About the Program
UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism is looking for the leaders of the next generation of journalists—strongly motivated individuals with reverence for truth, a hunger to discover and to inform, a deep regard for thorough analysis, and an ardent embrace of civic engagement.
The digital explosion has created an unparalleled appetite for news as more and more people hunger to witness, experience, and learn about what’s happening around them. That’s why, more than ever, our world needs professionals who are committed to reporting on contemporary realities with precision and eloquence. You’ll be prepared not just to make a living, but to make a difference.
Our Master of Journalism degree (MJ) demands a rigorous two-year immersion. That commitment is what’s needed for you to achieve the full range of proficiencies you’ll need as a twenty-first century journalist: narrative writing, audio, photography, broadcast and online video production, multimedia storytelling, data, and investigative-based journalism.
By the end of your second year you will have created a portfolio of ambitious, high-quality work, much of it published—with the help of our exceptional faculty of seasoned journalists. What’s more, a vibrant worldwide network of media professionals, many of them alumni, will be open to you, professionals who fully appreciate what having a Berkeley Master of Journalism degree means. Concurrent degree programs with Law, Asian Studies, International and Area Studies, Latin American Studies, and Public Health are available.
Admissions
Admission to the Program
The Journalism Program requires two statements (Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement), one PDF of your transcript (official transcript requested if admitted), letters of recommendation, journalist work samples, and resume. All admissions are subject to Graduate Division approval. For full details, see the admissions page on the school's website .
Admission to the University
Minimum Requirements for Admission
The following minimum requirements apply to all graduate programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:
- A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
- A grade point average of B or better (3.0);
- If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g., Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the iBT test, 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
- Sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.
Applicants Who Already Hold a Graduate Degree
The Graduate Council views academic degrees not as vocational training certificates, but as evidence of broad training in research methods, independent study, and articulation of learning. Therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to pursue new subject matter at an advanced level without need to enroll in a related or similar graduate program.
Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree only if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.
Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.
The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:
- Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
- Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.
Applicants may apply only to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.
Required Documents for Applications
- Transcripts: Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts with your application for the departmental initial review. If the applicant is admitted, then official transcripts of all college-level work will be required. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) attended. If you have attended Berkeley, upload your unofficial transcript with your application for the departmental initial review. If you are admitted, an official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required.
- Letters of recommendation: Applicants may request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
- Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries or political entities in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries, and Quebec (Canada). However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a US university may submit an official transcript from the US university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement:
- courses in English as a Second Language,
- courses conducted in a language other than English,
- courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and
- courses of a non-academic nature.
If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.
Where to Apply
Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page .
Master's Degree Requirements
Unit Requirements
The Master of Journalism (MJ) degree at Berkeley requires the completion of at least 36 semester units of coursework and the submission of a satisfactory master’s project. A minimum of 24 units must be earned from coursework in the Graduate School of Journalism. All students are expected to graduate in four consecutive semesters.
Total units needed to graduate is 36.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| JOURN 200 | Reporting the News (first semester) | 6 |
| JOURN 209 | Multimedia Reporting Bootcamp (first semester) | 1 |
| JOURN 211 | News Reporting Laboratory (first semester) | 3 |
| JOURN 215 | Multimedia Skills (first semester) | 3 |
| JOURN 255 | Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JOURN 282 | Introduction to Visual Journalism (first semester) | 4 |
| JOURN 294 | Master's Project Seminar (1 unit in 3rd semester; 1 unit in 4th semester) | 2 |
| JOURN 297 | Field Study in Journalism (300 supervised hours) | 2 |
| JOURN 298 | Group Study - Special Topics (first semester) | 2 |
Additional Required Courses for New Media, Television and Documentary
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| New Media | ||
| JOURN 222 | Interactive Narratives | 3 |
| JOURN 216 | Multimedia Reporting (third and fourth semester) | 2,3 |
| Select at least one or more for second semester: | 3-9 | |
| Coding For Journalists | ||
| Introduction to Data Visualization | ||
| New Media Visuals | ||
| Television and Documentary | ||
| JOURN 283 | Reporting for Television (second semester TV/Documentary) | 5 |
| JOURN 286 | History of Documentary (second semester required for Documentary, optional for TV) | 3 |
| JOURN 219 | Mini-Special Topics (Picture and Sound; third semester) | 1 |
| JOURN 285 | Longform Video Reporting and Storytelling (third and fourth semester TV) | 4 |
| JOURN 284 | Documentary Production (third and fourth semester Documentary) | 4 |
Additional Requirements
- One advanced reporting course is required for each semester after the first semester.
