The Master of Journalism at the University of British Columbia is a professional graduate program that runs over four terms with a summer internship.  It is for students with undergraduate degrees in any discipline.

Master of Journalism students come from countries all over the world.  They specialize in key disciplines relevant to their future media careers.  The trend towards over-simplification and “infotainment” in the news is shifting as an increasingly well-educated public demands sophisticated viewpoints and complex, inspired storytelling. 

Our aim is to graduate journalists prepared to contribute meaningful public discourse across all forms of media. To that end, we are looking for students who have a strong sense of curiosity, who are passionate about current events, and who are committed to pursuing journalism as a career. 

Our students possess various professional and academic backgrounds: some are recent university graduates seeking a profession that makes a difference; others are professionals seeking a change of career; and yet others are working journalists who wish to further their career potential and advancement opportunities by achieving a master’s degree that encourages academic specialization and delivers cutting-edge multi-platform media training.

Eligibility: To be eligible for our program, applicants to the Graduate School of Journalism must complete, prior to the first day of classes, a degree in any discipline that is academically equivalent to a UBC 4-year Bachelor’s degree with a minimum B+ average in 300 & 400 (upper) level coursework. 

If you are from a country where English is not the first language, you must achieve a TOEFL score of 615 on the paper-based test, 260 on the computer-based test, or 105 on the internet-based test; or an IELTS score of 7.5 with no subsection score lower than 6.5.  Follow the link to our application checklist. To apply, go to the online application form.  While the School of Journalism may make offers to applicants based on the above criteria, final decisions are subject to formal approval by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

After our eligibility requirements are met, the most important qualification is evidence of strong writing ability.  When you apply, we want to get to know you and your writing style through your clippings, your transcripts, your references, your academic papers and your cover letter/statement of intent. 

We particularly welcome applications from students of diverse backgrounds. We encourage you to speak about the ways you would contribute to the diversity of our school. 

Some of you will have little or no journalism experience.  Others will be weaker academically but strong in journalistic experience or style.  A weakness in one area will not disqualify you.  It is your overall presentation of application materials that will make a difference in our decision to accept you into the UBC Graduate School of Journalism.

We wish you the best of luck during the admissions process.