School of Journalism

Departmental E-mail: gketcham [at] indiana [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.journalism.indiana.edu

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts, Master of Arts for Teachers, dual Master of Arts and Master of Library Science (jointly with the School of Library and Information Science), dual Master of Arts and Master of Public Affairs, dual Master of Arts and Master of Science in Environmental Science (jointly with the School of Public and Environmental Affairs), dual Master of Arts with Folklore and Ethnomusicology (jointly with the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology), dual Master of Arts and J.D. in Law (jointly with the School of Law), and Doctor of Philosophy

Special School Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Master’s Degrees

Master of Arts Degree

Two programs (tracks) are available: a professional track and a research and teaching track. The following requirements apply equally to both tracks.

Admission Requirements

(1) A superior record in the undergraduate major from a recognized institution, (2) an appropriate level of achievement on the Graduate Record Examination General Test, (3) three letters of recommendation, and (4) a 500-word statement of purpose.
Superior students who have not majored in journalism or mass communications are encouraged to apply to either the professional or research/teaching track. The school accepts applications for admission to our M.A. program at any time.

Grades

B (3.0) average or above required.
Master of Arts Degree, Professional Track

Course Requirements

A total of 30 credit hours, including the core offerings of J510 Media and Society Seminar, J502 Quantitative Research Methods for Journalists, J572 The Press and the Constitution. For students who enter the program without a journalism degree, J505 Intensive Reporting, Writing, and Editing Workshop, is also required. Students also must take one visual professional skills course, two other professional skills courses, and 9 additional credit hours. The additional credit hours may be all journalism electives or, upon approval of the student’s advisor, may include up to 9 credit hours in a minor field. A special arrangement with the School of Library and Information Science allows a 12 credit minor in that school. The Intensive Reporting, Writing, and Editing Workshop may be waived for students who have had professional media experience.

Master of Arts Degree, Research and Teaching Track

Course Requirements

A total of 30 credit hours, including the core offerings of J500, J510, and J572. Students must complete a thesis (J800) and 18 additional credit hours. The additional credit hours may all be journalism electives or, upon approval of the student’s advisor, may include up to 9 credit hours in a minor field. A special arrangement with the School of Library and Information Science allows a 12 credit minor in that school.

Thesis

Thesis (J800) required, for 3 credit hours.

Master of Arts for Teachers Degree

Major Field Course Requirements

A minimum of 20 credit hours in journalism, advertising (marketing), and telecommunications. Consult the associate dean for graduate studies for specific degree requirements.

Dual Master of Arts and Master of Library Science Degrees

Admission Requirements

Students must be admitted by both the School of Journalism and the School of Library and Information Science. Requirements for admission to the School of Journalism are the same as those for the M.A. degree.

Course Requirements

A total of 21 credit hours in journalism, including J500, J510, J651, a graduate-level reporting course, either a professional skills course or J800, and 6 additional credit hours of graduate journalism electives. Thirty (30) credit hours are required in the School of Library and Information Science, including the core (S501; S502; one from S503 or S504; one from S551, S552, S553, S671, or S583; and one from S506, S519, or S505), S533, S525, and at least one of S521 or S522. Library Science Electives courses bring the total of SLIS credit hours to 30.

Dual Master of Arts and Master of Public Affairs (M.P.A.)

The School of Journalism and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs collaborate in a combined master’s degree program that addresses the demand for specialists who combine public management and public policy with public affairs reporting and writing or the study of media in society. The program prepares students for positions in the media, government, business, and nonprofit organizations. Candidates for the combined degree complete core requirements and elective courses from the School of Journalism. Candidates must be admitted to both schools.

Candidates also complete the core requirements for the M.P.A. and 15 additional credit hours selected from an approved list of courses offered by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Program Requirements (57 credit hours)

Master of Arts in Journalism Requirements (21 credit hours)

Twenty-one (21) credit hours are required for the Master of Arts in Journalism. For specific requirements, see the School of Journalism Bulletin.

Master of Public Affairs Requirements (36 credit hours)

Required Courses (21 credit hours)

• SPEA V502 Public Management (3 cr.)
• SPEA V506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (3 cr.)
• SPEA V517 Public Management Economics (3 cr.)
• SPEA V540 Law and Public Affairs (3 cr.)
• SPEA V560 Public Finance and Budgeting (3 cr.)
• SPEA V600 Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs (3 cr.) 

Specialization Courses (18 credit hours)

Each student is required to develop a specialized concentration comprised of courses approved by a SPEA faculty advisor. Concentration must be in SPEA.

Dual Master of Arts and Master of Science in Environmental Science (M.S.E.S.)

General Requirements

A total of 58 credit hours is required for the dual Master of Arts and Master of Science in Environmental Science (M.S.E.S.).

Admission Requirements

Students must be admitted by both the School of Journalism and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Requirements for admission to the School of Journalism are the same as those for the M.A. degree.

Journalism Course Requirements

Requirements: A total of 21 credit hours in journalism, including J510, J502 (Quantitative Research Methods for Journalists), J572, three graduate level professional-skills classes and 3 additional credit hours of graduate journalism electives.
Note: A student without an undergraduate journalism degree may be required to take J505 Reporting/Editing Workshop.

SPEA Course Requirements

Thirty-seven (36) credit hours are required for the M.S.E.S. (Master of Science in Environmental Science).

The M.S.E.S. requirements include E526, E527, E536, E538, E552,  V517 plus an additional 18 credits in a concentration area to be decided in consultation with a SPEA MSES advisor (faculty member).

