Top 10 Journalism Schools in the U.S.
The top journalism schools in the country award undergraduate and graduate degrees to beginning students and experienced journalists seeking professional development programs. Most journalism schools help students gain reporting skills through hands-on work with websites, newspapers, television stations and magazines. Read on to learn more about the top ten schools offering this experience.
Top Journalism Schools in the U.S.
1. Columbia University in New York, NY
In 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranked Columbia University the fourth best school in the country. The school, an Ivy League university, houses the Graduate School of Journalism, which offers journalism and communications degree programs exclusively for graduate students. Students may pursue a Master of Science in Journalism within ten months, a 9-month Master of Arts in Journalism or a Doctor of Philosophy in Communications. Each program combines courses, seminars and workshops to provide students with opportunities to learn about new media and reporting skills. The school gives out several awards, including the illustrious Pulitzer Prize.
2. University of California - Berkeley
As the highest-ranked public university in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report, the University of California - Berkeley placed 22nd on that publication's National Universities list in 2011. The Graduate School of Journalism offers a 2-year Master of Journalism program with 13 tracks of study. These tracks in journalism include business, environment and science, international, investigative, magazine, newspaper, new media, politics, radio and television. Several journalism projects exist within the school, such as the News 21 collaborative project between the University of California at Berkeley and other journalism schools, including Columbia, Harvard, Northwestern and the University of Southern California.
3. University of Missouri in Columbia
The University of Missouri in Columbia was named one of the top 50 public schools in 2010 by U.S. News and World Report. Established in 1839, the school stands as the state's largest public research university. The School of Journalism offers a Bachelor of Journalism program with more than 30 areas of focus and a Master of Arts in Journalism program with various concentrations. Professionals interested in research-based or instructional journalism careers might consider the Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism program. Students can acquire journalism skills by working with radio stations, websites and two campus publications - the Columbia Missourian newspaper and Global Journalist magazine.
List of Ten Good Journalism Schools in the U.S.
| School Name | Distinction | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | First graduate-degree granting journalism school in the U.S. | New York, NY |
| Indiana University - Bloomington | Ernie Pyle Scholars honors program in journalism | Bloomington, IN |
| Northwestern University | Global Journalism Residency Program for graduate students | Evanston, IL |
| Ohio University | Produced 13 Pulitzer Prize-winning alumni | Athens, OH |
| Syracuse University | Highly selective journalism school with less than nine percent acceptance rate | Syracuse, NY |
| University of California - Berkeley | Knight Digital Media Center's journalism tutorials | Berkeley, CA |
| University of Florida | Nation's second-largest undergraduate journalism program | Gainesville, FL |
| University of Maryland - College Park | Journalism faculty has Pulitzer Prize winners | College Park, MD |
| University of Missouri - Columbia | First journalism school in the world | Columbia, MO |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Special programs in journalism including medical and science journalism | Chapel Hill, NC |
Good formal preparation for a career as a journalist includes obtaining a bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, political science or English. Journalists need excellent writing, research and newsgathering skills, and some many need foreign language skills if reporting from international locations.
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9 Popular Schools
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- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
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- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
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- Arkansas (1 campus)
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- Columbia (D.C.) (1)
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Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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- Must be 18 years of age or older
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- Iowa (1 campus)
Areas of study you may find at Iowa State University include:
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- Graduate: Doctorate First Professional Degree Master
- Undergraduate: Bachelor
- Communications and Journalism
- Communication Studies
- Comparative Language Studies and Services
- English Composition
- English Language and Literature
- Foreign Language and Literature
- Journalism
- Public Relations and Advertising
