The journalism college a student decides to go to can have a huge impact on their entire career. While most journalism students want a great school, they often also want schools that offer specific journalism courses that will further their specific career paths. Learning about the top colleges for journalism in the United States can help future journalists choose a well-rounded, wonderful college to learn from.
Columbia University – New York
Columbia University was ranked the 8th best school in the country by U.S. News and World Report. This school offers a well-rounded line up of courses, and helps their students really get an understanding of journalism through hands-on projects. More modern courses are added as technology is advanced, helping journalism students adapt to the changing times. Digital media, broadcast journalism, magazine writing and news writing and editing are just a few of the courses offered here.
University of Missouri – Columbia
This school was also mentioned by U.S. News and World Report and is the oldest journalism school in the country. With more than six bachelor’s degree programs for journalism students and a master’s degree program, this school is versatile and offers numerous studies for different branches of journalism. This school has agreements with different media stations so that students can really get hands-on experience.
Other great colleges for journalism (undergraduate programs) in the US include Ball State University, which offers courses in graphics, magazine, and photo journalism; University of Florida, which offers broadcast news courses, photo journalism, magazine journalism, and offers online courses; University of Maryland, which offers print journalism courses, and broadcast journalism. For graduate programs, students might consider Northwestern University, which offers a Master of Science in Journalism; Syracuse University, with a large focus on new media and modern journalism techniques; and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
What to Look for in Top Colleges for Journalism
Before deciding which journalism college to attend, students should do their research. It’s important to at least think about which branch of journalism one will be pursuing, so that available courses in any given university or college can be matched to the needed skills and knowledge. Journalism students should find schools that offer courses and programs that will most benefit them, as well as schools that allow students to get actual experience as they’re learning.
While each journalism student may find that they’re fond of a particular college, it’s important to research before committing. If possible, students can speak with other journalism students or journalists to get ‘inside’ information on a particular school or program. Another helpful thing to do is visit the actual colleges one is interested in to get the lay of the land and get a feel for how things work there. In any case, spending a good amount of time understanding the different colleges and courses is a very important step in a blooming journalism career.
Kristi Carter - Kristi is an experienced journalist, internet marketing consultant and professional copywriter with over 11 years of professional writing ...
