Accelerated M.A. in Journalism

Save time and money with the AMP:

The Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) enables undergraduate students who have a minimum 3.3 GPA to earn a master's degree within one year of receiving their bachelor’s. Undergraduate students interested must apply for admission in the spring semester of their junior year. If accepted into the AMP, students spend their senior year simultaneously enrolled in both the undergraduate and graduate journalism programs and begin completing graduate-level coursework.

Suggested Application Deadline: April 15

Requirements

  • At least 75 completed 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, Vanessa DeCardenas, at vmdecardenas@arizona.edu for the submission code.

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Curriculum

Working with the Undergraduate Academic Advisor, students in the AMP will have earned 12 journalism graduate credits by the end of their senior year through co-convened (400-level) courses. 

After completing their undergraduate degree requirements, AMP students will be formally registered as graduate students and will work with the Director of Graduate Studies on their program of work as well as graduate program planning (course advising). AMP students may take graduate courses outside of the journalism major in their final year of the program as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. They may also receive up to 3 units of internship credit for JOUR 593 during their final year, which can be used as elective credit toward the degree.

Proposed Course Plan

See the undergraduate advisor for course planning. In the final semester of their undergraduate senior year, AMP students must see the Director of Graduate Studies to discuss their Master Plan of Study and to form a project or thesis committee.

Click here to see a sample course plan for the Accelerated Master’s Program. 

 

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.” 

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