Nov 12, 2024  
2015-2016 Graduate Studies Bulletin 
    
2015-2016 Graduate Studies Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Journalism, Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA), Dual-degree Program


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The dual degree program offers forward-thinking students a unique opportunity to graduate in an extremely efficient manner, with both an undergraduate and an advanced degree. Within five years (instead of the usual six) students will complete a 151 semester hour program that will culminate with the awarding of both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in journalism.

Candidates for graduation from The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication  with the combined degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts must fulfill the BA requirements as listed under The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication (in the Undergraduate Bulletin) and the MA requirements as listed under The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication , with the exception that three graduate courses may count toward both the undergraduate and the graduate degrees. Students may count any three applicable graduate courses toward their undergraduate major, but most students would select the three from JRNL 211 , 215 , 216 , 231 , and 253 . In addition, undergraduate students majoring in journalism must complete the program requirements listed below plus a liberal arts minor from one of the following: any minor in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences  or the Department of Rhetoric . The minor must consist of 18 semester hours as defined by that discipline, of which at least 6 hours must be taken in-residence.

(Note: Major and minor fields will be listed on the student’s record. Only courses acceptable for the major may be applied toward the minor, and only with grades of C- or better. Pass/D+/D/Fail credit will be given toward an academic minor for courses offered only on this basis.)

Transfer


Journalism and public relations majors transferring to Hofstra may bring no more than six journalism credits from other schools for use in satisfying journalism major requirements at Hofstra. These six credits are subject to the approval of the Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations  of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication . Transfer credits are approved only for those courses meeting the department’s curriculum requirements and course standards.

Admission


Students may apply for “direct entry” into the dual-degree program as undergraduate first year students. For those who choose to submit a standardized test score, an 1170 or better on the critical reading and mathematics sections of the SAT (or an ACT score of 25) is recommended. Applicants must have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. Applicants who meet these criteria will be accepted by the Office of Admission directly into this program, and notified of acceptance prior to beginning their course work at Hofstra. Students in the program will be allowed to take graduate-level courses during their senior year provided they maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Dual-degree students must meet with an adviser at least once every semester to confirm their intent to pursue graduate studies. If they choose not to pursue the graduate degree, they will be awarded the BA degree upon completion of all required courses, up to and including their senior year. Graduate level courses may still be applied for undergraduate degree credit.

Students may also apply for admission into the dual-degree program during their junior year by requesting a meeting with MA in journalism program director Associate Professor G. Stuart Smith at 516-463-4270 or Gregory.S.Smith@hofstra.edu.

Students must take at least 80 semester hours outside their major and department, 65 of which should be liberal arts.

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