Program Faculty
DeWayne Wickham
Dean and Distinguished Professor of Journalism
Carl Hyden
Associate Dean for Administration
Acting Director of Graduate Studies
Jackie Jones
Assistant Dean for Programs
Chair, Department of Multimedia Journalism
Communication Center Building 363
(443) 885-3502
jacqueline.jones@morgan.edu
Program Description
Mission Statement:
“We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us”
When Samuel Cornish and John B. Russwurm wrote these words nearly two centuries ago in Freedom’s Journal, this nation’s first black newspaper, the voices they wanted to empower belonged to an enslaved people. Today, the mission of Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication is to give voice to a broader group of people – people who struggle to contribute to the public discourse that shapes this nation and the world. We serve this cause with innovative teaching, cutting edge research and exemplary service to Maryland, our nation and the world.
Our goal is to add to the diversity of thoughts, opinions, and beliefs by offering students from a wide range of backgrounds the education and skills training they need to effectively communicate ideas – to plead their own causes and to accurately tell the stories of others.
In our global school, students travel the world in their classes and assignments, without leaving the campus. They may also see the world through interactions with partner programs at universities in this country and abroad – and they may have opportunities to travel abroad. All of this is possible because the great advances in technology have turned the world into a global village. Our school seeks to make our graduates effective communicators in every way – and in every corner of this village.
Program Objectives
The Master of Arts in Journalism is an advanced program that is solidly grounded in knowledge-based journalism, which is multi-disciplinary and designed to train future journalists to undertake in-depth reporting on the kinds of complex issues facing today’s world. Such areas could include, but would not be limited to political/social policy, arts and culture, international relations, business and economics, science and technology, health, environmental issues, urban planning, etc. Upon finishing the MA in Journalism, it is expected that students will:
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be able to write and edit for various delivery platforms, including print, broadcast and online media, social media, mobile applications and other delivery systems used for reporting the news and,
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that they will be able to do so by being able to record and edit audio and video materials for use across all media platforms.
General Requirements
Candidates for the Master of Arts degree in Journalism must complete a minimum of thirty-six (36) academic credit hours, which include nine (9) credits hours of core required courses, fifteen (15) credit hours in journalism, nine (9) credit hours of courses in an out-of-unit content area and three (3) credit hours of Master’s Project.
For the out-of-unit content area, students will take three courses for which they may qualify in a single discipline in which Morgan State University offers a master’s degree. The content area must first be approved as part of the student’s advising process. Subsequently, the courses the student wishes to take must also be approved by the student’s advisor in advance of enrolling in them.
Admission
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Arts Program in Journalism, applicants must meet the following requirements.
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They must have earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related discipline from an accredited college or university. Alternatively, they may have earned a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field from an accredited college or university and have a job history in professional journalism.
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They must have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better to be considered for regular admission. At the discretion of the Deans of the School of Global Journalism & Communication and the School of Graduate Studies, an applicant may be conditionally admitted with an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of between 2.5 and less than 3.0.
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They must submit an application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies using the application system. All required documents must be submitted as directed by the School of Graduate studies prior to program review and admission decision.
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The must use the application system to arrange for three letters of recommendation to be placed within the application. Those letters of recommendation must come from three practicing journalists, other professionals or academicians who are familiar with their work.
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They must prepare a typed personal statement describing their personal and professional plans and the reasons for selecting Morgan State University and submit it using the application system.
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They must submit as part of the review process a portfolio of writing samples, which may include print, broadcast or digital sample, with a combination of such samples being preferred.
Master’s Project
The Master of Arts in Journalism does not require a comprehensive examination or a master’s thesis as a condition for the degree. Instead students undertake a single major journalistic project focused in their out-of-unit content area. The project tests the student’s ability to conduct research, to organize bodies of information and to write and report using multiple platforms. This project is executed as part of JOUR 597 – Master’s Project I, which is a requirement for graduation.
Additional Requirements
The very highest ethical standards are expected in all classes in the School of Global Journalism & Communication. All work done in all classes is expected to be the student’s own work. They are expected to conform in all ways to the rules of evidence and research and to all appropriate rules involving citation of sources for materials not of their own creation. Students must comply with all laws and the legal rights of others (e.g., copyright, obscenity, privacy and defamation) and with all Morgan State University policies concerning academic dishonesty. Finally, it is never appropriate for any student to use the same work to fulfill assignments given in different classes.
As journalists, students are expected to have a working knowledge of U.S. copyright laws, in general, and the fair use exception, in particular. The Fair Use doctrine permits a “limited” amount of reproducing and/or distributing of a copyrighted work(s), without the copyright owner’s permission, if it is used for teaching, research or scholarship, news reporting, criticism, or comment.
Program Course Requirements
Master of Arts in Journalism (30 credit hours)
JOUR 501 – Writing for Knowledge-Based Journalism 3
JOUR 502 – Information Gathering and Research 3
JOUR 503 – Mass Communication Law and Ethics 3
JOUR 510 – Editing Techniques 3
JOUR 512 - Investigative Reporting 3
JOUR 513 - Feature Writing 3
JOUR 515 - Profile and Biography Writing 3
JOUR 520 – Legal Affairs Writing 3
JOUR 530 – Financial Journalism 3
JOUR 531 – Science Reporting 3
JOUR 532 – Political Reporting 3
JOUR 533 – Multimedia Storytelling 3
JOUR 535 – Social Justice Reporting 3
JOUR 538 – Sports Journalism in the Digital Age 3
JOUR 543 – Interactive Media 3
JOUR 560 - The Media Business 3
JOUR 561 – Seminar in Cultural Literacy 3
JOUR 562 – International Journalism 3
For the out-of-unit content area, students will take three courses for which they may qualify in a single discipline in which Morgan State University offers a master’s degree. The content area must first be approved as part of the student’s advising process. Subsequently, the courses the student wishes to take must also be approved by the student’s advisor in advance of enrolling in them.
The student will undertake a single major journalistic project focused on the student’s out-of-unit content area. The project will test the student’s ability to conduct research, organize bodies of information and write and report using multiple platforms.
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