What does it mean to study journalism in the U.S as an international student?

Journalism offers great career opportunities for students characterized by keen insight and deep-seated curiosity. International students who are interested in studying journalism in the US, besides their outstanding writing skills, will have to work well under pressure. If you are an international student who wishes to study in the US, you need to make sure that the school where you wish to apply is offering exactly the courses mandatory for the specialty you are choosing. Here is a brief list of specialties: broadcast journalism – in TV or radio, print journalism – covering magazines and newspapers, blogs, photojournalism, online journalism and many more.

How do you choose a journalism school?

You can search for a bachelor’s or master’s degree but you need to consider the location. If you are planning to work in the US after you obtain your diploma, it is best to make connections with journalists while in school. For example, if you are interested in finding an internship or a job, you should locate where the internship/ job is based. At the same time, if you might share an interest in reporting for a specific industry, you may want to stick to school located near that industry’s headquarters: finance is based in New York City; politics is located near Washington and technology is located in the Silicon Valley.

Some of the most reputable journalism schools in the US are at UNC Chapel Hill, the University of Missouri, and Columbia University. Columbia is placed in the heart of the publishing industry in New York City.

What are the application requirements?

As an international student, you may need to add the following copies to your application:

1. A bank statement which back up your financial situation to cover some of the costs of attending your chosen school in the US.

2. The required transcripts translated into English.

3. IELTS or TOEFL, two international English Language Testing Systems which prove that you have a strong gasp of English. If your English is poor, you will not stand a chance to be accepted by even the low profile American universities.

After graduation, you will receive either a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA). You will start with the basics such as reporting, writing, editing, media law, ethics etc.. In order to gain a better perspective, you will work outside of the classroom and report on community and/or school issues for class assignments. Once you have managed to master the basics, you will then focus on the courses tailored to their specialties such as magazine writing, photojournalism and many more.

If you wish to become a good journalist, practice will have your back. It is important to take advantage of your campus magazine, newspaper, radio or broadcast station. These are extremely valuable if you want to gain experience and secure a good job after graduation.