Join premier journalism school

Full-time journalism master’s program // 12 months

Our Master of Science in Journalism (MSJ) degree is designed to give you the skills and training needed to help you launch and accelerate your career in journalism and media. At Medill, you also join a high-quality network of more than 18,000 alumni working in journalism, media, communications and other industries all over the world.

Accelerate Your Career

Required.
Required.
Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a valid phone number.
We do not share your personal information.

Key Highlights

#replacethis
We’re based in Chicago near top media companies. You can also spend time at our campuses in San Francisco and D.C.
#replacethis
Northwestern is ranked No. 9 by U.S. News and World Report.
alumni network
Join the 18,000 alumni in the Medill network, including some of the most prominent journalists in the field.

Choose Your Specialization to Gain Career Skills

As a Medill journalism master’s student, you will select a specialization in a subject area or storytelling method. In addition to strengthening your journalism skills in the MSJ program, these specializations allow you to develop a deep expertise in a specific area that interests you.

  • Health, Environment and Science
    Follow your passion for medicine, healthcare, science and the environment as you pursue stories anywhere in the world, from medical research labs to environmental hot spots.
  • Magazine
    Learn how print and digital magazine content are assembled and published. Write, edit and conceptualize stores and gain an understanding of strong narrative storytelling.
  • Media Innovation and Content Strategy
    Combine your love of journalism with your entrepreneurial spirit and learn how to lead, launch and build digital media businesses.
  • Medill Investigative Programs
    Work side-by-side with veteran journalists on investigations of national importance. The investigative skills you learn in this specialization will serve you well in your career no matter what area of journalism you pursue.
  • Politics, Policy and Foreign Affairs
    Learn to cover politics and the latest advances in national security, and work as a credentialed reporter in the nation’s capital.
  • Social Justice
    Use your journalism skills to shine light on injustice and inequality. Learn how to make a difference by telling the stories of those who are disenfranchised, vulnerable or oppressed.
  • Sports Media
    Go beyond game coverage by learning to tackle commentaries, profiles and analyses that sports fans love. Your training will take you onto the field and behind the scenes at sporting events.
  • Video and Broadcast
    Develop your skills in areas such as TV news, video storytelling and documentary. Use our state-of-the-art video equipment and studios to hone your craft.
  • Business, Economics and Money
    You’ll learn how to uncover financial stories and present them in ways to help your audience understand how money moves our world.

Gain Real-World Experience

From day one, you’ll hit the ground running with reporting and publishing stories. A Medill journalism master's degree is hands-on. Get ready to investigate, report, discover and interview leading scientists, entrepreneurs, innovators, politicians, activists, athletes and others.

Experience Global Journalism

You will learn how to succeed in a global world. Students travel for a week around the country or abroad to report on important stories. Some recent destinations include London (business reporting), Europe (political reporting), South Carolina (presidential primary), Argentina (visual reporting), Pacific Northwest (Indigenous Nations), South Africa (social justice reporting), and more.

Put Your Medill Degree to Work

Sample jobs of recent alums include:

  • Producer at CBS Newspath
  • Washington Correspondent at The Dallas Morning News
  • Production Assistant at Bloomberg LP
  • Reporter at Politico
  • Sports Content Researcher at ESPN
  • Writer/Reporter at People Magazine
  • Digital Photo Editor at The New Yorker
  • Content Designer at IBM
  • Video Journalist at USA Today
  • Production Assistant at FOX Sports Arizona
  • SEO Content Specialist at IPSY
  • Your Medill Story Starts Here.