Master in Journalism

Structured around four semesters over two academic years, with a minimum of 16 weeks of professional editorial experience, the Master in Journalism trains students for one profession alone: journalism. 

Founded in 2004 in the earliest days of the Journalism School, the programme is now highly regarded among journalistic professionals and trains its students for careers at the cutting edge of the profession.

The Master in Journalism in Figures

Teaching objectives

Ranking and classifying facts; identifying the issues at stake in a news item (economic, social, political, sports etc.); acquiring broad general knowledge; gathering relevant testimonies; collecting data; checking these; surveying the field; speaking to sources; handling urgent information and long-term features alike; writing up a report; producing written, audio and visual content suitable for different uses and different screens; integrating digital practices of information production; mastering the mysteries of software development; pitching and running innovative editorial projects; anticipating media developments; being able to work in a group… These are some of the skills students acquire over the course of the programme.

The aim? To train the finest non-specialist journalists of future generations.

Programme

• Workshops to gain a comprehensive knowledge of current affairs, to learn how to write press reviews, find angles and pitch these to a team.
• Academic courses on various themes, focusing on major contemporary and future issues (health and international crises, world powers, statistics, economic analysis, Earth policy, ethics of artificial intelligence etc.) taught by academics, in order to sharpen students’ knowledge and give them the rigorous general knowledge that is indispensable in the field.
• Core graduate courses in French or English, together with students of other Master’s programmes at Sciences Po, to grasp key theoretical concepts in the social sciences.
• Courses on the media and journalistic culture (media law, journalistic ethics, economics and new business models around information etc.) to give students an insight into the ecosystem of their future professions.
• Workshops on journalistic production to learn how to produce content in all formats and time frames: mobile reporting; written report; photo, video and audio journalism; telling a story through words, audio, images; live storytelling; fact checking; data; spreadsheets and charts; photography and editing; 24-hour news cycles; agency journalism; data investigation; new audio and video formats; live streaming for smartphone; content and coding etc.
• Methodology workshops (sourcing and checking information, time management, voice coaching etc.) to master the essential techniques of contemporary journalism.
• Intensive bootcamps to experience working as a team on a collective editorial project, conducted from start to finish in the conditions of a genuine newsroom.
• A final project submitted at the end of the programme in the form of a journalistic piece defended before a jury, as part of Sciences Po’s Grand Oral Exam.
• A series of master classes.
• Conferences discussing and debating key contemporary issues, including Sciences Po’s annual conference on New Practices in Journalism, to identify latest developments within the profession.
• Internships at news outlets in France or abroad.

In addition: 

• Option of taking a gap year to run a specific journalistic project or to study coding and software development at the École 42 computing school in Paris.
• Optional language classes: students are required to attain a C1 level in English to be awarded their Master’s degree.

Graduate Employability

The employment rate for graduates of the Sciences Po Journalism School exceeds market statistics – source: annual Graduate Employability Survey conducted on the Classes of 2005 – 2021, with a 62% response rate.

Career Opportunities

How do I apply?

The Master in Journalism is designed for candidates with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, who come from various geographical, academic or professional backgrounds. Applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong academic record, journalistic potential and a keen interest in the world of news and the media. There is no age limit for applications.

There are three admission procedures, which vary according to the circumstances of the applicant:

1. French procedure (FR) (for applicants having completed a French degree programme)
2. International procedure (for applicants having completed a non-French degree programme)
3. Sciences Po procedure (for applicants who have already studied at Sciences Po)

Contacts

ecole.journalisme@sciencespo.fr