- Two units from the JOURN 297 can count toward the 36 units requirement. Therefore, 34 of 36 units required for the MJ degree must be from coursework.
- Submission of an approved master’s project with all valid approvals is required by the announced deadline.
- Twelve units per semester are required for all Berkeley graduate students.
- All courses must be taken at Berkeley; credit from other institutions is not transferable.
- Students may take up to 4 units of JOURN 601 each semester without approval. Approval is required for more than 4 units JOURN 601 in a semester. JOURN 601 units cannot be counted towards the 36 total units requirement.
- Submission of all required Graduate Division paperwork is required by the announced deadline.
- All required classes must be taken for a letter grade except for the JOURN 297. Only one third of total UC master’s credits can be S grades.
- Up to 12 of the required 36 units for the MJ degree can be from other departments at Berkeley. Graduate level courses (numbered 200-299) and upper division undergraduate courses (numbered 100-199) are acceptable.
- Concurrent degree students may have additional or modified requirements and should confirm requirements with a student affairs officer.
Internship/Field Work/Practicum
The Master of Journalism degree requires two (S/U) units of JOURN 297 Credit (CCN: 48234). The internship requirement is met once a student completes 300 hours of journalistic work under the tutelage of a mentor/supervisor who can vouch for the student's professional progress. A 2-3 paragraph report is due from both the student and the mentor/supervisor at the end of the internship period. You may combine the hours of two different internships. You may also get additional credits during the academic year as needed if an employer requires this.
Capstone/Master's Project (Plan II)
The master’s project represents the culmination of two years of study. It can take many forms: a polished piece of in-depth writing, a long form television story or series of stories, a series of shorter print stories on a single connected theme, a documentary, a radio, photography, multimedia or editing project incorporating original journalistic content. The faculty added a new category that allows a student to fulfill the master’s project requirement as a community site fellow. Detailed descriptions of the different types of master’s projects appear on an attached sheet (see Master’s Project Media Platform Descriptions).
Successful completion of the master’s project is a requirement for graduation. While we will encourage you to try to publish your project, publication is not a requirement for graduation. Work may originate in another course, such as investigative reporting, magazine writing, multimedia, or television. In other words, it does not have to be a special project developed for the master's tutorial alone. However, the quality of the final project must be more polished and substantial than the work originally produced for another course.
Professional Development Activities
The program’s career services offers a full complement of career planning workshops and opportunities for professional development including resume building, interviewing skills, and branding. Students learn about internship and job opportunities throughout the year and are coached to make their best decisions.
Professional Experience
To work in journalism, students need professional experience. One of the solid benefits of Berkeley’s two-year program is our students’ unmatched opportunities to get hands-on experience both inside and outside the classroom—covering news and developing enterprise projects for their courses and for individual and group projects, and producing freelance work as reporters or interns for scores of media outlets in the Bay Area and nationally.
Students first build skills and confidence through the J‑School’s own publications and broadcasts. In the fall of their first year, students learn the basics of reporting while contributing to Richmond Confidential and Oakland North, the School’s hyperlocal websites, and creating specialized content for the topical reporting classes. Later, they write long-form articles for Brink magazine; they produce broadcasts for Berkeley’s student radio station, and they develop magazine-style and theme-based television shows that are showcased throughout each semester and welcomed by web-based sites and broadcasters with whom the school has collaborative relations.
Opportunities abound at local news operations, startups, network affiliates, and national news organizations—among them the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Al Jazeera America, and the Associated Press.
Career Services
Our students are well supported when the time comes to plan their moves to internships or jobs in the field. The J‑School maintains an extensive database of the best and newest internship and job opportunities, drawn from industry newsletters, internet job listings, and contact lists in print, broadcast and new media. We cull the most interesting prospects and distribute them to students in frequent email bulletins and a weekly internal newsletter. What’s more, individual faculty make it a point of pride to keep their own networks fresh and vibrant, and routinely link students to promising opportunities.
Most important, we work one-on-one with students. Students fill out questionnaires and meet regularly with our career services director to discuss their aspirations and changing interests, and to develop a strategy to achieve those objectives through freelancing, part-time school year internships, full-time summer internships between the first and second years of the program and finally, a rewarding job—or a demanding startup opportunity—in the the media workforce.
