FAQ: How do I switch concentrations in the Spring semester?
Q: How do I switch concentrations in the Spring semester? (M.S. only)
A: Your M.S. degree from the J-school will only say “Master of Science.” The concentration is an internal designation you can choose to highlight in resumes and elsewhere. Your concentration is actually is determined by workshop assignment, so in some cases, it is possible to switch concentrations midstream. Here’s a quick rundown of the procedure for switching. Keep in mind we do not guarantee switches - there are enrollment caps in all the classes. We plan our hiring and courses well in advance of the semester, based mainly on what students indicated they wanted to concentrate in when they were were accepted to the school. More info to come at various briefing sessions in the weeks ahead.
SWITCHING INTO NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE: When you fill out your Spring ballot, rank the newspaper or magazine workshops as your top choices. Please note that all magazine concentration students are required to take the Delacorte Lecture class (a series of Thursday night lectures with 0.5 credit) and will be enrolled automatically in it.
SWITCHING INTO NEW MEDIA: Priority for the main New Media workshop is given to the original New Media concentration students. If spaces allows, those who have taken New Media Newsroom will be considered. Please see Dean Sreenivasan after November 12 if you are interested in being considered. Once you have gotten his permission, he will e-mail his consent to Dean Huff, and you can rank new media as your first choice for spring workshops.
SWITCHING INTO TV BROADCAST: Generally one cannot make this switch as the broadcast workshops are dependent on your having acquired the requisite skills in either Broadcast RWI or the PT Intro to Television News Reporting & Writing class. In rare instances special permission is granted to students with comparable real-world experience. Permission for non-Broadcast students to ballot for TV workshops must be granted by the professor of the course of interest (Documentary, Nightly News, Television News Magazine). The professor can e-mail his/her consent to Dean Huff.
SWITCHING INTO RADIO BROADCAST: Permission for non-Broadcast students to ballot for the RADIO WORKSHOP must be granted by Prof. Dinges. The professor can e-mail his consent to Dean Huff. Preference is given to those who took radio skills or who have real world experience.
