Multimedia journalism

Class Schedule for 2009-10

Multimedia Journalism

The M.S. degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism is designed to prepare students for the practice of professional journalism in a highly competitive and multi-platform news environment. The program is primarily for recent graduates who have an undergraduate degree in journalism or a related field, or for journalists with several or more years of experience who want to upgrade their professional skills. The program will prepare students to function at a high level in contemporary newsrooms.

News organizations are moving content to their online platforms as a way of reaching traditional audiences and drawing new and diverse audiences. As part of the rapid change in the industry, news consumers are accessing and contributing news and information at any hour and as news breaks, using various media platforms. Professional journalists are working in print, video, audio, still photography and online production skills—as well as in working in teams of reporters, editors and graphic artists. These “convergence” skills are essential for work in modern news organizations.

The M.S. degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism requires 36 credit hours, including 30 hours in “core” multimedia journalism courses. Students will take an additional 6 credit hours outside of mass communications, in a collateral area. Students will learn the theory and practice of journalism in an immersion news environment. The students may specialize through graduate electives, projects and stories in any number of “beat” areas. For example, students may focus on coverage of health or the environment or concentrate on learning about international coverage.

VCU School of Mass Communications

The School of Mass Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University has approximately 1,300 students, and is ideally situated for students who want to pursue communications careers. VCU is an urban university in Virginia’s state capital. Besides being the seat of state government, Richmond is a major center for the communications industry. The graduate multimedia journalism program builds on the School’s already strong undergraduate journalism program, which has been in the forefront of schools in the nation that are requiring undergraduate students to acquire multimedia skills. A number of faculty in the School are recognized for their expertise in new media and do extensive newsroom training and education for professional journalists. Top-level industry professionals also teach in the graduate program. The School also has a graduate master’s program in advertising, the VCU Brandcenter, and a master’s program in Strategic Public Relations.

Curriculum and Scheduling

The multimedia program has a cohort admission and scheduling of courses.

The field of journalism requires a new generation of communications professionals who are able to function at the highest levels of professional practice and apply sophisticated writing and reporting skills to a multi-platform media environment.

The Master of Science in Mass Communications (Multimedia Journalism) is designed to help professionals working in journalism or those with undergraduate journalism degrees achieve higher levels of professional competence. Admission requirements include academic background in journalism (university degree) or at least two years of appropriate journalism experience. Experienced senior-level professionals and members of the School’s full-time faculty teach in the program.

Classes will meet during 46 intensive Friday evening and Saturday periods scheduled over 15 months. The two collateral classes are taken during evening class times scheduled by the collateral department or on non-conflicting weekend times.

The School is recruiting students for summer 2009 admission of a cohort of 15-20 students. They would begin classes in June 2009 and would graduate in August 2010.

The professional program requires each student to choose one of a collateral area for study. Each student will take 6 credits of graduate electives to complete this requirement.

Admission

To apply to the, contact June Nicholson, associate director of the School by email at jonichol@vcu.edu or phone 804-827-0251. She will provide additional information.

To apply online, complete the application form available at the VCU Graduate School Website. Note that this program has a summer admission only. Pay the online application fee. Send official, sealed transcripts for all graduate and undergraduate work to the VCU Graduate School. Make sure that your official GRE scores also are sent to the VCU Graduate School.

Send to Associate Director Nicholson:

an updated resume
a personal statement of educational and professional objectives
three official graduate references, using the graduate reference forms available on the VCU Graduate School Website
portfolio material from your undergraduate and/or graduate and/or professional experience
unofficial or official transcripts of all graduate or graduate work
GRE scores (you may self-report those).

Address:
June Nicholson
Associate Director
VCU School of Mass Communications
Virginia Commonwealth University
901 W. Main Street
Room 1108

Class Schedule for 2009-10 M.S. Degree in Mass Communications (Multimedia Journalism)

Classes will meet during 46 intensive Friday evening and Saturday periods scheduled over 15 months. The two collateral classes are taken during (usually) evening class times scheduled by the collateral department or on non-conflicting weekend times. One class, Computer-Assisted Reporting, is scheduled Monday evenings during the fall semester.

Students will begin the program in the summer session June 2009 and will graduate the following summer August 2010. Students without the appropriate baccalaureate credentials or professional experience may be required to take undergraduate journalism courses as preparation.

Friday scheduling is approximately 6-9 p.m. Saturday classes meet from 9 a.m. until approximately 5:30 p.m.

Class Scheduling for 2009-10 cohort:

Summer 2009 (eight weekends):

MASC 611 Research Methods
MASC 642 Online Journalism I

Weekends: June 5-6; June 12-13; June 19-20; June 26-27; July 10-11; July 17-18; July 24-25; July 31-August 1.

Fall 2009 (15 weekends plus Monday evening class for Computer-Assisted Reporting)

MASC 643 Online Journalism II
MASC 644 Computer-Assisted Reporting
MASC 645 Visual Journalism
MASC 646 Convergence Law and Ethics

For Fall 2009, MASC 643 Online Journalism II and MASC 645 Visual Journalism are scheduled during 10-weekend blocks and Convergence Law and Ethics for a separate 5-weekend block at the end of the semester. MASC 644 Computer-Assisted Reporting would be scheduled on Monday evenings during the week.

Weekends MASC 643 and 645: August 21-22; August 28-29; September 4-5; September 11-12; September 18-19; September 25-26; October 2-3; October 9-10; October 16-17; October 23-24.
Weekends MASC 646 Convergence Law and Ethics: October 30-31; November 6-7; November 13-14; November 20-21; December 4-5.

Spring 2010 (15 weekends plus evening class for collateral course)

MASC 684 Multiplatform Storytelling
MASC 685 The Business of Media
MASC 686 International Journalism

Weekends: January 22-23; January 29-30; February 5-6; February 12-13; February 19-20; February 26-27; March 5-6; March 12-13; March 26-27; April 2-3; April 9-10; April 16-17; April 23-24; April 30-May 1; May 7-8.

Collateral Graduate Elective scheduled as an evening class in collateral department

Summer 2010 (eight weekends)

MASC 688 Converged Media Application
Graduate Elective collateral scheduled as a day or evening class in collateral department

Weekends: May 21-22; May 28-29; June 4-5; June 11-12; June 18-19; June 25-26; July 9-10; July 16-17.

Commencement August 2010

Resources: The M.S. degree (Multimedia Journalism) is a standard tuition graduate program.

For more information contact:
June Nicholson, Associate Director
School of Mass Communications
(804) 827-0251
jonichol@vcu.edu