Program or Department:  Missouri School of Journalism
Type:  Public
Location:  Columbia, MO
Undergrads:  2,000
Graduate program:  Yes
Website:  http://www.missouri.edu

Consistently ranked as one of the top journalism schools in the country, the Missouri School of Journalism offers undergraduate as well as graduate programs. Within the School of Journalism, undergraduates are offered courses in convergence, magazine, photojournalism, print/digital news, radio and television, and strategic communication. Launched in Fall 2005, convergence journalism teaches students how to produce news for and with audiences across existing and emerging media platforms. Students with a magazine journalism emphasis develop skills in writing, editing, design, copy-editing and publishing, and put these skills to use through internships at publications such as Jane, Billboard, and Conde Nast. As new media sweeps the journalism field, Mizzou’s photojournalism program prepares students for a variety of jobs not just in magazine and print photography, but also in Web and commercial editing and shooting. Students who graduate from the print and digital news emphasis area typically take jobs as reporters, editors, designers, graphics editors or producers for newspapers. Increasingly, students are finding jobs in online and other sorts of electronic publications. Writing and reporting skills, as well as production techniques, are emphasized for radio and television journalism students in order to build strong career foundations. Strategic communication is the blanket term for public relations and advertising. From planning and managing a brand's campaigns to writing copy and designing layouts for ads, brochures, Web sites, this emphasis connects journalism and business. Some people in this field sell ads while others buy ad space for print publications or time for radio and television. Missouri Journalism students in this emphasis area are also trained in event planning, promotions and speech writing.

Missouri School of Journalism students have various opportunities to take their lessons outside of the Columbia campus. The study abroad program is highly encouraged, and includes semester, summer and intersession programs in a number of cities throughout the world. Additionally, the school’s affiliation with the City University of New York allows juniors and seniors to live in a New York apartment and attend seminars with editors, producers, journalists and media executives. They meet Missouri School of Journalism alumni working in New York City and explore one of the world's most amazing cities. A similar program exists in Washington, D.C., but is only offered to undergraduate seniors and graduate students. The Washington Program is offered either in the Fall (mid-August through mid-December) or Winter/Spring (mid-January through early May), and consists of three parts: the professional project, the seminars and the research paper.

Students can put their reporting skills to practice in any of the university’s publications, including the Columbia Missourian newspaper, the KBIA radio station, the KOMU commercial television station, and Vox Magazine.

Compiled by Heather Devane, with permission from University of Missouri - Columbia.