To get a degree in journalism, it is necessary to first finish high school and obtain a high school diploma. Many people who know they want to pursue journalism as a career get started early, and may work on their high school's newspaper or a local community newspaper. Though it is not necessary to have a journalism degree to work as a successful journalist, it can be a great way to make important contacts as well as to set you apart from other journalists in the field. Begin by searching for journalism degrees at various universities.
Many universities offer both bachelor's degrees and master's degrees in journalism, and some even offer the option of obtaining an online degree. Choose your university based on application requirements, accreditation, faculty, and the program offerings. A university with a solid journalism degree program should offer courses in various types of journalism, including classes in print, television, or radio media, news writing, editing, feature writing, design, and communications, among others. It is then necessary to apply and be accepted to the university.
When applying to college, make sure the application is received by the due date. Including letters of recommendation is an excellent way to get noticed, as well as scheduling an interview to make a good first impression. Once you have been accepted by the university, you will need to determine your course of study. Some larger universities offer students the ability to take their journalism degree on a specific track; for example, you might choose to focus on print journalism, and only take journalism classes related to this type of media.
To get an even more impressive journalism degree, it might be beneficial to double major in college in your chosen area. For instance, if you know you want to cover politics for a newspaper or television station, you might choose to double major in journalism and political science. When you apply for jobs, you will already have expertise in a certain area, which will make you more marketable.
In addition, it is important to work in the real world, and get some experience while obtaining a journalism degree. You might choose to work on your college's newspaper, television station, or radio station. Another way to get real world experience is to get an internship at a local paper, or at a larger paper during breaks from school while you are free to travel. Getting a journalism degree is the first step to a rewarding career as a journalist.