The Northeastern University School of Journalism provides its students with the practical and analytical skills needed for success in a challenging profession. Our combination of small classes, training and work experience prepares graduates for careers as reporters and editors at newspapers, magazines, online publications and the broadcast media.

Our faculty, all of whom have extensive professional experience, work closely with students to teach them the fundamentals of both traditional journalism and new and emerging media. Our students are equipped for careers that often involve changing jobs (and sometimes working in different media) several times in the first ten years after graduation. Internships at Boston-area newspapers, magazines and television stations are an integral part of the program. Our students also write and edit the New England Press Association Bulletin, a trade publication for about 500 community newspapers. Students also have the option of working for six months at a newspaper or public relations job as part of Northeastern's nationally-renowned cooperative education program.

Our curriculum balances skills courses and practical experience with courses--such as First Amendment law, journalism ethics, literary journalism and journalism history-- that offer students a broad perspective on the news media. The Graduate Seminar provides an opportunity to critically examine the role of the media in society. We admit a diverse group of students. Many have little or no media experience and begin the program with an intensive three- week skills course. Some of our students majored in journalism and wrote for college publications as undergraduates; others have worked in the media for several years and join the program to prepare for more challenging and higher-paying jobs. The graduate program in journalism is designed for both full-time and part-time students. All required journalism classes meet from 5:30 to 8:40 p.m. Full- time students can finish the program in a year; part-time students, most of whom work in the Boston area, take one or two courses each semester and complete the program in two or three years. Students who choose the co-op option take an additional six months to graduate.

Our faculty average ten years of professional experience in print, broadcast and online journalism. They have worked for U.S. News & World Report, CNN, ABC Sports, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, the Wall Street Journal, and the online editions of the Boston Herald and the Boston Phoenix. Faculty members write regularly for newspapers, magazines and scholarly publications. Their recent work includes a television documentary on poaching endangered animals in Kenya and books such as "Presidential Debates: Forty Years of High-Risk TV," "Fragile Branches: Travels Through the Jewish Diaspora" and the forthcoming "The Silenced Scream: How the New York Times Muffled News of the Holocaust."

Course Descriptions

JRN 3100 Intensive Reporting 1 QH Prerequisite for Enterprise Reporting (JRN 3201) taught by journalism print/media instructor(s). The course will introduce students to the basics of news reporting and writing. Offered late in the Summer quarter, at least six hours per week for three weeks. Dates TBA. Carries one graduate credit. Cannot substitute for other required journalism courses.

JRN 3201 Enterprise Reporting 4 QH Defines and sharpens research, interviewing and analytical skills necessary for good reporting. The focus is on learning to develop story ideas and conduct primary and secondary research for a major enterprise article. Skills are developed through an analysis of outstanding reportage, in-class discussion and exercises, and out-of-class assignments. Prerequisite: JRN 3100 or permission of instructor.

JRN 3206 Editing 4 QH Provides practice in copy editing and headline writing. Present assignments in photo selection, cropping, and cutline writing. Introduces page layout. Prerequisite: JRN 3201 or permission of instructor.

JRN 3301 Photojournalism 4 QH Covers camera procedures along with cropping, assignment techniques, theory, and photo caption methods.

JRN 3421 Television Newswriting 4 QH Covers writing for TV news as opposed to other news media. Importance of the writer-reporter as field producer and writer-producer, and terms and language used in the production of TV news shows. Includes actual individual production of news shows, field trips to TV stations, and guest lecturers from the TV news media.

JRN 3423 TV News Production 4 QH Demonstrates techniques used by the electronic journalist and TV news producer. Provides the opportunity to build a TV news show and to do reporting with portable TV cameras and editing equipment. Prerequisite: JRN 3421 or permission of instructor.

JRN 3501 Historical Perspectives on U.S. and Foreign Media 4 QH Examines American journalism from European and English roots. Topics include the colonial press, the great personal journalists of the nineteenth century, and the impact of major technological changes in the news media in the twentieth century.

JRN 3508 First Amendment in the Digital Age 4 QH Examines libel, invasion of privacy, access to government information, and other legal matters pertinent to the news media.

JRN 3512 Perspectives on Journalism and Professional Ethics 4 QH Discusses responsibilities of news media, ethical problems confronting decision makers in various journalistic fields, and the principles found in codes of various professional societies.

JRN 3522 Non-Fiction Writing 4 QH Covers writing and freelancing magazine articles, analyzing magazines as markets, and selecting the best feature format: how-to-do-it, profile, personal experience, human interest, interpretive pieces, and others. Prerequisite: JRN 3201 or permission of instructor.

JRN 3679 Research Methods in Journalism 4 QH Offers students the ability to master data collection, interviewing techniques and Web-based research.

JRN 3684 Literature of Journalism 4 QH Studies numerous authors and observers of the journalism profession via their works to provide a wide-ranging view of journalism, its nature, and its impact.

JRN 3710, JRN 3720, JRN 3730 Topics 4 QH each Requires advanced work to develop media skills not covered in other classes. May be repeated as subject matter changes.

JRN 3870 Graduate Seminar 4 QH Offers students an opportunity to critically analyze the journalism profession and to write an article for publication in a journalism review. Discussions focus on recent books and articles about issues in the news media, such as corporate ownership, new technologies, and minority recruitment and hiring.

JRN 3890, JRN 3891 Directed Study 4 QH each Offers students work on individual projects under the supervision of an instructor. May be repeated once.

JRN 3892 NU News Service 4 QH NU News Service provides students with the opportunity to report on public policy issues for newspapers in Massachusetts and New England. Reporting is supplemented by in-class discussion, including speakers in government and media.

JRN 3893, JRN 3894 Master's Thesis I, II 4 QH each Focuses on preparing a master's thesis under supervision of a faculty committee.