Admission Standards and Procedures

Applicants to the program are evaluated on a monthly basis. Students may be admitted for the fall or spring semesters or for the summer session. Admission to the journalism program is competitive. Multiple criteria are considered and include cumulative grade point averages, relevant employment history in the form of a resume, and a personal goal statement.

Applicants whose highest degree is from a foreign university must have their credentials evaluated. The university will accept evaluations done by any credentialing agency listed on the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services web site (http://www.naces.org).

Program Requirements

1. Courses and credit hours. Students will complete their degrees with a minimum of 30 hours of graduate credit. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the graduate faculty of the department. Student work must be completed at a level of performance satisfactory to the graduate faculty. Students must complete all journalism courses with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Course work taken outside the department must be approved by the student’s advisor. No more than 9 credit hours of coursework may be taken at the 6000-level.
   
   Students with graduate credit earned at another institution may petition to have it applied toward their degree requirements at the University of Memphis. Such credit is not transferred automatically and must be approved by the graduate faculty. A maximum of 6 semester hours earned at another regionally accredited university may be applied toward the master’s degree requirements at the University of Memphis.
    
2. Required Courses. All students are required to complete a 6-hour Journalism and Strategic media core consisting of Pro Seminar and Mass Communication Theory. Students must complete Pro Seminar by the end of their first semester.
3. OSIR students are required to complete JRSM 7195 Open-Source Investigative Bootcamp (3 hours) prior to the start of the fall semester.
4. Open-Source Investigative Reporting concentration students must complete 15 hours of required courses: JOUR 6195 Open-Source Investigative Reporting (3 hours); JRSM 7124 Data Journalism (3 hours); JOUR 6185 Social Justice Writing/Reporting OR 6180 Public Issues Writing/Reporting (3 hours); JRSM 7350 Advanced Multimedia Reporting OR JRSM 7510 Advanced Information Design (3 hours); JRSM 6700 Media Law (3 hours).
5. Students are also required to complete 3 hours of 7000-level electives, and 3 hours of media practicum.

Practicum (JRSM 7600) OSIR students must take Graduate Media Practicum in the final summer of the program. Students must complete a practicum at a local news outlet working on open-source investigative projects. 

Students are encouraged to prioritize the core courses, and complete them as soon as possible. No more than three hours in either JRSM 7700 or JRSM 7800, but not both, may be applied to the degree. No more than three hours in either JRSM 7600 or JRSM 7650, but not both, may be applied to the degree. All requirements for the degree must be completed in eight years. Courses older than eight years will not be allowed as credit toward the master’s degree. Additionally, students who entered the program without an undergraduate degree in journalism and mass communication or a similar field are required to take JRSM 6700,JRSM 7320, and JRSM 7000.