Journalism Schools and Programs in The United States

Journalism Studies in The United States

Journalism in the United States is taught as a practical, professional subject inside a broad university education. Students learn to find, check and tell stories for newspapers, websites, radio, television and social media, and most programmes expect them to report for student or professional media while they study. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), journalism and communications programmes include courses in journalistic ethics and in techniques for researching topics and conducting interviews, and some also require liberal arts subjects such as history and economics so that students can cover a range of topics.

Degrees and levels

• Associate degree: two years, usually at a community college; it can lead to a vocation or transfer into a bachelor's programme
• Bachelor's degree (BA or BS in Journalism, or a communications degree with a journalism focus): usually four years of full-time study
• Master's degree: often two years, although some professional journalism master's programmes last one year
• Doctorate (PhD): five to eight years, for research and university teaching, often in mass communication

US degrees are built from credits, and each institution sets the number needed to graduate. Undergraduates take general education courses alongside their major and usually declare the major at the end of the second year.

Examples from the schools' own pages: Northwestern University's Medill school offers a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a one-year Master of Science in Journalism that starts in September; both are STEM-designated programmes, and undergraduates can work full time as reporters for one quarter through the Journalism Residency. The University of Florida's journalism major combines reporting, writing and ethics with social media, video, data journalism and coding. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has taught communication for more than a century, offers a reporting focus and a strategic communication focus.

Accreditation

The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) is recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit professional journalism and mass communication programmes. Accreditation applies only to the degrees a school submitted for review. Among the schools on this page, San Diego State University, the University of Florida, Florida International University (Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media), Hofstra University, the University of Oregon and Penn State appear on ACEJMC's list of accredited programmes. There is no official ranking of US universities, so accreditation, curriculum and student media are better guides than league tables.

Admission and visa

For a bachelor's degree, international applicants usually send their secondary school diploma and transcripts (with English translations), any national final exams, recommendation letters and an essay or personal statement. US universities require an English proficiency test, and strong writing in English matters even more in journalism than in most subjects. Master's programmes ask for a bachelor's degree; some also look for writing samples or reporting experience.

Students must first be accepted by a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and then apply for the F-1 student visa, which covers study at an accredited college or university. With permission from the international student office, students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week in their first year. The academic year usually runs from August to May.

Where to study journalism in the United States

Journalism is taught across the country, from large public universities to private colleges and community colleges. The cities with the most schools on this page are New York (including Columbia University), Miami (the University of Miami and Florida International University) and Boston (Northeastern University and Suffolk University). Other examples include Northwestern University near Chicago, the Ohio State University, the University of Texas at Austin, Temple University in Philadelphia, Point Park University in Pittsburgh and Penn State, whose Bellisario College includes the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Community colleges such as Broward College and Bergen Community College offer two-year routes that can lead to transfer.

Careers

Graduates work as reporters, correspondents, editors, producers and multimedia journalists, and many move into related communication jobs. The BLS says employers generally prefer candidates who have done internships or worked on school newspapers, radio or TV stations, and that coding and multimedia skills help. The field is shrinking: about 47,100 people worked as news analysts, reporters and journalists in 2025, and employment is projected to decline 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, although about 3,400 openings are still expected each year as people leave the occupation. The median annual wage was $62,200 in May 2025.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a journalism degree take in the United States?

A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study and an associate degree two years. Master's programmes typically last up to two years, and some, such as Medill's MSJ, take one year.

Do I need a journalism degree to work as a journalist in the US?

According to the BLS, reporters typically need a bachelor's degree in journalism, communications or a related field such as English. Internships and student media experience are often just as important to employers.

Can I work while studying journalism in the US?

With permission from the international student office, F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week in their first year. Off-campus work and internships follow separate rules, which the school's international office explains.