Admissions»Graduate Applicants

Specialized Journalism (Arts and Culture) (MA) summer 2025

When is the application deadline?

The application deadline has been extended to January 10, 2025, for admission and scholarship consideration. 

What content should be in my résumé?

List all employment (paid and unpaid) including nature of work and dates of employment (note if self-employed in your own business). Also, include academic and professional awards, honors, teaching experience, exhibitions, work published or produced, subject matter expertise, language(s) proficiency other than English, and your familiarity with research or communications technologies, e.g. web design, television or radio production, video editing, podcasting, etc.

What should I address in my personal statement?

For the Specialized Journalism (Arts and Culture) master’s, we invite three different kinds of applicants: working journalists who consider arts and/or food culture their domain; or recent undergraduate students with basic knowledge of story structure and a deep training in the performing or culinary arts; or experienced artists and food culture professionals who are called to journalism. 

In a single personal essay no longer than 1500 words, please consider and address the following: Why are you pursuing the Specialized Journalism (Arts and Culture) degree? Describe the specific subject area you intend to pursue. Knowing that our program encourages you to take electives from USC’s art schools and others outside of USC Annenberg, what excites you about this possibility? Explain how you expect to apply your new skills and knowledge to your future work. 

Some questions to consider: What motivates you to be a journalist? In a world that craves leadership and creativity, hope and engagement, where do you anticipate fitting in? What do you want to do, and learn, and contribute to the craft, and to the public interest? What stories inspire you, and what kind of journalism do you want to make? Where do you see the profession going? Where do you see yourself in helping to remake journalism going forward? Provide at least one relevant anecdote that reveals a time when your assumptions were challenged and how this connects to your decision to apply to this graduate program.

This statement should be representative of your best writing. It must be your original words and work. Avoid using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools.

What pieces comprise the professional portfolio?

For journalists, submit both of the following:

  1. Samples of professional journalism work that are the equivalent to five short pieces (550 words or less) or two longer features (up to 3,000 words). You may submit video or podcast, in which case the short pieces should be no longer than three minutes and the long pieces should be no more than 20 minutes. If live links are unavailable to upload to SlideRoom, upload the samples as attachments.
  2. A bibliography of up to 10 — and no fewer than three — of your published, broadcast or online works in journalism, ideally two years old or less. In addition, if you design or manage a website, include the link.

If you are an editor or producer, supply up to 10 — and no fewer than three — samples of work with an explanation of your contribution.

For arts practitioners (artists) and recent graduates, submit no fewer than five links to your recent work (from three years ago max), each being no less than 550 words and not more than 1,100. These may be video or podcasts of your visual art, music compositions, etc., no longer than 20 minutes. Written work unrelated to the arts is accepted, but there should be no more than two of these. Blogs are considered published work; provide links. Academic papers will also be accepted. If you want us to look at your body of work as an artist, submit no fewer than five links to your recent work (from three years ago max). In addition, show us written work samples, as per the instructions above in this section.

*OPTIONAL: Audio and video content may be uploaded to the USC Graduate application in SlideRoom. Content must be solely created by you. You will access the SlideRoom application under the “Programs Materials” section of the UCS CAS application. In order to ensure that your USC and SlideRoom applications sync properly, it is important that you access SlideRoom via the USC Graduate application only.

The writing sample must be your original work. Avoid using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools or another person to write on your behalf.

How many letters of recommendation are needed and from whom?

Two professional recommendations are expected. If you are a recent college or university graduate with no work experience, submit one academic recommendation and one from an internship supervisor.

What admission test scores are required?

All international student applicants are expected to demonstrate adequate English language proficiency. To learn more about how to satisfy this requirement, click here. 

What financial support is available?

Departmental merit scholarships and fellowships are competitively awarded. All completed applications are considered for admission and departmental awards.

All US citizens and permanent residents are urged to submit a FAFSA after the admission application deadline.

International student applicants will find critical information at http://gradadm.usc.edu/international-students-financial-documentation.

Application Requirements

The online USC Graduate Admission Application opens October 1, 2024. Go to https://usc.liaisoncas.com to access the application.

Assemble the following documents and program materials which must be uploaded to your application:

  • CV or Résumé
  • Personal Statement
  • Writing Sample
  • Copy of Official Transcript(s)

All program materials must be in English and uploaded to the online application. Note: Once your application has been submitted, you may not add, edit or change any document or program material. Also, all submitted documents and program materials become the property of USC and will not be returned.

Official Transcripts

Copies of a registrar-issued official transcript (with registrar’s signature, stamp or seal) from all colleges and universities attended (including USC) must be uploaded to your application in the Academic History section. If you do not possess copies of your registrar-issued official transcripts, request to have official transcripts with legend or grading scale emailed to you from your previous colleges/universities.

After submitting your online application, request to have e-transcripts sent from your degree conferring institutions to USC Graduate Admission at etrans@usc.edu.

Note:

  • International transcripts must include the original language and the English translation as one document.
  • Transcripts from your institution’s student portal are unacceptable.

Recommendations

Create online profiles in the Program Materials section of the application by providing names and email addresses of your recommenders. Instructions and forms will be emailed to your recommenders. Only recommendations submitted through the online process are accepted.

Graduate Admission Testing

GRE scores are not required for admission to fall 2025.

TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores are required from international student applicants unless waived; see below for the exception. English proficiency scores must be dated within 2 years (24 months) of the date you submit your graduate application. To be considered official, USC must receive scores electronically from the testing service. Applicants are encouraged to take exams by November 30, 2024. Photocopies or paper copies of scores are unacceptable. 

  • For TOEFL, request to have your scores sent to the USC institution code 4852.
  • For IELTS or PTE, select “University of Southern California” from the list of available institutions when you register for the test. Alternatively, provide this information to your testing center after you have taken the test.
  • Exception: If you completed your entire bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in the United States or another Anglophone country where English is both the language of instruction and the only official language of the country, English proficiency scores are waived.

Video Interview

All applicants are required to complete a recorded video interview via Kira Talent. The recorded video response is an opportunity for the faculty admissions committee to get a sense of your potential and how you think on your feet. No advance preparation is required.

A desktop or laptop computer with a functioning webcam, microphone and internet connection are required. You may complete unlimited practice sessions prior to starting the interview. Once started, applicants will have one opportunity to respond (no exceptions).

Application Fee

Pay the $90 non-refundable application fee with a credit card or request an application fee waiver prior to submitting an application.

Fee Waiver

Review the fee waiver requirements at USC Graduate Admission website: https://gradadm.usc.edu/lightboxes/us-students-fee-waivers/. Applicants seeking a fee waiver must start the online application and then wait for the fee waiver approval before submitting the application.