We offer seminars to prepare students for interviewing, writing CVs and cover letters, clip selection, job-hunting strategies and making the most of their first internships or jobs. Each year, more than 50 print, broadcast, and new media organizations send representatives to Berkeley to recruit and interview our students.
Our commitment to students doesn’t end at graduation. We are now developing a comprehensive career resources program for students and alumni, so that we can provide long-term alumni career services. At the same time, we value and cultivate relationships with graduates who can serve as mentors and contacts for our students.
More information can be found on our website .
Courses
Journalism
JOURN 200 Reporting the News 5 - 7 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
This course is an intensive 15-week research and workshop experience. It provides the foundation for the rest of the curriculum offered at the J-School. 200 Stresses hard news reporting, writing, and editing. In small classes faculty members with extensive experience in newspaper reporting work to develop the scope and quality of the reporting and writing ability of their students. The researching, reporting, rewriting, and editing schedule is extensive and students work on a range of stories covering a broad spectrum of subjects. The aim is to produce professional level work--publishable newspaper stories--in an environment and timeline similar to a professional environment.
Reporting the News: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of seminar and 15 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Chavez, Drummond, Henry, Gorney, Gunnison, Rasky
JOURN 201 Advanced News Reporting 3 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2015
Advanced study of reporting in more complex subject areas and more sophisticated writing styles.
Advanced News Reporting: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar and 8 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 209 Multimedia Reporting Bootcamp 1 Unit
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2015, Fall 2014
This is a required one-week intensive multimedia training workshop at the beginning of the fall semester to equip all first-year graduate journalism students with basic knowledge of digital storytelling techniques as well as the use of multimedia equipment and editing software to produce multimedia content. The objective is to train all students—regardless of their planned area of specialty—with some foundational digital skills to be applied during their reporting for the school’s local online news sites in the J200 Intro To Reporting class. The concepts and skills taught during the workshop also will be reaffirmed and expanded over the semester in the Multimedia Skills class.
Multimedia Reporting Bootcamp: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 1 weeks - 15 hours of seminar and 15 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Hermandez, Grabowicz
JOURN 210 News Photography 2 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Fundamentals of photography and taking news photography.
News Photography: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Priority to journalism graduate students
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 4 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Instructor: Light
JOURN 211 News Reporting Laboratory 2 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
This course is an intensive laboratory course taken in conjunction with our core reporting class, 200. It is designed to simulate as closely as possible the deadline and production pressures of a modern, multi-media news organization. Students report to the newsroom during the week to receive their reporting assignments. Print, audio, and video elements are gathered, produced, edited, rewritten as necessary and then made available to pre-selected media outlets for publication. Each section will produce a themed final project.
News Reporting Laboratory: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-4 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 212 Advanced Radio 1 - 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Radio students may continue to develop their news and production skills in several formats: (1) the reporting and production of the weekly "Inside Oakland" program (broadcast on KALX-FM). Each episode explores a specific theme with focus on the geographic, cultural, and political entity known as Oakland; (2) the collaborative production of a documentary program focusing on a particular topic; (3) the development and production of independent long-form pieces for broadcast on different outlets.
Advanced Radio: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 275 or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Drummond
JOURN 213 Documentary Photography 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
An exploration of magazine photography as applied to photo essay, day assignments and book projects, as well as content based lectures (location lighting, environmental portraiture, etc.) and critiques. Students work on in-depth assignments that include research, reporting, and photographing. Legal/ethical and business issues are explored, including fund-raising and grant writing to support extended projects.
Documentary Photography: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Light
JOURN 215 Multimedia Skills 3 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
This class teaches the fundamentals of using digital video, audio, and photo equipment, as well as editing digital files. The class is designed to expose students to what it is like to report in a multimedia environment. While primarily for students taking new media publishing courses, the class will be valuable to any student who wants to better prepare for the emerging convergence of broadcast, print, and web media.
Multimedia Skills: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Grabowicz
JOURN 216 Multimedia Reporting 2 or 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
For journalists, the World Wide Web opens a powerful way to tell stories by combining text, video, audio, still photos, graphics, and interactivity. Students learn multimedia-reporting basics, how the web is changing journalism, and its relationship to democracy and community. Students use storyboarding techniques to construct nonlinear stories; they research, report, edit, and assemble two story projects.
