Medill Graduate Journalism Program

Medill Graduate Journalism Program

MEDILL, A LEADER IN EDUCATION SINCE 1921, will train you to be a professional journalist in just one year. Our Master of Science in Journalism (MSJ) program combines timeless skills and values with the latest storytelling techniques and technologies to help you thrive as a contemporary journalist.

THE MEDILL MSJ STANDS FOR: REPORTING Reporting is fundamental to the craft of journalism. In a society where anyone can publish, understanding how to gather accurate and reliable information from data, search, interviewing, and old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting differentiates good journalism from bad. Each quarter will build on your understanding of reporting, editing, and producing techniques. ETHICS Journalists must uphold the highest ethical standards. Medill will help you understand ethical frameworks and practice ethical decision-making throughout your career. MULTIMEDIA PROFICIENCY Digital skills are the backbone of modern journalism. You will gain in-depth experience working in a multi-faceted newsroom, learn how to operate in mobile-reporting environments, and bring digital narrative to your storytelling. REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE Medill has a learn-bydoing tradition modeled around the newsroom. Additionally, you will have opportunities to interact with alumni, learn from industry partners, visit off-site media enterprises, and practice journalism and communications around the globe. INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP Having a deep knowledge of audience understanding and industry practices from the past and present will help you spur future change. Sharpen your leadership skills as you work in team environments to create innovative products that fulfill audience needs. DIVERSITY AND GLOBAL AWARENESS A journalist has the responsibility to overcome bias, understand diverse cultures, and comprehend journalism s role in the world. Medill emphasizes the importance of developing a global mindset and presents unique opportunities to practice journalism abroad.

BECOME A MULTI-PLATFORM STORYTELLER In addition to digital proficiency, all students will choose a primary storytelling mode in which to master reporting skills. Select one of the following: News Reporting & Writing Magazine Reporting & Writing Video Reporting & Writing REFINE YOUR SKILL SET In addition to choosing a storytelling mode, you may target specific skills by honing in on various techniques and subject areas through a cluster of courses. Clusters typically contain two to three classes plus reporting courses. Choose a cluster or two of study, or create your own specialization mixing and matching classes. Please note that not all cluster classes are available every quarter. Examples of clusters may include: Interactive Storytelling Interactive Producing Magazine Editing & Producing Magazine Narrative Broadcast Reporting & Producing Documentary Journalism Health, Environment & Science Journalism Business Journalism Sports Journalism National Security Journalism Media Product Development Social Justice and Investigative Reporting

SUBJECT-AREA SPECIALTIES SPORTS The Medill Sports Immersion Program offers a wealth of co-curricular activities to prepare you for a career in sports reporting, marketing, or public relations. In addition to travel opportunities, externships, and coursework that provides you with hands-on experience and up-close looks at the world of sports communications, you will be paired with a mentor from the vast network of Medill alumni who are working in the field. GLOBAL Medill offers a range of international experiences, including journalism residencies with media in a variety of countries, funding for reporting trips abroad through its Lund program, global reporting classes, and organized trips to visit companies and media organizations. Our global speakers series will also give you the chance to meet, learn, and interact with international journalists and communicators. SOCIAL JUSTICE The Medill Social Justice Initiative provides a wealth of curricular and co-curricular experiences that together equip you with a portfolio upon graduation that positions you to work in journalism and in not-for-profit sectors that seek reporting exposure to societal inequities and systemic abuses. You will explore crucial social issues at a ground-level perspective, through immersive experiences with not-for-profits, community groups, and other agencies working in Chicago s neighborhoods. HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE This specialization gives you access to co-curricular activities at national laboratories, technology incubators, and medical research hubs. Domestic and global travel opportunities, externships, newsroom reporting, and coursework offer you hands-on experience and up-close engagement with science communications. Medill will prepare you for a career in science reporting, marketing, or public relations.

BUSINESS You will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the richness and complexity of the U.S. and global economy, the markets, the companies that drive growth and jobs, and the government agencies that police them. In Chicago, you will spend time on the trading floors of the Chicago Mercantile Group, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and a money-center bank, learning about markets that set the price of everything from a gallon of gas to home mortgages. THE CHICAGO NEWSROOM EXPERIENCE In the second quarter, you will learn beat reporting and deadline-driven news reporting. You will also begin specializing in different storytelling formats in Medill s Chicago Newsroom. There, you will have the chance to produce news through a website that showcases the best of student work. Together, the newsroom and website feature real-time reporting models that engage social media and cross-platform storytelling, enabling you to break news in multiple modes, as stories unfold. You may spend the third quarter in the Chicago Newsroom as well. THE WASHINGTON, D.C., NEWSROOM EXPERIENCE You will have the option to report from Medill s Washington, D.C., Newsroom during the third and/or fourth quarters. There, you will learn how to cover issues related to public policy and national security, from the halls of power on Capitol Hill to events at the White House.

GLOBAL RESIDENCY No journalism school in the country has a program like Medill s Global Residency. You may participate in the program as an optional fifth quarter and work at a major news organization in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East or South America. You will work side-by-side with the best in the business in coveted positions at TV stations, magazines, wire services, news websites, or media start-ups. DEDICATED FACULTY Medill boasts a highly engaged faculty who are committed to your success. Our seasoned faculty bring decades of industry experience to our newsrooms and classrooms. More than just editors and advisers, they also serve as mentors throughout the program and your career. THE MEDILL NETWORK Medill graduates are a close-knit, loyal family 15,000 strong working across industries and at a diverse range of media companies worldwide. Being a member of the Medill Network provides access not only to Medill graduates but also to the entire Northwestern alumni community, and all of the benefits and opportunities held within. Visit www.medillcareers.com to find out what doors a Medill degree opens.

STAY IN TOUCH To learn more about our program, please visit medill.northwestern.edu or email MedillGraduateAdmissions@northwestern.edu with specific questions. Follow us on Twitter @MedillSchool. APPLY NOW Medill enrolls students three times a year: Winter (January), Summer (June) and Fall (September). We are currently accepting applications for 2015, starting with our Winter class. Apply online at medill.northwestern.edu/admissions/apply.