On degree programs and journalism.

Mikesta

Hello H/A. I'm a journalism and mass communication major at my university, and my plan, so far, has been to get a bachelors degree in said field and graduate. One thing I've come to learn about this field, from talking to professors and whatnot, is that experience seems to count for more than just about anything else. Having many published articles, and as many internships as possible, seems to be the best route to getting a good job in this field.

So, since I'm considering a specialization in digital journalism, would it be okay for me to settle for a bachelors, or should I go for a masters instead?

Ardor

I'll do my best to respond since there may not be many in your position who can help out.

I would suggest asking your professors or career center for advice to start. The most important piece might be what workplaces graduates with your degree tend to get jobs at. Then contact those lpaces and try to setup a meeting or job shadow with someone there or simlpy send an email and ask their opinion.

Many jobs almost require you to know people or have contacts to get in or even learn about opportunities that exist within companies. By talking to recent graduates, you may get some contacts that can help you out.

Find out what your options are with both levels of education. If a company feels they can't really work/promote someone with only a bachelor's degree, your chances of being hired on are much less. However, if you find out that it's mostly experience driven in the type of company you want to work for, see if they have suggestions of where to go. You might be able to find some kind of contract agency or something that can give you some jobs to start, in order to build some of that experience up.

I hope that helps. I'm not in your field, but I figured I'd share what I've heard and learned in my time.

truck-a-sauras

google the organization Ed2010. My wife got her masters a few years ago in journalism and found some contacts through that group.

Lewisham

Your best bet is to intern, intern, intern, preferably in print: it just looks better on a portfolio than web sites.

A Masters will do no more for your "real-world" portfolio than your bachelors does.