Master of Arts in Journalism

The Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations is dedicated to a quality liberal arts education. The journalism program teaches fundamental reporting and multimedia skills, critical thinking, and effective oral and written expression. The Department seeks to educate individuals for careers as truthful and accurate media professionals, such as reporters, producers, editors and broadcasters.

The Master of Arts in Journalism, offered by the Department of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations, on the Long Island, New York campus of Hofstra University, is a professional program that prepares students to become ethical, skilled providers of news. After completing a core of journalism ethics, reporting, writing and multimedia skills courses, students may pursue study in the specialized fields of business, science, health and or sports reporting, or current public relations practices.

Elective courses offered also include graduate classes from the highly-ranked Frank G. Zarb School of Business, departments within the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and/or the Master of Health Administration Program.

In their final year, students may complete an internship at a media outlet. The program is located a short distance from New York City, the communications capital of the country.

Working closely with a graduate advisor, graduate journalism students will also produce as a Capstone Project a major piece of journalism during their final semester. These Projects should be a major piece of written journalism, such as an extensive single article or a multi-part series of articles that examine an issue thoroughly. All projects must be submitted in a published online format (as a blog or Web site) and must include, in addition to the written text, at least two multimedia components, such as photos, video, audio, graphics, and/or charts. Students should include their plans for multimedia components in the initial proposal, and all projects must be presented and defended orally before a Graduate Committee composed of faculty members from within the Department.

The M.A. Journalism Program emphasizes the application of journalism skills to broader social goals. The curriculum is grounded within the framework of liberal arts education and the principles by which journalists and scholars work in a democratic society.