Multimedia Reporting: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 215 (can be taken concurrently); Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and iMovie or Final Cut Pro
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with different topic and consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 219 Mini-Special Topics 1 Unit
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
A mini course is a four to ten-week intensive workshop designed to accompany and enhance other courses in the program. Workshop topics vary from semester to semester, but have included: Associate Producer, Sports Reporting, FOIA Reporting, Foreign Reporting, Bias and Journalism, Social Media, Sound Design and the Journalist as Freelancer.
Mini-Special Topics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with different topic and consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring:
4 weeks - 3 hours of workshop per week
5 weeks - 2-3 hours of workshop per week
6 weeks - 2-3 hours of workshop per week
10 weeks - 2 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
JOURN 220 Coding For Journalists 2 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016
This course is an introduction to programming concepts as they relate to the journalism industry. The goal of this course is to equip students with a foundational technical literacy to construct interactive online stories such as data visualizations, infographics, maps, multimedia packages, games or innumerable other types of projects students may conceive.
Coding For Journalists: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Students must have completed the Digital News Packages class in the fall. Students who have not taken this course should contact the instructor for exceptions to the prerequisite. Basic knowledge of jQuery is highly encouraged
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Rue
JOURN 221 Introduction to Data Visualization 3 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2014
This weekly three-hour course will explore the skills needed to find, clean, analyze and visualize data. The class consists of two hours of instruction and one hour of supervised lab time working on directed projects. Students will create a final project suitable for publication. The focus will be on free and open source tools that can immediately be applied to other projects and professional work.
Introduction to Data Visualization: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: De Groot
JOURN 222 Interactive Narratives 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016
This class teaches students how to develop interactive online news packages using best practices in design and web development. The course focuses on story structure and production of content and will cover the following topics:
Best practices in developing interactive multimedia stories online;
Design fundamentals and typography for online content;
HTML and CSS for designing and constructing web projects;
jQuery coding for adding interactivity to online content.
Interactive Narratives: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Hernandez, Rue
JOURN 223 New Media Visuals 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2015, Fall 2013
"Visual journalism" explores narratives as they are designed, produced, and consumed in various digital forms. Students will have the opportunity to explore various digital technologies, create and produce narratives, and analyze stories in digital forms. DSLR video narrative, animated visual explainers, data visualization design will all be explored and will serve as the primary areas of inquiry for this project-driven course.
New Media Visuals: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Hernandez
JOURN 226 Science Reporting 3 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2014, Fall 2009, Fall 2008
Advanced study of methods of reporting developments in such fields as science, education, health, or the environment.
Science Reporting: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: For journalism students, 200 or equivalent; for others, consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 8 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Pollan
JOURN 228 Political Reporting 3 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2012, Fall 2010, Fall 2009
Study and discussion of politics and practice in reporting political events and campaigns.
Political Reporting: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: For journalism students, 200 or equivalent; for others, consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 8 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Rasky
JOURN 230 Business Reporting 3 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2015, Spring 2013
Reporting and writing of business, financial, and consumer affairs.
Business Reporting: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: For journalism students, 200
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 8 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 234 International Reporting 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2014, Fall 2009
This course is designed for students who are interested in foreign reporting. Course will include a broad overview of the issues that need to be researched when reporting on the politics, economics, and social issues of a foreign country. Past classes have traveled to Mexico, China, Cuba, Hungary, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru.
International Reporting: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Chavez, Wakeman
JOURN 237 Reporting on Japan 1 or 2 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2010, Spring 2008, Spring 2007
Each semester, this course will focus on a different aspect of Japan. Among other topics, the class may discuss Japan's changing cultural standards or its developing social problems, its political shifts or its history, the changing economy or the shifts in its regional relations and its global role. Through guest speakers--including noted experts, writers, businessmen, and diplomats--and roundtable discussions, students will develop a greater knowledge of the country for use when reporting.
Reporting on Japan: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with different topic and consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Wakeman
JOURN 242 Profiles 3 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2014
In this workshop students use the profile form to develop a variety of skills that may be helpful whenever undertaking an ambitious story: figuring out what the story is and why you are writing it; interviewing; observation; background reporting; structuring material; finding your voice; describing people without resorting to cliche; crafting a lead from what seems an infinite number of possibilities. Readings will be from great magazine and newspaper profile writers.
