://www.merrill.umd.edu/phd/about

Facilities and Special Resources

The University of Maryland is located just a few miles from Washington, the media capital of the world. Students and researchers have access to The Washington Post, USA Today and hundreds of Washington bureaus for newspapers and TV news outlets from around the world.

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism operates a daily news bureau in the National Press Club, a few blocks from the White House, and in Annapolis, less than a block from the Maryland State House. On campus, the college operates a multimedia news bureau, Maryland Newsline. In addition, the college runs UMTV, a cable TV station that reaches more than 600,000 homes throughout suburban Washington and Baltimore. Equipped with state-of-the-art digital editing systems, students produce a 30-minute nightly newscast and a professional staff produces original programming. In 2010, the College opened Knight Hall, our new state-of-the-art building with multiple news labs and opportunities for multiplatform experimentation. Knight Hall brings all of the College's affiliated centers under one roof.

Centers

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism is home to a number of centers and programs designed to help professionals improve various aspects of journalism.

The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism: Launched in 2012, the Povich center will "forge a path in sports journalism toward analyzing complex issues in athletics, to challenge and clarify societys avid participation in games as players and spectators." For information, visit: http://merrill.umd.edu/povich_center.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Journalism Fellowships: The Humphrey fellowship is a special one-year program that brings international journalists to the University of Maryland to study. Fellows seek to strengthen their management and leadership skills and make professional contacts. The fellowship program is led by former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Lucinda Fleeson. http://www.journalism.umd.edu/Humphrey

The Journalism Center on Children and Families: Launched in 1993 as the Casey Journalism Center, the Journalism Center on Children and Families is a national resource for journalists who cover children and family issues. Its mission is to enhance reporting about the issues and institutions affecting disadvantaged children and their families and to increase public awareness about the concerns facing at-risk children. The center provides journalists with information on issues affecting children and families, such as health, education, child care, child welfare, human services, foster care and mental health. It holds an annual conference for journalists and conducts a contest that awards prizes to the best print and broadcast reporting on children and family issues. http://www.cjc.umd.edu

The Society for Features Journalism: Founded in 1947, the Society for Features Journalism (formerly the American Association of Sunday and Features Editors, or AASFE) is "dedicated to the quality of features in newspapers." The independently operated group sponsors an annual convention, a writing contest, regional workshops and a fellowship program designed to develop minority feature writers. It also publishes two magazines, "Style" and "Feedback." SFJ's membership of nearly 200 is limited to newspaper feature editors and Sunday section editors. http://featuresjournalism.org

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ): NABJ is an organization of journalists, students, and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of black journalists worldwide. Founded in 1975, NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation.

Publications

American Journalism Review is a national bimonthly magazine that monitors press performance and standards. It was ranked highest among publications in its field for readership, quality, and usefulness in a national survey by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The magazine, started as Washington Journalism Review in 1977, was acquired by the College of Journalism in 1987. The dean of the College is president of AJR.

Financial Assistance

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism offers a number of merit-based fellowships and scholarships. These include:

Eleanor Merrill Graduate Fellowships. Named in honor of Ellie Merrill, the chairwoman emerita of the College's Board of Visitors and the widow of College benefactor Philip Merrill, these awards typically include stipends of $7,500 and 10 credits of tuition remission for the academic year.

Lillie Z. Goldberg / Hodding Carter III Scholarship. This $2,000 scholarship is awarded to an outstanding applicant to the Multi-Platform Journalism program who has exhibited a committment to Public Affairs Reporting.

Mary Anne and Frank A. Kennedy Scholarship. A $5,000 award plus limited tuition remission is given to an outstanding graduate applicant.

The Hiebert Journalism International Travel Award. An endowed fund established by and named for College founding dean and Professor Emeritus Ray E. Hiebert. Provides reimbursement of travel expenses of up to $2,500 (or more, depending on endowment investment growth) for one student annually for travel outside the United States for a seminar, conference or on a journalism-related itinerary. Initial application is to the dean of the College of Journalism; it will be considered by a faculty scholarship/awards committee.

Assistantships. Teaching, research and administrative assistantships are available and include tuition remission of up to 10 credits per semester and stipends starting at $16,000. Master's students interested in assistantships must apply to individual units.

For more information, see: http://www.merrill.umd.edu/masters/fellowships-aid

Contact Information

Specific information about the Journalism Program is available on request from:

Caryn Taylor-Fiebig, Assistant Director of Graduate Studies
1100 Knight Hall,
University of Maryland-College Park
MD 20742
Telephone: (301) 405-2380
Fax: (301) 314-9166
jourgrad@deans.umd.edu

http://www.merrill.umd.edu