Best Journalism Colleges

[MyCollegeKid]

<p>Someone I know is looking into Journalism....my student was more interested in math/engineering, so I have little idea on strong journalism programs, especially those that will have decent Fin Aid. Student lives in Florida but considering northeast, DC, Chicago, etc. areas in the US.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

[mikemac]

<p>You don’t need to major in journalism to enter the field. In fact a different major might be better because it lets you bring something else to the table. A science major would be attractive to employers looking for someone work on stories involving the medical or hi-tech fields. A poli-sci major that took the right classes and has some relevant experience working in gov’t offices would be able to help untangle what is going on in local or state government. And so on.</p>

<p>Some schools have programs that help get experience, but a motivated person can look for internships and coop jobs while attending any school. And experience is whats going to get the career off the ground. Someone who waits until they graduate to start working in the field will be an also-ran compared to college grads with a page full of positions they’ve held. You need to start early, getting less competitive positions so that later you can be a candidate for jobs such as an NBC page (look it up with google). You start by working at the school paper, getting any job (or volunteering) at a local TV station, and then build/network from there.</p>

<p>The most important thing to know is that the future is going to depend on what the student does, not whether they attend some “best” college for journalism. Plenty of kids from great schools such as Syracuse or Missouri are going to struggle to find jobs because they didn’t spend the time laying the groundwork to be attractive to employers. To be sure, going to a top school and taking advantage of all the resources puts you in a great position.But attending a top school doesn’t guarantee success, nor does going somewhere else prevent it. So focus less on a search for “top” schools and more on finding out what it will take for the student you’re helping be a success when they finish.</p>

[MyCollegeKid]

<p>I don’t know alot on the subject. I know there are listing for engineering, business, etc. never really saw a list for jounalism. Perhaps strong english programs…etc.</p>

[warblersrule]

<p>Carolyn, who unfortunately no longer posts on CC, had excellent advice for prospective journalism majors.</p>

<p>

@carolyn

Let’s start by discussing some of the different options. What type of job do you picture yourself in after graduation? Would you like to work as a reporter or editor for a newspaper or a magazine? Maybe you’d like to be in front of the camera as a news broadcaster? Or, if sports are your passion, perhaps you’d like to become a sports journalist. Other related careers include: public relations, advertising, and business writing. If you have no idea what type of journalism you’re interested in, that’s OK, but if you have a specific goal, it’s important to look for programs that offer specialized training in that particular type of journalism or related field.</p>

<p>Q. What’s the difference between majoring in journalism or majoring in communications?</p>

<p>A. It depends on the school. Sometimes, there can be very little difference. Generally, however, a major in communication tends to focus more on the theories behind how people and societies communicate, rather than on “hands on” skills such as writing, interviewing, and editing. It is important to take a close look at the classes offered and the focus of the program when looking at a commmunications major. Some communications programs are focused more on preparing students to do graduate level work in communications theory than they are on preparing students to find jobs as journalists. Finally, keep in mind that it is not absolutely necessary to major in either journalism or communicatons if you want to work in journalism. Other majors - when combined with work in campus media or journalism-related internships - can also be a foundation for a career in journalism.</p>

<p>When looking at any journalism or communications program, there are a few important questions to ask to help you evaluate the program’s quality and how well it will prepare you to find a job after graduation:
[ul][<em>]Is the curriculum emphasis on actual “real world” journalism skills or on communications theory (i.e., “mass communications”)
[</em>]What percentage of the faculty has “real world” experience, i.e., they’ve actually been journalists or in communications? (You want a program where a higher percentage have experience and working knowledge, not just theoretical knowledge)
[<em>]What opportunities are there to work in on campus media? (At some schools, getting a reporter or editor position at the student newspaper or radio station can be very competitive)
[</em>]How up to date is the equipment in the program? (Esp. important if you are interested in broadcast journalism) Are the facilities adequate for the number of majors? (If you never get into use the facilities because they’re tied up for grad students, they won’t help you)
[<em>]How many opportunities are there for internships? How many students actually do internships? Is it realistic to combine an internship with the level of academic effort required? How do you get internships?
[</em>]What size are the classes? How much writing and editing do you actually do in the classes? How good are the professors at giving you feedback about your writing and editing?
[li]What is the career placement office like? Does the journalism program have its own career placement/advising program or do you go through the school’s “general” career office? Where did last year’s graduates end up working immediately after graduation? Where do alumni work?[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>So, how do you track down good schools for journalism? Start by looking over the 140 colleges and universities that have programs accredited by [The</a> Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications](<a href=“http://www2.ku.edu/~acejmc/STUDENT/PROGLIST.SHTML]The”>http://www2.ku.edu/~acejmc/STUDENT/PROGLIST.SHTML). </p>

<p>I promised a list of what I consider the best undergraduate journalism programs in the country. Here it is, in no particular order: </p>

<p>University of Missouri-Columbia
Syracuse University
Northwestern University
University of Southern California
Boston University
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
New York University
University of Oregon
Indiana University
U of Maryland-College Park
Ithaca College
Emerson College
Washington and Lee University
U of Wisconsin-Madison
Pepperdine University
University of South Dakota
University of Georgia
University of Florida
University of Texas-Austin</p>

<p>Other excellent journalism and communications programs include: Susquehanna University, Muhlenberg College, Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara University, Loyola University (Maryland), Simmons College, San Diego State University, Temple, American University, the University of Pennsylvania, Creighton University, Marquette University, Villanova University, and Ohio University.

</p>

[liveandlearn2011]

<p>Syracuse and Mizzou are the top journalism schools.</p>