The Department offers two graduate degrees: The Master of Science in Journalism (MS) and the Master of Journalism (MJ). The MS is offered as a standalone degree or in combination with the BS in Journalism degree. The MJ is meant to be pursued in combination with the BS in Journalism degree.
The MS program is designed to meet the goals of three types of students: 1) students who have recently earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism or a related field and want to explore a specific type of journalism in greater depth, 2) mid-career journalists who want to expand their professional skills in multimedia, investigative, narrative or immersion journalism, and 3) students who either hold or are pursuing a terminal degree in selected fields (including but not limited to science, technology, engineering and math) seeking to complement their expertise with journalistic skills for communicating it to the public.
Applicants to the Master of Science in Journalism degree must have a 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution or one of recognized standing abroad. A grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is the minimum requirement for admission to the Master of Science programs.
For international students, a minimum score of 600 is required on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (250 on the computer-based test). IELTS scores must be 6.5 and 6 or higher on any/all sub-sections.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of all applicants who do not have either an undergraduate journalism degree from the University of Illinois or an approved post-secondary degree.