The full-time Master of Arts degree graduate program in Journalism and Public Affairs develops professional communicators who can work under the intense pressures of the news business as Washington correspondents, Along with developing and refining professional skills, the program seeks to heighten awareness of the complex problems the new media must deal with in terms of their standards, ethics and credibility. The program is geared to accommodate students with diverse professional and educational backgrounds. It is built on a solid foundation dating to 1970, making it the oldest professionally oriented graduate journalism program in the Washington area.
Students apply for ONE of the three tracks.
They challenge students to report on national, international and economic issues that are developed and shaped by the Congress, the White House, the judiciary, the federal bureaucracy and the diplomatic community. Since many public policy issues involve all three areas of study, students may find themselves reporting and writing in any of these areas. Through the program, students gain a first-hand understanding of the processes of government and the confidence to take on responsible positions covering public affairs anywhere. They will be exposed to a broad perspective that has helped alumni move into editorial and managerial positions where they influence decision-making in the communications industry. Students choose either the broadcast journalism sequence or print journalism sequence.