• Broad-scale general knowledge
• Curiosity
• Linguistic finesse and competence
• Tenacity

One entrance requirement for the master’s degree program in Journalism is proof of a completed bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree from a higher education institution in Germany or abroad.

If you have not yet received your bachelor’s degree certificate by the application deadline, but have earned at least 135 credits in your bachelor’s program, you must apply by the set deadline with a transcript (certified copy issued by your university) of all coursework and exams completed to date, including your average grade to date.

An examination in accordance with the entrance requirements (aptitude test) will take place to determine whether you have the subject-specific skills necessary to succeed in this master’s degree program.

Further information concerning the aptitude test can be found on the Journalism website.

Good to know: The legally binding basis for selection, admission and enrollment is the text of the entrance requirements as specified in Section 2 of the currently valid examination regulations and, where applicable, in the appendix.

You can find more information in the master’s degree program’s examination regulations.

Program structure

First academic semester

• Fundamentals of journalism
• Design and working methods
• Journalism theory and media research

Second academic semester

• Magazine and online journalism
• Radio journalism

Third and fourth academic semester

• Audiovisual journalism
• Focus area and development: specialization in radio journalism (3rd semester), audiovisual journalism (4th semester), or workshops on various topics and formats (3rd and 4th semester)
• Master’s thesis (either practice-oriented or academic thesis)

In the “Focus area and development” module, you can also select workshops on various topics and fields (e.g., social media formats, knowledge formats, data-driven journalism) in place of a specialization in radio journalism or television journalism.

Other modules

• Project work
• Editorial internships

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

Internships

In order to refine and consolidate the knowledge and skills you have acquired during your studies, you will complete three internships in the field of journalism lasting at least four weeks during the semester breaks. Depending on how far along you are in your studies and what path you choose, you may pursue internships at news agencies, newspaper and magazine publishers, online editorial offices, or radio and television studios. You will typically be integrated into the editorial processes, where you can suggest topics, conduct research, and write or produce your own articles and contributions. The School of Journalism can help you find suitable internships.

The editorial internships comprising 12 weeks in total should be completed during the semester break between the first and second, the second and third, and the third and fourth semesters.

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

During your studies, you will acquire the practical skills that form the basis of your future work in journalism, including

• the research and production of journalistic contributions for print, television, radio, online publications, and social media
• various forms of journalistic publishing (news, reporting, commentary, reportage, etc.) as well as sound and video editing
• standards of quality and ethics

These foundations will prepare you well to gain a foothold in various working environments and institutions, for instance as an editor at

• news agencies
• newspaper, magazine, and online editorial offices
• radio stations
• television studios
• production companies

In order to establish yourself in related professional fields, you will typically need practical experience that extends beyond your studies (e.g., in the form of a traineeship or freelance work).

Press and public relations work as well as corporate communication may also be interesting areas of work for you. Here, too, it can be useful to gather practical experience during your studies (e.g. in the form of internships) to facilitate the transition to the professional sphere.

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.