Degree Offered:
Master of Arts (professional project and thesis options)
Application Deadline:
February 15. Admitted students must begin the following Fall
Semester. No deferrals.
INTRODUCTION
Graduate students at the University of Montana School of Journalism follow a rigorous curriculum designed to give them practical instruction in journalism. Our graduates leave the program having profited from individual attention, as well as course work that provided them with the intellectual and historic foundations of the profession. The program is designed for college graduates with journalism experience ranging from a few years to none at all.
Students usually spend two years at Montana. At least three semesters, and sometimes four, are necessary to complete the coursework. The professional project, or thesis, culminates a student’s work in the fourth semester.
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Peggy Kuhr (Dean),
M.A., Gonzaga University
Sharon S. Barrett, M.A.,
University of Wisconsin. Magazine Writing, Editing
Jerry Brown, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, Graduate Law Seminar
Denise Dowling, M.A.,
Western Governors University. Reporting for Broadcast,
Broadcast Newsroom, Documentary Reporting, Advanced
Broadcast Reporting.
Ray Ekness, M.A., University of Montana. Introduction
to Radio Audio, Broadcast Operations, Graduate Broadcast
Operations, Advanced TV Production.
Ray Fanning, M.A., Northwestern University, M.F.A., Brandeis University. Introduction to Mass Media, Radio and Television News
Keith Graham, M.A., University of Missouri.
Photojournalism, Design, Multimedia
Jeremy Lurgio, M.A. University of Montana. Photojournalism, Design, Multimedia
Dennis McAuliffe Jr., B.A., University
of Maryland.
Dennis Swibold, M.A., University of Montana.
Public Affairs Reporting, Investigations, Editing,
Community Journalism
Carol Van Valkenburg, M.A., University of Montana.
Reporting, Writing, Editing, Native American Journalism,
Kaimin adviser
Sheri Venema, M.A. University of Minnesota.
Reporting, Editing, Media and Cultures,
Feature Writing, Online News
Nadia White, M.A. Columbia University. Current Events, Public Affairs Reporting.
Clemens P. Work, B.A., Stanford University;
J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law. Media
Law, Reporting, Editing, Montana Journalism Review
EMERITUS PROFESSORS
Nathaniel Blumberg, Ph.D., Oxford University
Charles E. Hood Jr., Ph.D., Washington
State University
Willaim L. Knowles, B.A. San Jose State University
Gregory MacDonald, M.A., University
of Michigan
Robert C. McGiffert, M.A., Ohio State
University
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SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM
The School of Journalism emphasize the hands-on development of professional skills and ethical standards in gathering, evaluating and reporting news. Ten to 12 students each year take small classes, participate in seminars and complete a professional project or thesis.We believe in providing ample opportunity for practice and meaningful feedback. Close work with the faculty is encouraged. We enroll only about 10 or 12 students a year because we know the importance of individual attention.
We offer a strong professional orientation. All full-time faculty members have invested at least 10 years as working journalists. We have held reporting, photography, editing/design and management jobs in a wide variety of organizations, from newspapers, wire services and broadcast stations here in the West to U.S. News & World Report, MontanaPBS, news stations in Spokane and elsewhere, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post, the Miami Herald, the San Jose Mercury News, the Roanoke Times, the Arizona Daily Star, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Hartford Courant. We know the field well, and we stay fresh by visiting and working in newsrooms and studios frequently.
Our objectives are to provide students with professional training in writing, reporting, editing, broadcasting and photojournalism; to encourage them to think, perceive and analyze effectively, and to form perspectives on the human condition; to help them understand the problems, trends and developments of the news media and their effects on society; and to inspire students to use their talents to improve journalism.
Our graduate students are a bright, energetic and diverse group who come from many regions of the United States, as well as from Europe, Africa and Asia. Recent graduates have published their professional projects or portions of them in magazines, newspapers and even on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Our alumni find challenging and meaningful careers, joining distinguished alumni who include Rhodes Scholars, winners of the George Polk and Ernie Pyle awards and recipients of the Pulitzer Prize.
