Journalism - MS

Degree Title and Name: Master of Science in Journalism

Program Name and Number: Journalism – MS6931, (*MS6927 - Reserved for students participating in the Hong Kong Baptist Transfer Program)

Department/Unit: E. W. Scripps School Journalism

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus. Some elective classes may be offered online.

Term(s) of Entry: Fall, Spring, Summer

Program Overview: The master’s degree program in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism is one of the nation’s elite graduate study programs. It is designed for (1) students with a bachelor’s degree in journalism/mass communication who wish to further their studies before entering the workforce; (2) students with an academic background outside journalism/mass communication who wish to gain an advanced degree and a solid foundation in journalism/mass communication skills; (3) journalism/mass communication professionals who wish to add skills in additional communication platforms; (4) professionals who seek a graduate degree to expand career opportunities; and (5) excellent students who wish to prepare for admission to a PhD program with a goal of teaching journalism/mass communication at the university level.

The program provides opportunities to study professional journalism or prepare for further academic work by blending professionally oriented classes with mass communication principles, theory and research. Professional courses are available in data journalism, mobile journalism (including drones), podcasting, audio/video/broadcast journalism, magazine journalism, news writing/editing, strategic communication (public relations and advertising), and multimedia, which includes AR/VR, interactive design, web design and data visualization (with Media Arts and Studies and Visual Communication). The more theoretical courses teach students to apply principles of mass communication research and theory, focus on writing academic research papers of a quality to be presented at a conference and published in an academic journal, and prepare for application to a doctoral program.

See below for the double degree program offered in partnership with the University of Leipzig.

This is a two-year program. Normative time to complete the program is two academic years.

Program Learning Outcomes: Master’s students contribute to knowledge appropriate to the communications professions in which they work. All graduates should be able to comprehend and discuss appropriate areas below connected to their teaching, research and general fields of study, including:

understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press for the country in which the institution that invites ACEJMC is located, as well as receive instruction in and understand the range of systems of freedom of expression around the world, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances;
demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications;
demonstrate an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communications; demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures and of the significance and impact of mass communications in a global society;
understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information;
demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;
think critically, creatively and independently;
conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work;
write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve;
critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness;
apply basic numerical and statistical concepts;
apply current tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work, and to understand the digital world.

Link to Program: http://scrippsjschool.org/masters/ Contact Graduate Director Dr. Aimee Edmondson at edmondso@ohio.edu

Graduation Requirements:

Thesis: Optional.
Comprehensive exams: No.
38 semester hours required (except for readings option), including 35 semester hours in classroom work, sometimes referred to as classroom credits. Three of the 38 credits will be thesis or professional project, and will not require classroom work.
Financial aid available for up to four semesters. Offers of financial aid will be made competitively to the top applicants each year.
Classes are 3 credit hours (5000 to 7000 level) and 4 credits (8000-level).
Students have the capstone option of a thesis (3 credits), professional project (3 credits), or readings option (1 credit plus additional coursework).
Masters students who have successfully completed an undergraduate law or ethics class in the five years prior to starting their MS degree at OHIO may waive the class. All others must take 5100 (Communication Law) and 8130 (Ethics, Internet and Society), with those classes counting toward the credits needed for the degree.
A 1-credit class, 5020 Thesis Proposal, is required for all students in their second semester. It will be supervised by one professor. Successful defense of the thesis or professional project proposal is required for CR credit.

Required Courses:

PRE-CORE (for those new to journalism)

JOUR 6011 - Writing and Reporting (3 credits). The writing and reporting requirement also can be met by another MS-level class (5000 or higher) that requires writing and reporting, such as Magazine Feature Writing, JOUR 5410, or by the Graduate Internship class, JOUR 6910, if the student is required to do writing and reporting for the internship.
JOUR 6010 - Graphics and Editing (3 credits). The graphics and editing requirement also can be met by a variety of MS-level classes (5000 or higher) that teach graphics and editing skills. These include, but are not limited to, JOUR 5350 Advanced Editing and JOUR 5380 Graphics and Audiences.

CORE (up to 16 hours):

JOUR 5010 - Intro to Grad Studies (1)
JOUR 5020 - Thesis Proposal (1)
JOUR 8030 - Seminar in Mass Communication Theory (4)
JOUR 8060 - Research Methods (4)
JOUR 5100 - Communication Law (3) – may be waived if student has taken in the last five years
JOUR 8130 - Ethics (3) – May be waived if student has taken in the last five years

Electives as needed or desired: Remaining required hours

Any graduate-level class or classes (first number is a 5 or higher) required to get to 38 credits, including the capstone, including podcasting, data journalism, mobile journalism (including drones), audio/video/broadcast journalism, magazine journalism, news writing/editing, strategic communication (public relations and advertising), and multimedia, which includes AR/VR, interactive design, web design and data visualization (with Media Arts and Studies and Visual Communication)
More theoretical electives include: Legal Research, Historical Research in Journalism
Internet, Ethics, and Society (also meets ethics requirement), Literature of Journalism, Seminar in International Mass Media, Public Relations Problems and Programs.

Culminating Experience:

Master’s students must complete one of the following three options:

The student will research, write, and defend a work of original scholarship related to the mass media. The thesis must be supervised and approved by a committee of three faculty members.
Professional project. The student will research, write, and defend an original work demonstrating mastery of some set of mass communication skills. Examples of projects include video documentaries, magazine feature stories, public relations campaigns, web page designs, etc. The professional project must be supervised and approved by a committee of three faculty members.
Readings option. The student must take two extra classes beyond the requirements of the thesis or professional project option. The student chooses a mass media topic to investigate and reads a series of books related to that topic assigned by a three-member faculty committee. The student defends a written synthesis/response to the readings.

The maximum number of thesis hours credited to the degree is three credit hours.

Admission Requirements:

Minimum qualifications for admission are a four-year bachelor’s degree; a score of 300 on the GRE (verbal plus quantitative) Note: the GRE is not waivable; TOEFL of 100 or its equivalent for non-native-English speakers; IELTS score of at least 6.5 (out of 8) across all four bands: listening, speaking, reading, and writing; and a GPA of 3.0. Applicants do not need journalism or other mass communication experience or classes to apply.

Up to eight credit hours of transfer credit will be considered.

The application also requires:

Official transcripts from all universities previously attended.
Resume/CV
Statement of purpose
Three letters of recommendation
Writing sample

International Students: This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.

Double degree with the University of Leipzig:

The E.W. Scripps School of Journalism offers a double-degree with the University of Leipzig in Germany. The double degree is particularly attractive for students with an interest in a professional career in international journalism and global mass communication, as well as for students who want to become scholars in scholars in journalism and mass communication.
Students can complete the double master’s degree program within the normal 2-year period that the master’s program takes, with their third semester as the study abroad semester at Leipzig University (language of instruction: English).
Students must first be admitted into our master’s program and then apply separately for the double degree program, which provides up to five spots per year for selected students.
Students who receive funding from Ohio University (stipend and tuition waiver) will keep these benefits during their semester in Leipzig, while students who pay for their master’s program will save money because Leipzig University does not require tuition.

Link to Leipzig Double Degree Program: http://scrippsjschool.org/masters/doubledegree.php