Journalism

Admission Requirements

Prospective students must complete and return an application to the Dean of Graduate Admission. The application process includes:

• Prospective students should have completed an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, and earned an overall grade point average of at least 2.75.
• Applicants should have successfully completed an undergraduate course in news writing and reporting (equivalent to JRNL 011 at Hofstra) and in copy editing (equivalent to JRNL 053 at Hofstra), or should have equivalent professional experience. Students who have not taken the prerequisite courses may be asked to complete additional undergraduate course work before beginning the graduate level journalism courses.
• In addition to a completed application and an official transcript of undergraduate work, applicants should submit a personal essay as a writing sample. This should be a 500 to 750 word essay describing personal and educational history, past employment, volunteer work or related experience in the applicant\xc2\x92s intended field of study, plans for graduate study and plans for a professional career.
• Applicants must also submit a current resume, transcripts, and two letters of recommendation.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit any published newspaper, magazine, or online clips they may have.
• An interview with the program director is strongly recommended but not required for admission to the program. Applicants may arrange for either an on-campus or telephone interview.
• GRE scores are not required for the MA in journalism, but may be submitted.
• International students from non-English speaking countries must have a minimum TOEFL score of 95 to be considered for admission. IELTS scores are also accepted with a minimum score requirement of 7. The only exceptions are those who receive a waiver from the Office of Graduate Admission.

Students may be asked to complete additional undergraduate course work before enrolling in graduate-level journalism courses. Students electing to take these classes at Hofstra will be permitted to enroll in both courses concurrently.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate\xc2\x92s potential for success in the program. We encourage students who may not meet all of the criteria to apply if they have other experiences that make them suitable candidates for the program.