Program Contact: Wasim Ahmad 203-582-7493
Quinnipiac offers a five-year Dual-Degree Bachelor’s/Master’s in Sports Journalism and Media (4+1) for students who are currently enrolled in any Quinnipiac undergraduate program and wish to pursue graduate studies at the university. If accepted, students can take up to 6 credits of graduate courses during their senior year beginning in the fall semester with the permission of the graduate sports journalism director. Those credits can be applied to both undergraduate and graduate programs. Applications for the dual-degree program are available through the School of Communications.
The Master of Science in Sports Journalism and Media prepares students from all academic and professional backgrounds for careers in traditional areas of broadcast and multimedia, online sports reporting, as well as for the emerging areas of sports social media reporting, audio podcasting, and the statistical and graphical analysis of sports stories.
Students are challenged to develop story ideas through reasoning and observation, to analyze data and public documents, to wisely conduct interviews, to learn the technical skills to acquire and edit video and audio, and, above all, to write with discipline, poise, and creative vitality. In short, our program prepares students for the daily test-of-strength that is sports reporting in the 21st century regardless of the distribution platform.
Students who successfully complete the program will be properly trained for a number of career opportunities including on-camera reporters and anchors for broadcast, cable and network television news; play-by-play announcers, analysts and talk show hosts for sports audio and podcasting; producers for broadcast, cable and network television news; producers for news websites and apps; and writers for broadcast news and websites.
Courses are offered in our professional all-digital broadcast production environment. Our facilities include two high-definition studios, three podcast studios, two LiveU units for performing live shots in the field, two 4K video editing suites, HD editing suites for single or group projects and other areas designed to support both studio and remote productions.
Video cameras, audio recorders, lights and other gear required to capture interviews and events in the field are available to students through our well-stocked and expertly maintained equipment inventory. In addition, students will have access to the university's state-of-the-art M&T Bank Arena for the coverage of games and interviews.
Dual-Degree Bachelor’s/Master’s (4+1)
Current Quinnipiac undergraduate students may apply for the five-year dual-degree bachelor’s/master’s program in their junior year.
Students in the Dual-Degree Bachelor’s/Master’s in Sports Journalism and Media (4+1) program complete up to 6 credits of graduate courses during their senior year, which also fulfills undergraduate electives. Students must work with their undergraduate adviser to ensure that the courses fit into their degree programs.
To earn the master’s degree, students must complete 36 credits with a minimum 3.00 GPA and no grade less than a C. Any course with a grade of less than C must be retaken.
Program of Study
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Year (Fourth Year) | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| JRN 504 | Sports Writing, Reporting & Content Creation | 3 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| JRN 563 | Sports Data Visualization & Analytics | 3 |
| Graduate Year | ||
| Fifth Year Fall | ||
| JRN 525 | TV Reporting and Anchoring | 3 |
| JRN 564 | Sports Audio & Podcasting | 3 |
| JRN 589 | Critical Issues in Sports | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Fifth Year Spring | ||
| JRN 562 | Sports Law and Ethics | 3 |
| JRN 565 | TV Sportscast Producing & Anchoring | 3 |
| or JRN 595 | Sports Newsroom Clinical | |
| JRN 567 | Sports Social Media | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Fifth Year Summer | ||
| JRN 601 | Capstone Project | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select two electives from those available in consultation with your adviser. Students may take any course in any School of Communications graduate program with permission of program director. Electives are offered on an as-needed basis and may not be available during a given student's program of study. Frequently offered electives include: | ||
| Special Topics in Journalism | ||
| TV Sports Game Coverage | ||
| Crafting the Sports Feature | ||
| Sports Newsroom Clinical | ||
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
-
Understand sports journalistic practices, legal and ethical standards and technologies, and be able to apply critical thinking to develop and produce stories.
-
Analyze and evaluate information based on journalistic practices of research, interviews and observation.
-
Report, compose, and present sports-centric journalistic stories in a variety of media platforms, using methods such as social media, data visualization and mining, audio storytelling, photography, videography and more that inform, enlighten and entertain a variety of audiences.
-
Engagement in the ethical practice of journalism.
Admission
- application form
- resume
- two letters of reference (one from a professor in the student’s major)
- a personal statement