A master’s degree in journalism and mass communications may be appropriate for students who want to build new professional skills, who want to enter research related fields or who want to prepare for a Ph.D. program.

The W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers a Master of Arts In Journalism. Students may choose from professional or thesis tracks to complete the required 30 credit hours.

Professional

Professional track students must complete the core, 15 hours in a concentration determined in consultation with the academic advisor, any undergraduate courses determined necessary by the graduate advisor and successful completion of a comprehensive examination.

Required CORE Courses

  • JMC 600—Proseminar in Graduate Studies
  • JMC 601—Theory of Mass Communication
  • JMC 602—Mass Communications Research
  • JMC 604—JMC Law and Ethics
  • JMC 612—History of Mass Communication

Background Courses

  • JMC 501—Multi-Media Writing (required if no JMC background)
  • EDF or PSY 517—Statistical Methods/Intermediate Behavioral Statistics (required if no statistics background)

Remaining Courses

Remaining hours are planned in consultation with academic advisor and guided by student objectives.

Thesis Track

Thesis track students complete the core, nine credit hours in a concentration determined in consultation with the academic advisor, a six-credit hour thesis, any undergraduate courses determined necessary by the graduate advisor and successful completion of a comprehensive examination. A committee of three faculty members, one of whom serves as chair, oversees thesis development.

Required CORE courses

  • JMC 600—Proseminar in Graduate Studies
  • JMC 601—Theory of Mass Communication
  • JMC 602—Mass Communications Research
  • JMC 604—JMC Law and Ethics
  • JMC 612—History of Mass Communication

Background Courses

  • JMC 501—Multi-Media Writing (required if no JMC background)
  • EDF or PSY 517—Statistical Methods/Intermediate Behavioral Statistics (required if no statistics background)

Thesis

  • JMC 681—Thesis; 6 hrs

Remaining Courses

Remaining hours are planned in consultation with academic advisor and guided by student objectives.

Admission to the master’s programs requires:

  • a completed admission form,
  • an earned bachelor’s degree, and
  • a 3.0 undergraduate gpa (on a 4.0 scale) and a total score of 370 on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), OR
  • a 2.5 to 2.99 undergraduate gpa (on a 4.0 scale) and a total score of 396 on the GRE.

Make your mark. Leave your legacy

“With health care reform in flux, along with increased focus on public reporting of data, quality outcomes and illness prevention, public relations and communications professionals are expected to have the knowledge to provide advice and implement strategies on these complex issues.” ~ Public Relations Society of America, the largest organization in the United States, composed of public relations professionals.