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Graduate Degrees
The School of Journalism offers two Master of Arts degree programs: Journalism and Strategic Public Relations. Students completing the M.A. in Journalism will choose one of three emphases: print, broadcast or online. The Print Journalism emphasis is for students interested in newspaper and magazine journalism. Students may develop their special areas of interest through the selection of elective courses. The Broadcast Journalism emphasis is for those students interested in television news, public affairs and documentary programming. The curriculum is similar to the Print Journalism emphasis with the focus shifted to the development of writing and production skills for the broadcast media. The Online Journalism emphasis is for students interested in online journalism and new media. The Strategic Public Relations degree is designed to train students for management-level public relations and communication positions in all types of public and private sector organizations.
Admission Requirements
Prerequisites
An applicant must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.Criteria
Minimum criteria for consideration are a 3.0 GPA for undergraduate work and all graduate work, and a score of 550-verbal and 1000-cumulative (verbal and quantitative) on the GRE General Test. International applicants are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and should receive a score of at least 650 on the paper-based exam or a score of 280 on the computer-based exam or 114-115 on the Internet-based exam.In addition, applicants are judged on a statement of purpose explaining why they wish to pursue graduate studies in journalism or public relations, an essay and three letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf. Professional experience in journalism and/or communication is also considered. Applicants must submit a résumé and one sample of their writing for review.
Procedure
Applicants must submit the following materials to the USC Office of Admission: USC application for graduate admission with a non-refundable application fee, official GRE scores and official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. In addition, international applicants must submit an affidavit of support and official TOEFL scores. Students should consult the USC application for graduate admission for the current fee. The Office of Admission is unable to process an application without this fee.In addition, applicants must submit the following materials to the Annenberg Admissions Office: Annenberg graduate application, statement of purpose, GRE test scores, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, one writing sample, a journalism or public relations essay, a résumé and three letters of recommendation. International applicants must submit TOEFL test scores.
The School of Journalism admits students for the fall semester. Refer to the Annenberg Admissions Web site for the application deadline for admission and department scholarship/assistantship consideration. Students usually receive notification of the Admission Committee’s decision by March 31.
Degree Requirements
These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation section and the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All course work applied toward a degree must be approved by the School of Journalism and the Graduate School.Master of Arts
Studies toward the Master of Arts in Journalism and the Master of Arts in Strategic Public Relations require 40 units of prescribed courses and approved electives in the student’s field of study. Students may take, with prior approval, two of their electives outside the school. No more than 10 units of 400-level work may be applied toward the master’s degree. A GPA of 3.0 must be maintained for all work. Students who fall below a 3.0 grade point average will be placed on academic probation and must improve according to established terms if they are to remain in the school. In the case of courses offered on Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) basis, faculty review of competence will be substituted for grades.Residence
The School of Journalism will accept only 4 units of approved transferred graduate credit. Normally, full-time students can complete the program in four semesters. These programs may be attended on a part-time basis.Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirements
There is no foreign language or research tool requirement for the master’s degree.Course Requirements
A master’s degree in journalism requires 40 units and a master’s degree in strategic public relations requires 40 units. To graduate, students may elect the thesis or comprehensive examination option. Students electing the thesis option are required to enroll in JOUR 594ab (2-2 units).Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Examination (GPSE) Requirement
Journalism and strategic public relations graduate students are required to take a diagnostic exam at the Journalism Graduate Student Orientation in August to prepare for the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Examination (GPSE). Journalism and strategic public relations students will take the GPSE in their first semester of enrollment during final examination week.Graduate students who do not pass the GPSE may retake the exam the following spring semester. The GPSE will be offered on two dates in the spring term -- the first week in February and the week of spring final examinations. (Students will be notified of the exam dates at the start of the spring semester).
Graduate students must pass the GPSE by the completion of their second semester of enrollment or they will not be allowed to progress in the program and will be dismissed from the School of Journalism.
Note: Students with disabilities may register with the Disabilities Services and Programs office (DSP) so the DSP staff can assess the nature of the students’ disabilities and recommend the appropriate accommodations to be provided for each student.
Thesis/Comprehensive Examination
The thesis option will take one of two forms: (1) a professional project presenting the results of an extensive print, broadcast, public relations or new media project completed by the student; or (2) a research thesis presenting the results of primary research undertaken by the student. In either case, students must establish a guidance committee of three tenure-track members, chaired by a faculty member from the School of Journalism. At least two of these members must be on the faculty of the School of Journalism; one may be a faculty member from another school or department. Students must secure approval of the professional project or thesis prior to enrollment in JOUR 594a. Students who elect the thesis option are required to enroll in JOUR 594ab (2-2 units), normally during their second year of study. The 4 units will count toward the approved elective units.The comprehensive examination option allows students to complete the degree by passing a comprehensive examination in their last semester of course work.
