Accelerated M.A. in Journalism

Application Deadline: April 15 (suggested deadline)

Requirements

  • Completed at least 75 credits when applying to the Accelerated Master's Program
  • 3.3 GPA at time of application
  • Statement of purpose
  • CV or résumé
  • 1 original writing sample
  • 1 letter of recommendation from a journalism faculty member or journalism adjunct instructor

You can apply online through Graduate Application. Log in, select the Journalism Accelerated Master's Program, and begin your application. Contact the undergraduate advisor, Paloma Boykin, at Boykin1@arizona.edu, for the submission code.

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Curriculum

The Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) enables undergraduate students who have a minimum 3.3 GPA to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in five years. Students apply for admission in spring of their junior year. If they are accepted into this program, they can take 12 graduate credits in their fourth year and continue to work with the director of Graduate Studies to ensure that all courses and requirements are met in the fifth year, including a project or thesis.

The journalism undergraduate major requires 39 credits. Many students have 24 of those credits by the start of their spring junior year. In the AMP they would have 12 journalism graduate credits at the end of their senior year (JOUR 539, 590C or 590F, JOUR 508 (required fall graduate course) and JOUR 589 (required spring graduate course). This is the maximum allowed.

Students would work with the Director of Graduate Studies on needed coursework in the fifth year, plus do a thesis or professional project. AMP students may receive up to 3 units of internship credit for JOUR 593, which can be used as elective credit toward the degree. AMP students may also take graduate courses outside the journalism major as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Proposed Course Plan

See the undergraduate advisor for course planning. In the final semester of the undergraduate semester, please see the Director of Graduate Studies discuss your Master Plan of Study and to form your project or thesis committee.

WRPG (Western Regional Graduate Tuition Savings Program)

The WRPG offers out of state students the in-state tuition rate to attend the following master's programs: Journalism, Bilingual Journalism, and the Accelerated Master’s Program.

“WRGP Arizona resident tuition pricing does not include fees, which are not discounted through WRGP.” 

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A mountain outline is surrounded by text showing "Wiche, Western Interstate Commission for higher education"

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The image depicts all states associated with the WRGP program.

To qualify for this program, you must show residency in Alaska, California, Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Republic of the Marshall Islands, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. 

“To be eligible for the program, you must be admitted and enrolled in a participating program, maintain residency in a participating WRGP state, and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.” 

Directions for applying can be found here.