J.D./M.A. in Journalism

This joint degree program allows students to earn a J.D. and an M.A. in Journalism in 3 to 3½ years. Student complete a total of 109 credit hours for the joint degree. The program will allow 9 J.D. credit hours to be applied to the M.A. degree and 6 M.A. credit hours to be applied to the J.D. degree, saving the student 15 credit hours between the two programs.

The program in journalism has 15 credits of required courses and 12 credits of elective courses (plus 9 credits that will be transferred from the School of Law). Law students with particular areas of interest may consult with a faculty advisor in Journalism to request course substitutions. As journalism evolves, the core and list of electives will evolve as well.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to the graduate studies for the Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Communication joint degree are:

  • Students must be admitted to the Law School first, prior to enrollment in the School of Communication, checking a box on their application indicating their interest in the joint degree program. Once accepted to the Law School, the student's law school application including LSAT score, undergraduate transcript, and letters of recommendation (two of them required for the J.D. program) will be sent to the School of Communication for review. The student will then receive notification from the School of Communication regarding his/her admission to the joint degree program. 
  • LSAT score may be submitted in lieu of the GRE score. 

General notes:

  • Students will be admitted to the Law School J.D. program and the School of Communication (SoC) master's program separately.
  • Students in this joint degree program must commence law study first.
  • Students who have already commenced work on the SoC M.A. are not eligible for the  joint program. 

Curriculum Requirements

JD REQUIREMENTS73
LAW ELECTIVES IN FULFILLMENT OF BOTH DEGREES9
Select from the following or others with approval:
Administrative Law
Communication Law
Constitutional Law II
Copyright Law
First Amendment
Intellectual Property Problem Solving
Internet Law
MA IN JOURNALISM REQUIREMENTS
COM 605Theories and Methods for Mass Communication Research3
JMM 692Special Topics in Journalism and Media Management (Online Journalism)3
Journalism Electives15
Select five of the following:
Latin American Journalism and Media Systems
Television News Reporting
Reporting and the Internet
Introduction to Infographics and Data Visualization
Sports Reporting
Television News Producing
Seminar in Visual Storytelling
Advanced Audio Video Narratives
Feature Writing
3D Design and Graphics
Advanced Projects and Directed Research
Collaborative Innovation Laboratory
Intro to Creative Coding
Interactive Media Business Essentials
Immersive Storytelling
Sound Design
JOURNALISM COURSES IN FULFILLMENT OF BOTH DEGREES
JMM 614Law and Ethics in Journalism and Media Management3
JMM 615Writing and Reporting Across Platforms3
Total Credit Hours109