Hands-on Journalism Education at Missouri School
Missouri School of Journalism
Students in the journalism degree program take a mix of hands-on and theoretical courses. They also choose one of six career paths and complete a capstone course focused on their career focus.
The School operates an international journalists’ magazine, a local city magazine, a statehouse news bureau and student-staffed advertising and public relations agencies. RJI serves as the hub for many professional organizations, including Investigative Reporters and Editors and Pictures of the Year International.
The Missouri Method
When Dean Walter Williams launched the world’s first journalism school in 1908, his hands-on philosophy of learning-by-doing was dubbed “the Missouri Method.” Today, that approach is embedded throughout our curriculum. Students gain real-world experience in our community-based professional newsrooms and agencies — including an NBC affiliate television station, NPR member radio station, digital-first community newspaper and two advertising agencies with paying local, regional and national clients.
Students can also pursue academic research in their field of interest by participating in a variety of student organizations and research labs. For example, this semester, undergraduates can participate in an investigative reporting class that partners with the Columbia Missourian to examine how the state’s political process works. (cross-leveled with JOURN 4340)
Journalism and Strategic Communication
In a world where information is abundant but often incorrect, good journalism separates truth from fiction. In the Missouri School of Journalism, you’ll learn to tell stories that matter in multiple formats, from print and broadcast to video and digital.
You’ll develop your journalistic skills from day one through a dynamic array of courses and hands-on experiences. We also encourage you to explore your interests through elective coursework in areas such as data journalism, magazine editing, documentary editing and public relations.
Our students are able to combine their undergraduate degree with a master’s degree through the accelerated bachelor to graduate program. You must meet both the minimum requirements for your degree as well as those of the graduate school to be admitted to this program.
Video Journalism
The Reynolds Journalism Institute helps journalism serve democracy by working with journalists, industry leaders and researchers. Its 50,000-square-foot research and innovation center provides a unique R&D environment to discover new ways to empower voices and tell the truth.
Students work on the news teams of the School’s professional outlets, including KBIA-FM, KOMU-TV, The Columbia Missourian and Vox Magazine. Assignments reflect the reality of today’s newsrooms and include team reporting, specialized beat areas and individual conferences with faculty.
This course focuses on the research, reporting and field acquisition of a yearlong documentary project. It blends innovative approaches to documentary storytelling with the hands-on Missouri Method of fact-finding and accuracy. This is a capstone course for the documentary major. Graded on A-F basis only. Pre-Journalism and Journalism majors cannot take this course.
Digital Journalism
A journalist must have a mastery of all digital platforms, including social media. They must be able to write and produce video, photos and text. They must be able to quickly update news websites and respond to breaking events as they occur.
The journalism program offers a unique opportunity to learn all of these skills while building a strong foundation in the core competencies. It’s a great opportunity to grow and diversify in a rapidly changing industry.
An accelerated bachelor to master’s program allows students to begin their graduate work during their senior year of undergraduate study. The accelerated program requires 9-12 credits each semester and is available for all majors. The Reynolds Journalism Institute works with journalists, professors and students to make sure that journalism has a bright future.
Public Relations
With the help of our faculty, students become leaders in their field. They take on roles at the New York Times and Washington Post; manage multiplatform news operations at NBC and CNN; launch innovative journalism startups; oversee public relations campaigns for companies like Ketchum, Fleishman-Hillard and BBDO; and work in our two student-staffed advertising agencies.
Designed for strategic communication majors, this course provides hands-on experience in developing and executing PR campaigns. This includes researching, writing and implementing social media strategies, managing face-to-face events, conducting research and working with clients. (cross-leveled with JOURN 4824). Graded on A-F basis only.