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Best Journalism Schools in the U.S. (J-Schools)

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So you would like to become a journalist?

Good choice! How many jobs can keep you continually challenged to learn new things, to provide valuable information to other people, to use your curiosity about the world and explore? Those things and more are part of being a journalist today!

Whether you're looking for a college for yourself or your soon-to-be-college-bound daughter or son -- or whether you want to get a graduate degree -- this lens is intended to help you make a good decision. Although it is not possible to discuss every journalism program at every college and university in the nation, you will get some pointers to help you make an informed decision.

Contents at a Glance

First, What Is a Journalist?
Some Good Undergraduate Programs
Some Good Graduate Programs
What Is Accreditation?
Annual Surveys of Journalism and Mass Co...
Related Articles and Lists

The reporters at the local newspaper are journalists, of course. So are their editors, and the people who take the photographs, and even the people who draw the maps. All of these are forms of gathering and analyzing true information, and then presenting it to an audience in a usable format.

TV news programs have reporters and editors too -- and producers, assignment editors, news directors, and photographers.

Some journalists work for magazines, others for radio, and still others for Web sites. For example, the journalists who work at MSNBC.com do not work for NBC TV ... or even MSNBC TV. They work for the "dot com" -- the online medium.

Nowadays, many journalists work in more than one medium. A reporter might first post a short summary for the Web site, then go on TV at midday and make a report in front of the camera, and finally, write a full text story for the print newspaper before going home. A photographer at a newspaper might gather audio and edit it, and later build a slideshow for the Web.

Some Good Undergraduate Programs

What to look for: Do the professors have professional journalism experience? Can students take classes in photojournalism, TV, audio and online media as well as reporting and writing? What opportunities do students have to practice their skills? Does the school operate a TV studio? Is there a daily student newspaper?

Ball State University: Programs in journalism graphics, magazine, news-editorial, photojournalism.
Indiana University - Bloomington: One journalism program, with advanced courses in newspaper, magazine, broadcast news, photojournalism, editing, and news analysis and opinion writing.
University of Florida: Programs in reporting, editing, magazine, online, photojournalism, broadcast news. Disclaimer: I teach online journalism here!
University of Maryland: Programs in broadcast, online, and print journalism.
University of Missouri: Programs in convergence journalism, magazine, newspaper, photojournalism, radio-television.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Programs in electronic communication, news-editorial, journalism, visual communication.

Some Good Graduate Programs

These universities offer a master's degree that is focused on the professional practice of journalism. Some of them ALSO have a research-focused program. You want to understand this distinction and make sure the school you choose offers the courses that you hope to take.

Columbia University: One year, full-time; two to three years, part-time; Master of Science.
Northwestern University: A 12-month full-time program; Master of Science in Journalism.
Syracuse University: Various master's programs are offered, including new media (one year) and broadcast journalism (40 credits). Some are a Master of Science and others are a Master of Arts.
University of California, Berkeley: Two-year, full-time program; Master of Journalism.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Two-year, full-time program; Master of Arts in Mass Communication.

What Is Accreditation?

Journalism programs may be accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).

"The Accrediting Council does not define specific curricula, courses or methods of instruction.... The Council judges programs against the objectives that units and institutions set for themselves and against the standards that the Council sets forth for preparing students for professional careers in journalism and mass communications."

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ACEJMC Accrediting Standards: List of the nine standards applied in the accreditation process, with full explanations of each standard.
List of ACEJMC Accredited Programs: "ACEJMC accredits 109 programs in journalism and mass communications at colleges and universities in the United States and one at a university outside the country. ACEJMC does not rate units or put them in any rank order. The listing of a unit as accredited indicates that the unit has been judged by ACEJMC to meet its standards."

Annual Surveys of Journalism and Mass Communication

Each year, a large survey of journalism schools and graduates is conducted by the Cox International Center, a unit of the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. The data for the previous year are made public in August.

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Annual Surveys of Journalism and Mass Communication: "Improvements in the job market continued in 2005 for journalism and mass communication graduates ... 2005 journalism and mass communication bachelor's degree recipients were more likely to have at least one in-person job interview, had more job offers on graduation, and were more likely to actually land a full-time job than were 2004 graduates."
2005 Survey of Editors and News Directors: "Journalism and mass communication graduates made up 85% of those hired directly from college by the daily newspaper industry in 2005; that figure is up from 78% five years ago ... Television newsrooms once again hired more than nine in 10 of its college hires from journalism and mass communication programs."

Best Journalism Schools in the U.S. (J-Schools)

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

First, What Is a Journalist?

Some Good Undergraduate Programs

Some Good Graduate Programs

What Is Accreditation?

Annual Surveys of Journalism and Mass Communication

Related Articles and Lists

Helpful Books for New Journalists

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