School of Journalism

An applicant must meet the admission requirements for the Toulouse Graduate School as well as the following program requirements:

• bachelor’s degree or its equivalent
• basic courses in journalism, which can be achieved via bridging courses while enrolled in the graduate program
• 3.0 GPA or above, GRE scores and acceptable portfolio for unconditional admission

Domestic application deadlines are:

• June 15 for fall admission
• October 15 for spring admission
• April 15 for summer admission

International application deadlines are:

• April 1 for fall admission
• September 1 for spring admission
• January 1 for summer admission

All questions about the graduate program should be directed to the graduate student coordinator at 940-565-4564 or in room 207 of the General Academic Building.

If a GPA evaluation is 3.0 or above, a candidate may be admitted conditionally, provided that GRE scores are submitted during the first semester of enrollment.  NEW: All applicants for the fall 2016 term and beyond must submit GRE scores as part of their admission packet before they will be considered for admission. International students must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based,) 213 from a computerized TOEFL or 79 Internet-based test in addition to GRE scores. Visit UNT International or contact the International Admissions and Recruitment Office at 940-565-2442 for more information about International Admissions.

Bridging requirements vary. Students with degrees in areas other than journalism may be required to complete from 6 to 12 hours of undergraduate journalism courses. Graduate and undergraduate courses may be taken concurrently.

Admission Procedures

Two admission procedures are required and may occur simultaneously.

Please visit the Toulouse Graduate School website. Domestic and international students both follow the process on this website to apply to UNT. The Toulouse Graduate School will receive the online application, required application fee and transcripts from all college work past high school.

The Mayborn requires a portfolio of writing samples (requirements below) and three letters of recommendation. The Mayborn Graduate Institute also requires Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. The preference is to have the exam taken and scores submitted before enrolling in classes. However, a student maybe admitted provisionally without scores. The exam must be taken within the first few weeks of a student's first term so that scores can be posted before the next registration period. See above. This requirement changes for all fall 2016 applications. For all fall 2016 applications, GRE scores are required to be a part of the application package.

Portfolio Requirement for Graduate Admission

An applicant must email their portfolio documents to the Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism (MaybornGraduateInstitute@unt.edu). A hard copy portfolio may be submitted only with permission from the graduate student coordinator and, if approved, must include an electronic version of the contents on a CD.

An applicant should provide enough material to demonstrate to the Mayborn Graduate Committee that they will succeed in the journalism graduate program as well as contribute to the intellectual and professional diversity of the Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism and its academic and professional reputation. The Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism may also consider an applicant's potential to enhance the diversity of the university.

Contents of the Portfolio

The portfolio will include the following items:

1. A two to three page signed letter of application/statement of purpose addressed to the Graduate Committee that includes the applicant’s reasoning for pursuing a master’s degree in journalism. The statement should include professional and/or academic plans and areas of research interest. We have adapted the application letter to include the purpose statement into the same document online.

2. A current vita (resume) that addresses the following areas:

• Educational background
• Previous work experience
• Publications, performances, exhibitions or other scholarly activities
• Previous research experience
• Involvement in community activities

3. Three letters of reference. Within the online application are three areas to provide contact information for references. When names and addresses are submitted, the online application site will send instructions to those contacts on how to upload their letters to the applicant's specific application. These three letters of recommendation should be from individuals who are familiar with the applicant’s academic and/or professional abilities. The letters should be printed on official letterhead. Individuals must explain their relationship to the applicant. Preferably, at least one recommendation should come from the last academic institution attended. One letter may be from a current or past employer. These letters may also be sent directly to the address at the end of this section.

4. Verbal, quantitative and analytical writing scores from the Graduate Record Exam.

5. A research paper five to ten pages long combining analysis and research. It can be a paper previously written by the applicant.

6. Other writing pieces: At least three additional items chosen from the following (no more than one from each category):

• News stories
• Sport news stories
• Public relations or advertising campaign proposals
• Editorials
• Columns
• Feature Story/News Features (how-to, personality profile, first-person, human interest)
• Creative advertising copywriting
• News releases
• Technical writing examples
• Creative nonfiction (reviews, critiques)
• Scripts
• Short stories

Many applicants do not have a journalism background or have not written pieces as listed in the areas above. If this is the case, please submit nonfiction writing samples of any kind. Book reports, profile pieces and personal essays are all examples.

7. Other (extra) creative work:

• Photos (news) and photo essays are required for those pursuing photojournalism
• Design samples (ads, brochures, newsletters, newspapers, etc.)
• Poetry
• Speeches
• Something creative but not in this list

8. Graduate Applicant Self-Evaluation

Purpose of the Portfolio

1. For the Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism to evaluate the applicant’s:

• Likelihood of success in a master’s program
• Competence in writing and completing a project
• Strengths and weaknesses in writing, and then to provide appropriate academic guidance
• Academic objectives and needs for ensuring long-term professional success

2. For the student to evaluate his or her:

• Ability as a writer, journalist, researcher and critical thinker
• Skills possessed and skills needed in relation to the goals of the Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism and his or her professional/academic objectives
• Understanding of the continuing nature of journalistic development and communication theory

3. For prospective employers to one day evaluate the student’s writing as part of the hiring process

Final Reminders

By submitting this portfolio in your name, you are attesting that you are the creator of this content. Collaborative work must be identified clearly with the name(s) attached to the work and/or appropriate references cited. Plagiarism will result in automatic denial of admission.

As mentioned above, all work must be submitted to the Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism. The information is noted below. The portfolio will not be considered complete until all pieces are received.

Holistic Review Process

Multiple Criteria are considered to provide a holistic and comprehensive evaluation of the applicant. The Mayborn Graduate Committee will review each applicant individually, using a standardized application review form. Upon completion of individual reviews, the committee will accept or deny the applicant’s candidacy. The committee will submit to the Mayborn Director the names of those recommended for admission.

At least three committee members will review all applications under the direction of the committee chair or the Mayborn Director.