Department of Journalism and Media Studies
College of Liberal Arts

The Master’s of Science degree in Journalism & Media Studies at Jackson State University provides students with theoretical and practical knowledge about the field of mass communication. Students work closely with top tenured and tenured-track faculty members with a heavy research focus or practical media application focus.

 

 

 

 

Application Due Dates

March 1st (Fall admission)
March 15th (Summer admission)
October 15th (Spring admission)

 

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must follow a formal application process for admissions.

• Minimum GPA of 3.0 (B average, on a 4.0 scale) at the undergraduate level

*A GPA of at least 2.80 at the undergraduate level is required for conditional admission.

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test score
• Graduate school Application

* Out-of-state applicants must submit a $25 application fee money order at the time of application.

• Two official transcripts from all accredited colleges and universities attended
• Three letters of recommendation
• A statement of purpose indicating how the applicant fits the program
• Proof of immunization prior to receiving admission

*For more information on immunization requirements, please visit-

https://www.jsums.edu/healthservices/immunization-requirements/

Masters in Mass Communications

Students must complete the 4 requisite core courses as well as select a minimum of 15 elective credit hours from the 500-level hours in Mass Communication.

* Transfer graduate students must complete at least 21 hours in residence at Jackson State University to be eligible for a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication.

 

Core Courses

• MC 500 Seminar in Mass Communications
• MC 501 Research Methods in Mass Communication
• MC 502 Advanced News Reporting
• MC 506 Seminar-Urban Affairs Reporting

 

 Elective Courses

• MC 503 Seminar in Mass Media Research
• MC 506 Seminar-Urban Affairs Reporting
• MC 508 Broadcast Journalism
• MC 509 Electronic News Gathering
• MC 520 Minorities and Women In Mass Media
• MC 522 Television Production
• MC 526 Television Documentary
• MC 527 Politics and the Press
• MC 529 Legal and Ethical Aspects of Mass Communication
• MC 530 Media Management
• MC 532 International Journalism
• MC 546 Studies In Film Criticism
• MC 547 Film as Social and Intellectual History
• MC 550 Seminar: Communications Media and Issues In Society
• MC 570 Writing for Public Relations
• MC 571 Public Relations Practice
• MC 572 Corporate Communications
• MC 573 Advertising Campaigns
• MC 598 Independent Research Project
• MC 599 Thesis Writing

*Pending advisee approval, graduate students might be able to select courses from different graduate programs throughout the university to fulfill this requirement.

 

Graduation Requirements 

Students are required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours* in order to complete the graduate program. After 24 semester hours are completed a student may submit an application for candidacy. In addition, graduate students must also complete a comprehensive examination and either a master’s thesis or project.

*If a student chooses to do a master’s project, they will need to complete 33 credit hours to graduate the program.

 

For more information about the program, contact the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at 601.979.2151.

For more information on the application procedure, please refer to the Division of Graduate Studies at 601. 979.2455.

Thank you for considering a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication from Jackson State University!