MS Journalism at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

The Master of Science (MS) in Journalism prepares students for professional roles in a wide variety of organizations, from online, print and broadcast news outlets to nonprofit, higher education and government communication offices where journalistic skills are highly valued.

Faculty: College of Media | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Requires 12 credit hours. Required courses listed include JOUR 505 Journalism Proseminar; JOUR 515 Master's Project.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

The M.S. program places a strong emphasis on journalism, and candidates who are accepted are most often those with a demonstrated interest in practicing journalism. It is imperative that all applicants supply writing samples. Applicants to the M.S. program must have a 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution or one of recognized standing abroad. A grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is the minimum requirement for admission to the Graduate College, with exceptions by petition only. Because the master’s program has an enrollment ceiling, some applicants with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher may not be admitted. Ordinarily, students are admitted to begin graduate study in the fall semester. Letters of recommendation are required for application. An interview with the head of the department or director of graduate studies is helpful but not required.

Domestic applicants: USD 15,712 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $33,008. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 33,008 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply

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