Program in Journalism and Public Affairs School of Communication American University

Expansions and Renovations Contribute to the Reputation of American University School of Communication

Located in Washington, D.C., American University (AU) School of Communication (SOC) offers degree-granting programs to undergraduate and graduate students in fields related to journalism, public and political communication, film and media arts, and international media. AU School of Communication serves approximately 900 undergraduate and 300 graduate students and has approximately 50 full-time faculty positions.

As communication becomes more prevalent and relevant in twenty-first century society, SOC continues to grow. The school is planning a $20 million renovation project to its main building, and other expansions are taking place across American University. These improvements build on the reputation that SOC enjoys as a top institution for the study of communication-related fields.

Journalism Program Emphasizes Digital Journalism Skills

SOC is on the cutting edge in preparing students for the newsroom of the future. Coursework focuses on digital journalism and students are prepared to work with converged media in an online environment. The school is also home to two non-profit organizations in the field of journalism, The Investigative Reporting Workshop (IRW) and JLab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism. Students work closely with faculty at these centers, contribute to center projects and can develop functional concentrations in investigative reporting and interactive journalism. Full-time graduate students complete the program in thirteen months.

Washington, D.C., is One of the World's Media Capitals, an Advantage for SOC Students

One of the notable distinctions of AU School of Communication is its Washington, D.C., location. The school prides itself on being located in one of the media capitals of the world. Each of SOC's programs of study is designed to take full advantage of the city, and accordingly focus on public affairs and public service. Nationally recognized public relations executives working in D.C. regularly serve as guest lecturers and adjunct professors for the Journalism program. SOC also offers fellowships to full-time graduate journalism students with the following partner organizations: the Center for Public Integrity, the Bureau of National Affairs, The Investigative Reporting Workshop and Washington Post. The school takes advantage of urban Washington, D.C. while being located in a residential area of the city. The beautifully landscaped campus has been declared an arboretum.

Cultural Institutions and International Media Organizations Surround the SOC Campus

In addition to being a center of media and government, Washington, D.C., has a rich cultural heritage. It is home to the Smithsonian Institute, the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Library of Congress. Access to these resources and strategic partnerships with leading local media organizations such as NBC, CBS, Gannett, Inc and the Newseum has helped SOC students supplement their education. There are many professional and internship opportunities available to SOC students; students have worked at international media organizations, including Discovery Communications, National Geographic, Washington Post, washingtonpost.com, USA Today, washingtonpost.com, the Associated Press and many others, while attending school.

SOC Offers Six Full-Time Graduate Programs in Communication and a Doctoral Degree in Communication

AU School of Communication offers a wide variety of full-time master's degree programs. The Master of Arts in journalism and public affairs is a year-long, intensive, full-time program.

SOC also offers an M.A. in public communication, which allows students to concentrate in arts, government, political, and public interest communication, as well as international public communication.

Concentrations in the M.A. in film and video, include film and video production, screenwriting, multimedia, and film history, theory, and criticism.

The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree is a terminal degree, and upon completion of this program, SOC graduates are equipped to pursue collegiate-level teaching careers, along with a number of other career options. Alumni of SOC's M.F.A. program won the Student Academy Award for their thesis projects in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

The graduate program in international media is offered in collaboration with the AU's world renowned School of International Service. This program results in an M.A. degree and offers a combination of theory, research, and professional production skills to provide students with a global media advantage.

The M.A. in Political Communication is presented in partnership with the University's School of Public Affairs and prepared students for careers as politicians, policy-makers, political communication strategists, and campaign executives.

SOC offers a doctoral degree in communication, which offers a rigorous and fast-paced course of study designed for scholars who want to apply theory to practice.

Weekend Master's Program Option Caters to the Schedules of Working Professionals

For working professionals who are interested in obtaining their M.A. in Interactive Journalism degree on Saturdays, the School offers the option to complete the program on a part-time basis. The cohort based, twenty-month, weekend program format is designed for working professionals with three or more years of full-time work experience post bachelors. A background in communication is not necessary. Other weekend programs include the M.A. in Public Communication and the M.A. in Producing for Film and Video.

Online Graduate Certificate Program for Working Professionals

For the digital media skills certificate program, all coursework will be conducted via online distance learning in a 15-credit skills oriented program, which takes one year to complete. The program is cohort style and enrolls for semesters beginning in March and October.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Interactive Journalism Master of Arts (MA)
• Print Journalism Master of Arts (MA) [international journalism]
  Master of Arts (MA) [economic communication]
  Master of Arts (MA) [public policy journalism]
• Broadcast Journalism Master of Arts (MA) [international journalism]
  Master of Arts (MA) [economic communication]
  Master of Arts (MA) [public policy journalism]

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 40
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? No
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required and Alternate accepted
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied169
• Accepted125
• Acceptance Rate73%
• Enrolled37
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $50
• Application Fee - International $50
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline February 1st April 1st Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 600 paper based, TOEFL iBT, IELTS required, IELTS paper based

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$24,264
• Out-of-state tuition *$24,264
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$430.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsFebruary 1
• Types of financial support availableFellowships, Research Assitantships, Teaching Assistantships, Tuition Waivers, Career or Field-Related Internships, Federal Work-Study, Institutionally-sponsored Loans, Scholarship and/or loans, Graduate Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students39
• Female Percentage74%
• Male Percentage26%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students39
• Part-time Percentage0%
• Full-time Percentage100%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / LatinoNot Reported
• Black / African AmericanNot Reported
• White / CaucasianNot Reported
• American Indian / Alaskan NativeNot Reported
• AsianNot Reported
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific IslanderNot Reported
• Two or more racesNot Reported
• UnknownNot Reported

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty17
• Full-time Percentage76%
• Part-time Percentage24%
• Female Percentage53%
• Male Percentage47%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchGovernment and media effects of journalistic practices and policies, race and gender and the media, investigative reporting, computer assisted reporting
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported