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Graduate students interested in pursuing study in photojournalism have flexibility in their selection of College of Journalism and Communications courses. All visual communications-oriented masters students pursue a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communication. Applicants interested in pursuing photojournalism study must submit a tightly edited portfolio as part of their application to the College of Journalism and Communications.
Two of the following three photography courses may be counted toward graduate degree hours: Advanced Photographic Journalism I, Specialized Journalistic Photography and Advanced Photojournalism II. Beginners and those early in their career development are, at times, admitted to the program but sometimes also required to take Photographic Journalism as an articulation class not counting toward degree hours.
Several of our graduate student photographers also fulfill an elective requirement by applying to take a capstone international course entitled, Advanced Journalism Practicum: Latin America in Words and Pictures. More information about this class is available at www.internationaljournalism.com. At times, a graduate student has been selected to receive a scholarship to serve as the course's teaching assistant.
For those who wish to further their career goals with a concentration toward picture editing, the course Advanced Design is often supplemented with independent study with Professor Kaplan. Suitable prior experience or the articulation course, Design, is required as a prerequisite. The intro Design course does not count toward degree hours.
Our program usually takes two years to complete and we also strongly stress professional internships. When graduate students in our college take courses in which undergrads are also enrolled, additional graduate student project requirements apply.
As with all MAMC journalism students, 31-33 total credits are required for most visual communications-oriented grad students, leaving flexibility for taking articulation classes designed to help those who lack appropriate undergraduate studies or work experience in journalism. Of the required credits, no more than 6 may be applied to the thesis/professional project. Most visual communications grad students are encouraged to pursue an in-depth content-oriented project for to fulfill the thesis/project requirement. Others who wish to teach or pursue further graduate study may also opt to do a traditional written thesis.
Curriculum Specifics
Core. Each Journalism MAMC student takes three core classes (9 credit hours):
Mass Communication Theory
Research Methods in Mass Communication
Mass Communication and Society
Journalism. Each student also takes four of the following courses (12 credit hours). For students concentrating in photojournalism, no more than two of the four courses chosen can be photo classes:
Advanced Photographic Journalism I
Specialized Journalistic Photography
Advanced Photojournalism II
Advanced Design
Issues and the Press
Advanced Reporting Workshop
International Communication
Law of Mass Communication
Survey of Electronic Publishing
Mass Communication History
Seminar in Journalism as Literature
Electives. Two electives within or outside the college are also required (6 credit hours). Examples include but are not limited to:
Advanced Journalism Practicum: Latin America in Words and Pictures
Seminar in Mass Communication Teaching
Legal Problems in Mass Communication
Seminar in International Communication
Seminar in History of Mass Media Content
Professional Project or Thesis. Typically taken over two or more terms. (4-6 credit hours).
How to apply
Visual communications graduate student applicants must submit a portfolio of their best work. A suitable score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is among the other requirements. College of Journalism and Communications graduate admission requirements may be viewed at www.jou.ufl.edu/grad/admiss.asp. Detailed information about the University of Florida is available at its website, www.ufl.edu.