Top 4 US universities for Journalism degrees 2020

08 Nov 2019

Is it still wise to study journalism in 2020 and beyond? Contrary to popular belief, journalism as a career is not dying out. In fact, it’s very much alive. The industry is just going through a transformation – journalists have a very different job scope today than they did ten, or even five, years ago.

With the rise of digital journalism and the dwindling popularity of print, journalism degrees must evolve to equip future journalists with the relevant knowledge needed such as data journalism, digital tools, social media best practices – and even photography and videography.

According to an article by The Conversation, journalism jobs still exist, they’re just not like the traditional roles. So if you love reporting, it doesn’t mean you need to give up on your dream.

Journalism degrees also teach you transferable skills for jobs in the rapidly changing media and communications industry such as digital content writing, content creating, digital marketing, market research, media communications, copywriting, and more.

According to the article, journalism education equips someone with a range of important and marketable skills.

“Traditional newsroom skills include thorough research and being able to explain often complex ideas in a clear, understandable way.

“But the new generation of journalists also needs to be proficient in use of social media, online publishing and multimedia as well as being able to write. Hopefully the rapidly increased number of students is being equipped with these skills.”

Here are four of the top US universities offering journalism degrees where students receive a cutting-edge education, according to various sources such as BestCollegeReviews.org and CollegeMagazine.

The University of Texas at Austin

Breaking News…I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies 🎓🎤📰 #utgrad2018 #journalism #notfakenews #graduation #multimediajournalist pic.twitter.com/iVXWx9vBBj

— Alana Hernández (@ya_alana) May 18, 2018

The School of Journalism at this university prepares future journalists for the industry through experiential learning opportunities and modern journalism education.

According to BestCollegeReviews, the School offers “several opportunities to study abroad and gain journalistic experiences through programs at the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, Texas Newswatch, Texas Program in Sports and Media, and a variety of student media publications including The Daily Texan, Texas Travesty, KVRX 91.7, and TSTV.”

CollegeMagazine wrote, “In the digital innovation class, a capstone course offered each semester, students learn how to bring digital products to fruition, market their ideas and build a portfolio in the process.”

Students can also study abroad in countries such as Australia, China, Chezch Republic and Austria.

New York University

NYU Journalism is awarded $105k Luminary Fellowship for podcast journalismhttps://t.co/NgBhbqtUcM pic.twitter.com/nOXp0qGyTP

— Literary Reportage at NYU (@litrep_nyu) November 4, 2019

It’s no secret that one of the best journalism schools in the world is housed by NYU. Keeping up with the times, the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute continues to develop successful graduates in the field who go on to work at reputable companies such as Huffington Post and New York Times.

Meryl Gordon, Associate Professor and Director of Magazine Writing, told CollegeMagazine, “Students at NYU not only learn the time-honored techniques of crafting well-reported and well-written stories, but they also learn data journalism, podcasting, photojournalism and videography to be well-equipped to land good jobs.”

There are also study abroad opportunities and internships for students located in the bustling city of New York.

Pennsylvania State University

This is where I had my first broadcast journalism position… hosting a talk radio show… WPSU-FM (91.5 FM) is central Pennsylvania’s only National Public Radio member radio station licensed to the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees as a part of WPSU Penn State. pic.twitter.com/5TTzkmSrVt

— Rob Boulware (@rboulware) April 11, 2019

Another established university for Journalism degrees, the Department of Journalism at Penn State offers a comprehensive education in the field as well as hands-on learning experiences through internships with employers such as CNN, CBS News and Los Angeles Times.

According to CollegeMagazine, “Those interested in journalism at Penn State can choose between digital and print, broadcast, and photojournalism tracks.

“These tracks focus on preparing students to become writers, reporters, editors and photographers with classes such as news media ethics, news writing and reporting, and principles of multimedia journalism.”

Northwestern University

We look forward to meeting students who are interested in earning a master’s degree in journalism or integrated marketing communications at the @ncatsuaggies graduate fair today! https://t.co/Za1CcUF1h0

— Northwestern Medill (@MedillSchool) November 6, 2019

Offering cutting-edge journalism degrees, Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications partners with the McCormick School of Engineering through the Knight Lab to provide students with a glimpse of how technology has changed the field.

Director of Marketing and Communications Sara Brazael told CollegeMagazine, “Students experiment with emerging media, explore global journalism and prepare not only to work in a changing media world but to lead it.”

There are also global journalism residencies abroad for students, as well as hands-on experience writing for The Daily Northwestern, the on-campus newspaper.