Master of Arts in Journalism
Career Opportunities
Increasingly, news and other communication outlets are looking for people with specialized knowledge in a particular area, as well as the skills necessary to function in a convergent information environment. The demand for graduates with a background in business or science and medical journalism is especially strong right now, and will continue to grow in the future, as the reading and viewing public grapples with more complex issues and needs the clear and accurate explanation that only journalists with in-depth field-specific training can provide. Across the country, science writers with a strong background in health and medical issues are in growing demand because of the aging population and the increasing complexity of our health care environment. Business reporters who understand the technical complexity of our business environment are also always in demand.
An M.A. in Journalism prepares students not only for jobs in newspapers, magazines and online publications, but also for a wide range of other professional careers. Graduates of the program will be well-trained to serve as public information officers for government and nonprofit organizations; to write and edit in-house publications for businesses, medical centers, or research laboratories; to serve as fundraising writers in development offices; and to take advantage of the growing market for business and health newsletters. Other graduates may opt to become technical writers or editors for trade magazines or book publishers. In short, graduates will be welcomed wherever there is a need for people who can understand complex information and communicate it effectively to general audiences.
Through a diverse set of courses and practical experiences, our program produces graduates with a solid grounding in skills and ethics and the flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing demands of professional journalism.
Hofstra is located a short distance from New York City, the communications capital of the country. The New York metropolitan area is home to most of the nation's 10,000 magazines, three major dailies and hundreds of smaller newspapers, the major broadcast networks and dozens of cable stations, and the largest public relations firms in the world. In addition, students specializing in science and medical journalism will be able to intern at medical centers, pharmaceutical laboratories, or university public information offices. Students specializing in business journalism will be within easy commuting distance of Wall Street and Madison Avenue, and can access a wealth of business-to-business publishing.