Profiles: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Gorney
JOURN 243 Long-Form Writing 3 or 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
This class will trace the process of writing long-form pieces: how writers choose their sources, gather information, organize their material, and decide whether or not to believe what people tell them. Students will act as an editorial board for each other. Readings include profiles, books and book excerpts, Pulitizer-winning newspaper features, and magazine pieces from a variety of outlets. All assignments are intended for publication.
Long-Form Writing: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Gorney, Pollan
JOURN 254 Opinion Writing 2 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2012, Spring 2011, Fall 2009
The reporting, writing, and editing of newspaper editorials and op-ed essays.
Opinion Writing: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Rasky
JOURN 255 Law and Ethics 3 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The first eight weeks will concentrate on First Amendment and media law, including libel and slander, privacy, free press/fair trial conflicts, and litigation arising from controversial reporting methods. The closing weeks will focus on ethical dilemmas faced by reporters and editors. Using case studies, readings and guest lecturers, the course examines the murkier conflicts that don't necessarily make it to court but nevertheless force difficult newsroom decision-making.
Law and Ethics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 260 Investigative Reporting for TV and Print 2 or 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Students will be required to investigate leads that are received by the faculty, and prepare briefing papers for the class to introduce guest speakers. They will work on researching and reporting assignments related to documentary productions and print stories for different outlets. "Sources," people with informtion critical to developing a story, need to be developed. The responsibilites of a reporter engaged in developing sourses will be a constant theme of the seminar.
Investigative Reporting for TV and Print: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Bergman, Gunnison
JOURN 275 Radio News Reporting 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Study of techniques, practices, and methods of gathering and writing radio news. Students will produce weekly live radio news programs. Enrollment is limited to 15.
Radio News Reporting: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 4 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 282 Introduction to Visual Journalism 3 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Study of the history and institutions of broadcast journalism (nine weeks), practice, techniques of reporting news for radio and television.
Introduction to Visual Journalism: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of lecture and 4-6 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 283 Reporting for Television 5 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2015
Producing, directing, writing, and videotaping of live weekly television news program.
Reporting for Television: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 282 and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 24 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 284 Documentary Production 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Production of television documentary news programs.
Documentary Production: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 282, 283, and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 12 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Else
JOURN 285 Longform Video Reporting and Storytelling 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Reporting and production of television news magazine stories and programs.
Longform Video Reporting and Storytelling: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 282, 283 and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 8 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Bieder, Calo
JOURN 286 History of Documentary 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2015
This course covers the evolution of American documentary film from 1920 to the present, with special attention to independent productions and documentaries for network television. In the works of Fred Wiseman, Henry Hampton, Lourdes Portillo, Errol Morris, Marlon Riggs, Barbara Kopple, Orlando Bagwell, the Maysles, and the network staff producers, we look at the practical problems of making documentaries for a mass audience. (Required for J-School students who are considering specializing in documentary.)
History of Documentary: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Else
JOURN 287 Inside <Frontline> 1 or 2 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2011, Spring 2008, Spring 2007
This seminar course provides students with the opportunity to meet with and discuss projects with producers and reporters. Each session will focus on a single documentary episode and take an in-depth look on the development of the story out of an idea, the journalistic approach and methods used by the team, the process of finding and creating the appropriate dramatic structure, and the public impact and critique of the program.
Inside <Frontline>: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 10 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 290 Editing Workshop 2 or 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2011, Fall 2009, Spring 2008
It can take a lifetime of writing to learn how to critique and revise your work. Hard as writing can be, rewriting -- breaking back into your own framework, rethinking, re-imagining, and revising -- can be harder yet. Sometimes only an editor can help you gain the distance needed to view your work. No matter how good a journalist you may be, an editor can help you reach another stage in your writing process.
Editing Workshop: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Journalism students only; priority to second-year students completing master's project
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with different topic and consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 294 Master's Project Seminar 1 - 2 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Group meetings plus individual tutorials. Methods of research, organization, and preparation of professional thesis projects. Required of M.J. candidates working on thesis projects during both Fall and Spring semesters.
Master's Project Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200 and consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-2 hours of seminar per week
Summer:
8 weeks - 2-4 hours of seminar per week
10 weeks - 1.5-3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 297 Field Study in Journalism 1 - 2 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Supervised experience in the practice of journalism in off-campus organizations. Individual meeting with faculty sponsor and written reports required. See Additional Information, "Field Study and Internships."
