Master of Science in Journalism

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You will advance excellence and drive innovation in today’s converged media landscape because we prepare you to be a highly-skilled, technologically fluent journalist.

The complex and culturally rich city of Los Angeles provides endless sources for stories as you report, produce, code and publish your work in a deadline-driven environment while also pursuing in-depth, multimedia projects. Through our intense, 11-month program, you will build a foundation of excellence in writing and ethics that emphasizes the importance of journalistic rigor, investigative reporting, and furthering the role of diverse communities in storytelling.

As our award-winning faculty guide you to create high-impact journalism, our media center’s cutting-edge capabilities will allow you to cover news across media and platforms — on the web and on the air, through podcasts and documentaries, and by embracing new and emerging technologies.

By the numbers

1/2

of students receive merit-based scholarship or fellowship fundingSince the program's inception in 2014, nearly half of our students have received support toward their education.

Since the program's inception in 2014, nearly half of our students have received support toward their education.

students in each graduating classEach graduating class is a small, close-knit community of journalists who receive personal attention from professors with experience in the field.

Each graduating class is a small, close-knit community of journalists who receive personal attention from professors with experience in the field.

100% %

of students learn digital journalism skillsOur students build a critical foundation in coding and data storytelling.

Our students build a critical foundation in coding and data storytelling.

100% %

of our Class of 2021 employed within 12 months of graduationOur recent graduates have gone on to distinguished careers with employers such as the Washington Post, BuzzFeed, National Public Radio and The World Bank.

Our recent graduates have gone on to distinguished careers with employers such as the Washington Post, BuzzFeed, National Public Radio and The World Bank.

Student, alumni and faculty work

Accelerating Black journalists’ path to success

From journaling to freelance reporting, Mariah Hill is seeking new storytelling possibilities through the ViacomCBS HBCU Diversity in Journalism Scholarship, a fund that creates a pipeline for Black journalists to enter and lead newsrooms.

Exploring identity and justice

The child of immigrants from Mexico and Jamaica, Chelsea Hylton celebrates her multifaceted identity by reporting on challenging issues through the student-led Annenberg Media.

Reshaping how stories are told

After earning her master’s in 2015, alumna Jessica Moulite went on to work at the Latino-driven English-language channel Fusion before joining the Root, where she flourished telling multimedia stories about the diverse Black experience.

Telling real L.A. stories in the classroom and the newsroom

Frank Rojas came late to storytelling — but that hasn’t stopped him from working for the L.A. Times, editing Annenberg Media’s Latinx desk Dímelo, and reporting on the impact of the pandemic on the gay Latinx community of Los Angeles.

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Waylon Cunningham selected as the inaugural Sir Harry Evans Global Fellow in Investigative Journalism

The alumnus of the MS in journalism program will pursue an investigative project from inside the Reuters newsroom in London.

Using immersive tech to tell compelling stories of the past and present

JOVRNALISM students collaborated with ABC Owned Television Stations to leverage reporting techniques to address racial disparities and highlight little-known histories of marginalized communities’ contributions to America.

Build your multimedia storytelling skills

USC Annenberg’s Media Center is a classroom and working newsroom with state- of-the-art capabilities, allowing you to gain firsthand experience in all fields of the news media. You will join the student-led news outlet Annenberg Media to explore writing, podcasting, television, and producing videos for social media. The media center’s award-winning faculty advisers will guide you as you tackle the day’s news and delve deeper into topics that matter to the USC community.

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