Dual-Degree Bachelor’s/Master’s in Sports Journalism (4+1)

Program Contact: Molly Yanity 203-582-5031

Quinnipiac offers a five-year Dual-Degree Bachelor’s/Master’s in Sports Journalism (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 prepares students from all academic and professional backgrounds for careers in broadcast/multimedia sports and in traditional and emerging media companies that focus on reporting and analysis of sports.

The program features training in the principles, tools, craft, history and ethics of contemporary sports journalism in the context of innovative approaches to reporting and presenting information via social media and other forms. Our goal is simple: to transform a lifelong passion for sports into a successful career.

Students are challenged to develop story ideas through reasoning and observation, to wisely conduct interviews, to write thoughtful stories, to learn the technical skills to acquire and edit video and audio, as well as the behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing shows. 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 are 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 terrestrial, online and satellite radio, producers for broadcast, cable and network television news, producers for news websites, and writers for broadcast news and websites.

Courses and labs are offered in our professional all-digital broadcast production environment. Our facilities include a high-definition studio, 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 have access to the People’s United Center for the coverage of games and interviews.

Dual-Degree Bachelor’s/Master’s (4+1) Program of Study

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 (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 3.0 GPA and no grade less than a C. Any course with a grade of less than C must be retaken.

Sample Schedule

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Senior Year (Fourth Year)
Fall Semester
JRN Required Course		3
Spring Semester
JRN Required Course		3
Graduate Study (Fifth Year)
Fall Semester
JRN Required Courses		12
Spring Semester
JRN Required Courses		12
Summer Semester
JRN 601	Capstone Project	3
JRN Elective		3
Total Credits		36

Program of Study

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
JRN 504	Digital Essentials	3
JRN 524	TV Reporting	3
JRN 562	Sports Law and Ethics	3
JRN 563	Sports Analytics	3
JRN 564	Presenting and Producing Radio Sports	3
JRN 565	Presenting and Producing Television Sports: Remote	3
JRN 566	Presenting and Producing Television Sports: Studio	3
JRN 574	Crafting the Sports Feature	3
JRN 589	Critical Issues in Sports	3
JRN 595	Sports Clinical	3
JRN 601	Capstone Project	3
Elective Course
Select one elective 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.		3
Total Credits		36

Courses and curriculum requirements are subject to change.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:

Understand professional sports journalistic practices, ethical standards and technologies and be able to apply reason to develop ideas within these structures.
Analyze information based on sports journalistic practices of research, interviews and observation.
Evaluate information in determining the story’s narrative structure and reach via social media and other applications.
Report and compose a story, either visual, multimedia or text, that informs, enlightens, entertains and is useful to the reader or audience within professional sports journalistic reporting and writing practices and ethical standards.

Admission

Quinnipiac University students from any undergraduate major may apply to the dual-degree bachelor’s/master’s program during their junior year. The deadline is the third Friday in February. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater by the end of their junior year.

An application should be submitted to graduate programs director in the School of Communications and consists of the following:

application form
resume
two letters of reference (one from a professor in the student’s major)
a personal statement