Field Study in Journalism: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of fieldwork per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 1-2 hours of fieldwork per week
8 weeks - 1-2 hours of fieldwork per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
JOURN 298 Group Study - Special Topics 2 - 4 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Specialized seminar topics in reporting and writing.
Group Study - Special Topics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of seminar per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of seminar per week
8 weeks - 1-3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 299 Individual Study 1 - 3 Units
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017
Supervised individual study and research.
Individual Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 2-5 hours of independent study per week
8 weeks - 1-3 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
JOURN 601 Individual Study for Master's Students 1 - 8 Units
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Individual preparation or study in consultation with faculty adviser. Study ultimately leads to the completion of the Master's Project/Examination. Units may not be used to meet either unit or residence requirements for a master's degree.
Individual Study for Master's Students: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Course is restricted to journalism students
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with consent of graduate adviser. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-8 hours of independent study per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 2.5-20 hours of independent study per week
8 weeks - 1.5-15 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Journalism/Graduate examination preparation
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Faculty and Instructors
+ Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.
Faculty
Orlando Bagwell, Professor in Residence.
Lowell Bergman, Professor. National security, forensic science, terrorism, corporate crime, corruption, tobacco, Symposium in Investigative Reporting.
Research Profile
Lydia Chavez, Professor. Jounalism, reporting, writing.
Research Profile
Mark D. Danner, Professor. Central America, politics, Balkans, foreign affairs, journalism, Haiti, documentaries.
Research Profile
William J. Drummond, Professor. Politics, journalism, reporting, national security, freelancing in both print and radio.
Research Profile
Tom Goldstein, Professor. Journalism, mass communications, writer, reporter, editor.
Research Profile
Richard Hernandez, Assistant Professor. Journalism, new media, Mobile, visual storytelling.
Research Profile
Ken Light, Adjunct Professor. Journalism, photojournalism, documentary photography.
Research Profile
Michael Pollan, Professor. Agriculture, environment, obesity, science, nutrition, journalism, food, cooking, gardening.
Research Profile
Edward Wasserman, Professor. Media ethics, economics and politics of news, professional standards, media history.
Research Profile
Lecturers
Mark Bittman, Lecturer.
Thomas R. Burke, Lecturer.
Robert Calo, Senior Lecturer SOE. Journalism, cultural geography, social history, urban affairs, television news production.
Research Profile
Andres Cediel, Lecturer.
Marilyn M. Chase, Lecturer.
David J. Cohn, Lecturer.
Edwin C. Dobb, Lecturer.
Deirdre English, Lecturer.
Laura Green, Lecturer.
Shaleece Haas, Lecturer.
Carl T. Hall, Lecturer.
Adam Hochschild, Lecturer.
Joshua E. Johnson, Lecturer.
Jennifer Kahn, Lecturer.
Yukari Kane, Lecturer.
Daniel K. Krauss, Lecturer.
Ben Manilla, Lecturer.
Timothy Mcgirk, Lecturer.
Alan Mutter, Lecturer.
Thomas Peele, Lecturer.
Kara A. Platoni, Lecturer.
Jeremy Rue, Lecturer.
Linda Schacht, Lecturer.
Rebecca L. Skloot, Lecturer.
Zachary J. Stauffer, Lecturer.
Abbie Vansickle, Lecturer.
James R. Wheaton, Lecturer.
Samantha G. Wiesler, Lecturer.
Emeritus Faculty
Joan Bieder, Senior Lecturer SOE Emeritus. History of Jewish communities in South East Asia.
Research Profile
Jon Else, Professor Emeritus. Directing, history, film, journalism, writing, documentary, producing, cinematography, nuclear weapons.
Research Profile
Timothy Ferris, Professor Emeritus.
Cynthia Gorney, Professor Emeritus. Ethics, law, journalism, writing, reporting the news, profiles.
Research Profile
Neil Henry, Professor Emeritus. Race, Africa, urban society, journalism, newspapers, community reporting, journalistic values, foreign reporting, sports, fraud.
Research Profile
Thomas C. Leonard, Professor Emeritus. Journalism, the press, role of the press in society, journalists and historians, Americans, American history.
Research Profile
A. Kent Macdougall, Professor Emeritus.
Carolyn Wakeman, Professor Emeritus.
Contact Information
Graduate School of Journalism
21 North Gate Hall
Phone: 510-642-3383
Fax: 510-643-9136