New Media Core Curriculum
Students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Journalism are required to take 9 units of New Media Core courses (JOUR 501, JOUR 502, JOUR 503) in their first year. These courses provide intensive preparation considered necessary for graduate studies in journalism at USC. At the end of each New Media Core course, students will be given a comprehensive skills test that must be passed.In the 21st century it is imperative that all journalists understand the basic techniques of writing, reporting and production for all the new media in print, broadcast and online journalism. Upon graduation, students will be routinely expected to function in all new media, being able to report and write stories for a media corporation’s newspaper, Web site, and radio and television broadcasts, and to do this while covering a single story. The 9-unit New Media Core ensures every student has a background in all media before completing the more advanced courses in the 40-unit Master of Arts in Journalism. The three courses are:
JOUR 501 (3 units) is designed to teach the student basic newswriting and ethical framework for print, broadcast and online. The print segment includes basic newswriting, news judgment, construction of print news stories. The broadcast segment includes an introduction to broadcast newswriting with the emphasis on the ear and eye, creation of audio statements and creation of video elements. The online segment includes an introduction to online writing with an emphasis on context and relationship of topics and subjects to the story.
JOUR 502 (3 units) is designed to teach the student basic production and ethical framework for print, broadcast and online. The print segment includes copyediting and newspaper production layout, headline and caption writing and design. The broadcast segment includes studio and field production for radio and television and use of tape recorders and camcorders to produce simple field pieces. The online segment includes database creation and management, online journalism production and Web production.
JOUR 503 (3 units) is designed to teach the student basic reporting and ethical framework for print, broadcast and online. The print segment includes basic reporting techniques, public records reporting and beginning pieces of investigative journalism. The broadcast segment includes field reporting, radio and audio media, TV and other visual media. The online segment includes computer assisted reporting and precision reporting including statistics.
Master of Arts, Broadcast Journalism Emphasis
| Course requirements (40 Units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR 500 | Media and Society | 3 |
| JOUR 501 | Newswriting: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 502 | Production: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 503 | Reporting: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 505 | American Media History Seminar | 3 |
| JOUR 517 | Advanced Investigative Reporting | 3 |
| JOUR 521 | Broadcast Documentary, or | |
| JOUR 526 | Advanced Broadcast News Production | 3 |
| JOUR 560 | Seminar in Mass Communication Law | 3 |
Plus 16 units of approved elective courses* | ||
Master of Arts, Print Journalism Emphasis
| Course requirements (40 Units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR 500 | Media and Society | 3 |
| JOUR 501 | Newswriting: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 502 | Production: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 503 | Reporting: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 505 | American Media History Seminar | 3 |
| JOUR 517 | Advanced Investigative Reporting | 3 |
| JOUR 560 | Seminar in Mass Communication Law | 3 |
Plus 19 units of approved elective courses* | ||
Master of Arts, Online Journalism Emphasis
| course requirements (40 units) | units | |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR 500 | Media and Society | 3 |
| JOUR 501 | Newswriting: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 502 | Production: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 503 | Reporting: Print, Broadcast, Online | 3 |
| JOUR 505 | American Media History Seminar | 3 |
| JOUR 551 | Intermediate Online Publishing | 3 |
| JOUR 555 | Multimedia and Graphics in Online Publishing | 3 |
| JOUR 556 | Online Journalism Seminar | 3 |
| JOUR 560 | Seminar in Mass Communication Law | 3 |
Plus 13 units of approved elective courses* | ||
Master of Arts in Strategic Public Relations
| Course requirements (40 Units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR 504 | Public Relations Research and Evaluation | 3 |
| JOUR 508 | Introduction to Strategic Public Relations | 3 |
| JOUR 510 | Legal, Ethical and Social Foundations of Public Relations | 3 |
| JOUR 535 | Specialized Writing for Public Relations | 3 |
| JOUR 568 | Critical Thinking and Crisis Management | 3 |
| GSBA 520 | Business Fundamentals for Non-Business Professionals | 3 |
Plus 22 units of approved elective courses* | ||
Annenberg International Programs
Graduate Journalism Internships -- United Kingdom, Hong Kong or South Africa
Journalism master’s degree students may spend eight weeks at internships in London, Hong Kong or Cape Town during the summer after their first year of graduate study at USC. Students apply to Annenberg International Programs in the fall semester of their first year and accepted students enroll in JOUR 540 International Journalism Seminar I during the spring semester. From mid-May to mid-July, they then enroll in JOUR 542 Foreign Reporting and JOUR 543 Field Study while working full-time at internships with prominent media organizations.For more information, contact Annenberg International Programs at (213) 821-1276 or ascworld@usc.edu.
Graduate Strategic Public Relations Internships -- United Kingdom, Hong Kong or South Africa
Strategic Public Relations master’s degree students may spend eight weeks at internships in London, Hong Kong or Cape Town, during the summer after their first year of graduate study at USC. Students apply in the fall semester of their first year and accepted students enroll in JOUR 540 International Journalism Seminar I during the spring semester. From mid-May to mid-July, they then enroll in JOUR 532 International Public Relations and JOUR 543 Field Study while working full-time at internships with prominent public relations organizations.For more information, contact Annenberg International Programs at (213) 821-1276 or ascworld@usc.edu.