Dual Master of Arts with Folklore and Ethnomusicology

Admission Requirements

Students must be admitted by both the School of Journalism and the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Requirements for admission to the School of Journalism are the same as those for the M.A. degree.

Journalism Course Requirements

A total of 24 credit hours in journalism, including J505, J510, J502 (Quantitative Research Methods for Journalists), J572, one graduate level visual professional-skills class, two professional-skills classes, and 3 additional credit hours of graduate journalism electives.

Folklore and Ethnomusicology Course Requirements

A minimum of 24 credit hours in folklore and ethnomusicology, including: F501; and any one of the following: F516, F517, E522, E529; plus either of the following: F523 or F525; plus five additional Folklore courses (15 credits), must be approved by Folklore adviser prior to enrollment; plus reading proficiency in one modern foreign language; plus a final thesis/project. Students in this dual program are required to complete the thesis/project that is required for the Folklore and Ethnomusicology M.A. They may develop their thesis/project to integrate their Folklore and Ethnomusicology interests and their Journalism interests, with a committee of two Folklore/Ethnomusicology faculty and one or more Journalism faculty.

In addition to the 24 credits required by the School of Journalism and the 24 credits required by Folklore and Ethnomusicology, students must complete at least two additional credit hours to fulfill the university’s 50-credit minimum for any dual M.A.

Dual Master of Arts and J.D. in Law

Admission

Students may apply to the School of Journalism on the Bloomington campus at the same time they apply to the School of Law on the Bloomington campus. Students already enrolled in the School of Law may apply to the School of Journalism up to the completion of their second year of law study. Students enrolled in School of Journalism may apply to the School of Law up to the end of their first year of the master’s program. Students would customarily spend the first year in the School of Law and thereafter divide the second, third, and fourth years between the two units.

Credit Hours

The joint program would require a minimum of 77 hours in law and 30 hours in Journalism.

Curriculum

See above curriculum for Master of Arts degree, Research and Teaching Track or the Master of Arts degree, Professional Track.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

The School of Journalism offers the Doctor of Philosophy degree in mass communications, journalism track.

Admission Requirements

(1) Master’s degree from a recognized institution, (2) superior record in the major subject, (3) appropriate level of achievement on the Graduate Record Examination General Test, (4) three letters of recommendation, and (5) a 500-word statement of purpose. Students who have not majored in mass communications at either the bachelor’s or master’s level are encouraged to apply. Consult the associate dean for graduate studies on whether graduate credit can be granted for course work done at the M.A. level.

The school accepts applications for admission to our Ph.D. program for fall semester only. The deadline for applications is December 1 for international students and January 15 for U.S. students.

Course Requirements

(1) Foundation core of J500, J600, J651, J570 or J571, J555 and one statistics course. (2) Either proficiency in depth in an appropriate language, usually French, German, Russian, or Spanish; or completion of an approved set of three tool-skill courses. With the permission of the director of graduate studies, these courses may be counted in the concentration areas. (3) At least two other approved courses at the 600 level in the School of Journalism. These courses may be counted in the concentration areas. (4) Twenty-one (21) to 27 credit hours in each of two concentration areas; and up to 27 credit hours in electives and dissertation for a minimum of 90 credit hours.

Much of the concentration area course work will be taken in departments outside the School of Journalism. Students, in consultation with their faculty advisors, should construct concentration areas according to their own research interests. The concentration areas may be selected from the following: (1) international communication, (2) history and philosophy of communication, (3) communication law, (4) the media and public policy, (5) economics and media management, (6) media and social systems, (7) political communication, (8) communication and culture, (9) visual communication, and (10) communication ethics. With the approval of the advisory committee, students may choose other areas of concentration more closely related to their interests. Students should consult their faculty advisors in selecting courses in concentration areas.

Grades

B (3.0) average or above required overall and in School of Journalism course work.

Periodic Review

At the beginning of the second year, members of the graduate faculty together with the student’s advisor will meet with the student’s first-year instructors to examine the grade and research records of each graduate student to assess the student’s strengths and areas in need of attention. Any student whose achievements and potential fall far below standard will be discouraged from further work.

Advisory Committee Selection

During the first semester of the second year of course work, students will select four faculty members to serve on the advisory committee. Most students select one member for the core, one for each of the two concentration areas, and one for methodology. The chair of the advisory committee must be a member of the journalism faculty. One other member of the committee must come from journalism. A least two of the members must be on the graduate faculty, and one must be from outside the journalism and telecommunications faculty. The outside member usually represents one of the concentration areas.

Qualifying Examination

Each student is evaluated for Ph.D. candidacy in the following ways: at the completion of course work, the student will take (1) a four-hour written examination on the foundation core, (2) a problem-solving, take-home examination on methodology, (3) a four-hour written examination on the first concentration area, (4) a four-hour written examination on the second concentration area; and following the written examinations, (5) a comprehensive oral examination administered by the student’s advisory committee. (The written and oral examinations must be completed within a period of no more than four weeks.)

Research Committee Selection

The research committee will consist of four faculty members, one from outside the School of Journalism and the Department of Telecommunications. The chairperson and at least one other member of the committee must be journalism faculty. The members may be, but need not be, the same as those who served on the advisory committee, and the chairperson may be the same or different. The chairperson should be a full member of the graduate faculty. All members must be members of the graduate faculty, and at least half the committee must be full members.

Final Examination

Oral, primarily a defense of the dissertation.

Ph.D. Minor in Journalism

Students outside the School of Journalism must take 12 credit hours of graduate course work in the School of Journalism to earn a minor. Upon consultation with the associate dean for graduate studies, students may organize a minor tailored to their interests, but they must submit the proposed program of study to the Graduate Committee of the School of Journalism for approval.