Columbia Journalism Review has cited Montana's School of Journalism as one of eight in America that, in the view of hiring editors and news directors, consistently prepare graduates to "hit the ground running" when they enter the profession.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the general Graduate School admission requirements,
applicants must:
• show evidence of potential and strong interest in journalism.
• submit an essay on a separate sheet of paper on the following
topic:
Identify a problem or issue in your hometown or state and write an essay of no more than 500 words about it. Why does the problem exist? What solutions have local leaders offered? Be specific. Although
we don't expect applicants to write journalistically,
we do look for evidence of thought, clarity, expression and attention
to grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• submit a personal statement of purpose (which will be
carefully considered)
NOTE: Applicants to the photojournalism program
must submit a portfolio of 15 to 20 photos on CD or as 35mm slides or as 8”x10”
prints.
Applicants whose primary language is not English must achieve
a score of 600 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL),
but are not required to present GRE scores.
We do not accept LSAT scores.
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Degree Requirements
Students may choose options in print journalism, photojournalism, and broadcast journalism. Each emphasis has its own set of required courses, but all students must take reporting, media law, the graduate seminar, the project seminar, and the capstone documentary class in the third semester.
Students who did not complete substantial coursework in the liberal arts and natural sciences as undergraduates may have to take classes in these areas.
If a student has not already completed an academic year of a foreign language, the School of Journalism may add that requirement. Since we require little or no professional experience, it may also be necessary to take one or more of our school's basic undergraduate courses that do not earn graduate credit. All graduate students must complete an internship or similar practical professional experience to receive the degree.
Students also must complete either the professional project or the thesis, enrolling for six semester credits while doing this work.
Sample curricula
See sample curricula for each option: Print :: Photojournalism :: Broadcast
Professional Project Option
Graduating with the professional project option requires a total of 36 semester credits, divided as follows: 6 credits for the professional project and at least 16 credits in journalism courses. Other courses are elective. Some coursework should be taken in disciplines outside journalism.
The project, undertaken in the second year, must demonstrate journalistic skills of a highly professional caliber as judged by each student’s committee chair. The project must be of a sufficient weight and scope to make a substantial journalistic contribution to knowledge in a particular area. It can be, for example, a series of articles suitable for publication, a book manuscript, a television or radio documentary, or a challenging photojournalism assignment.
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Thesis Option
The thesis option requires a total of 36 semester credits, divided as follows: 6 credits for the thesis, at least 16 credits in journalism courses. Other courses are elective. Some coursework should be taken in disciplines outside journalism.
The thesis must constitute substantial research and must demonstrate a high level of scholarship and writing ability. A thesis project might be a history of a news organization, a biography of a significant journalist, an analysis of a provocative news episode, issue or news-media performance, or a study of problems relating to news-media freedoms and responsibilities.
Course Offerings
To complete the degree, students may choose from a variety of challenging courses. The required reporting courses may be supplemented with such electives as Community News Service, Montana Journalism Review and the Native News Honors Project. Our sequence of Elementary Newspaper Photojournalism and Picture Story/Photographic Essay helps develop aesthetic aptitudes, news judgment and visual story-telling skills. Multimedia/Visual Storytelling explores how to use the Internet as a press outlet. News Editing I emphasizes clarity, consistency and fairness in story content in addition to developing skills of headline writing, while News Editing II provides practice in layout and publication design. Students may take Feature Writing, Magazine Article Writing or specialized writing courses. Those who emphasize broadcasting may select courses in Broadcast News, Programming, Documentaries, Television Production and Broadcast Operations. All master's candidates enroll in the graduate Media Law Seminar.
Financial Support
A variety of scholarships, grants and loans are available through the Office of Financial Aid.
In addition, the School of Journalism offers several fellowships for graduate students. You may apply for them only after you have been admitted, but we encourage mentioning your interest in the letter that accompanies your graduate school application.
The Kim Williams Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student in journalism who seeks to specialize in environmental reporting.
The Harry and Pat Billings Fellowship is awarded to a woman graduate student who demonstrates an interest in public affairs.
The Ted Delaney Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student who shows
special proficiency in writing.
For additional information please contact Professor
Dennis Swibold, Director
of Graduate Studies, Don Anderson Hall Room 427, (406) 243-2230.
Website: http://www.umt.edu/journalism
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