The School of Communication and Journalism Graduate Program
The M.S. program in Journalism combines traditional reporting, multimedia storytelling and journalistic ethics with cutting-edge issues in the media industry, including data visualization, solutions journalism, and inclusive community engagement. The program is designed to meet the needs of students of varying backgrounds, including those who are new to journalism, recent graduates, and working media professionals seeking to advance their skills and their careers. The 33-credit program is offered by Stony Brook’s School of Communication and Journalism - the only school in the SUNY system accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).
Students will take classes designed to nurture and enhance their storytelling skills across media formats, including text, audio and video. They will gain an understanding of media law and fully engage with the ethics of journalism as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists. They will examine data to find and tell stories in ways that are accurate and engaging. They will explore Solutions Journalism, and learn to look for stories about organizations and communities seeking to solve problems in unique ways. Underpinning these skills, students will learn to question their own biases and recognize how their own experiences shape the ways they see and interact with the world. In this way, students will become media professionals who understand and are committed to working within and among the communities they cover.
Students will learn from leading journalists, including recognized experts in audience engagement and innovation, Pulitzer-Prize winners, and foreign correspondents. They will do their work and take classes in professional-caliber spaces, including the School’s two-story newsroom and state-of-the-art TV studio and control room. A train ride away from the world’s media hub, they will complete professional projects and network with industry professionals working in and around New York City.
Journalism
Dean of the School of Communication and Journalism
Laura Lindenfeld, Melville Library, 4th floor
Graduate Program Director
Elizabeth Bojsza, Melville Library, 4th floor
For information related to applications, email SOCJ_grad@stonybrook.edu
For information about the School of Communication and Journalism, please visit www.stonybrook.edu/journalism
Admission to the M.S. in Journalism
Students can be admitted with degrees in any field. Admissions requirements include:
A committee consisting of the Graduate Program Director and program faculty will evaluate all applications, including exceptions to the requirements.
Applicants may be invited to interview via video conference.
Requirements for the M.S. Degree in Journalism
Requirements for the M.S. Degree in Journalism
To earn the master's degree in journalism, students must complete 33 credits. Faculty advisors will guide students in creating educational plans that best fit their backgrounds, interests and aspirations. The curriculum is built around a core group of required courses:
JRN 510: Reporting and Writing for Journalism
JRN 520: Multimedia Journalism
JRN 521: Solutions Journalism
JRN 577: Communication Law and Ethics
JRN 583: Principles of Inclusive Engagement
JRN 560: Graduate Internship
JRN 600: Master’s Project in Journalism
JRN 615: Data Storytelling
Students must attain a grade of at least B, or 3.0, in the core courses to have them count toward the degree.
Along with the core courses, students will take skills courses in digital and other forms of reporting, as well as electives ranging from science communication and reporting, to strategic communication.
School of Communication and Journalism Facilities
The School of Communication and Journalism maintains a technologically advanced, $1.3 million, bi-level Newsroom. It is located on the ground floor of Melville Library, and is equipped with 38 workstations, with a collaborative learning system that allows any piece of work to be displayed simultaneously on any or all desktops, as well as on a large projection screen. Each workstation has two displays and industry standard software such as the full Adobe Creative Suite and other industry-standard story editing software.
The School of Communication and Journalism also has a fully equipped HD TV studio, with multiple studio cameras, teleprompters, an anchor desk, an interview set, chroma key green-screen set and a control room. Mobile equipment available for use by journalism students in the field includes Padcasters to broadcast live remotely, JVC 4K video cameras, Nikon D610 and D7500 DSLR video/still cameras SB700 Speedlights and digital audio recorders. Students can collaborate on projects between the Newsroom and studio spaces using state-of-the-art production software.
Students in the M.S. program will have access to a wide range of library and online resources.
School of Communication and Journalism Faculty
For an updated list of faculty, click here
Journalism
Dean of the School of Communication and Journalism
Laura Lindenfeld, Melville Library, 4th floor
Graduate Program Director
Elizabeth Bojsza, Melville Library, 4th floor
For information related to applications, email SOCJ_grad@stonybrook.edu
For information about the School of Communication and Journalism, please visit www.stonybrook.edu/journalism