This program is designed primarily for individuals who have an academic or professional background in some area of media communication and who seek to enhance their careers through specialized study in a selected area. Exceptional applicants without these qualifications may be accepted on the condition that they complete one noncredit preparatory course. The M.A. in professional journalism is considered a terminal degree. It does not ordinarily prepare students for doctoral work.
In consultation with an academic adviser, each student creates an individually focused program of courses chosen from inside and outside the school. Some examples include narrative writing, investigative reporting, publication design and broadcast news within the school and outside areas in the arts, law, political science, business, medicine, science, the environment, book arts, and race, gender and sexuality studies.
Students who have a background in journalism might choose to develop a focus in an outside area of study for some of their electives. Those new to the study of journalism and media communication may want to focus all their study in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Building on conceptual and advanced skills courses, students complete their programs with a master's project of a professional nature, such as a depth reporting series, design, multimedia, video or documentary photography project, or applied research on a mass communication topic.
All courses are chosen in consultation with the student's academic adviser
The following courses are required in the Master’s Professional Program (MAP).
| 019:225 Contemporary Problems in Journalism | 3 s.h. |
| 019:226 Advanced Master’s Reporting and Writing | 3 s.h. |
| 019:229 Master’s Media Project | 3 s.h. |
| A conceptual course chosen from 019:140-019:169 or 019:250 and above | 3 s.h. |
| Advanced writing or workshop (2 courses) from the 19:120, 019:130, 019:170 and 19:220 series | 6-8 s.h. |
| *Electives in journalism and mass communication or outside focus area (3 courses) | 9-12 |
| 019:299 Master's Research ( professional project) | 3 s.h. |
*Students who have not taken a recent U.S. media law class must enroll in 019:140 Legal and Ethical Issues in Communication or an alternative media law course, with the consent of the instructor and approval of the student’s adviser.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Law offer a joint degree program to M.A. and Ph.D. students. To participate, students must be admitted to both the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Law. Some law credits will count towards degrees in the School, and some journalism and mass communication credits will count towards a law degree. Students who complete the program will earn two degrees.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication moved into the new 65,000 square foot Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building in January 2005. The building has computer laboratories for audio, video, design, writing and web publishing. Photography and typography laboratories are located nearby. Housed in Adler are a resource center, the offices of the Iowa High School Press Association and the Quill and Scroll, an international honor society of high school journalist, as well as the University’s award-winning student newspaper,The Daily Iowan.
The center encourages and facilitates student and faculty research in the field of communication. It also sponsors publications and oversees editing of two periodicals, the Journal of Communication Inquiry and the online periodical, The Iowa Guide: Scholarly Journals in Mass Communication and Related Fields http:iowaguide.uiowa.edu.
More than $110,000 in scholarships is disbursed to undergraduate and professional master’s journalism majors each year. Information and applications for journalism scholarships are available from the school each spring. Research and teaching assistantships are available for graduate students, with preference given to doctoral students. Journalism and mass communication students have been successful in winning competitive fellowships open to all graduate students. Fellowships require nomination by the Graduate Committee. The school also has a program of modest financial support for undergraduate and graduate student research projects.
The school encourages professional students to complete at least one internship during their studies. The school's internship and placement coordinator helps students find appropriate internships. Undergraduate students may take one internship for credit, registering with appropriate faculty sponsorship for the course 019:099 Journalism Internship. This internship credit does not fulfill requirements for the major, but it does count toward the maximum 40 s.h. of journalism and mass communication credit an undergraduate student may apply toward the degree. Students may take additional internships for no credit through 409:019 Internship in Journalism. M.A. professional students may also work with the internship coordinator to find opportunities. In addition to internships, student-operated media--including The Daily Iowan and KRUI-FM radio--provide students with opportunities for journalism experience on campus.
The school's internship and placement coordinator helps students seeking career guidance and employment opportunities. The school posts notices of professional jobs open to journalism students and graduates and publicizes them on its electronic mailing list. It cooperates with the University's Career Center in providing career guidance and placement services as well as workshops and programs on job-seeking skills.
The school engages in a variety of activities for the enrichment of students, faculty, and the entire campus. Speakers visit campus each year under lectureships funded by the John F. Murray and Leslie G. Moeller Fund. In addition, guest speakers are funded through the Hearst Visiting Professionals Program and the Hageboeck Daily Iowan Visiting Professionals Program. Campus organizations for students include Kappa Tau Alpha (KTA), a national society honoring scholarship in journalism), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Radio and Television News Directors’ Association (RTNDA).
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