Learn it today, act on it tomorrow. In just 12 months, Full Sail’s New Media Journalism master’s program can help you expand your professional skills.

The age of information has given rise to a new breed of journalist – tech-savvy individuals who understand there’s more than one way to tell a story. Full Sail’s New Media Journalism master’s program prepares students for an ever-changing media landscape by giving them tools to produce engaging content.

“More people are choosing journalism today than ever before,” says program director Ryan Kitelyn. “As educators, we have to separate the signal from the noise. What defines good journalism? What is good content? We address these questions by looking at the theories behind the deliverables.”

Prospective students usually fall into one of two categories, says Kitelyn. The first are people who have worked in media and communications for a long time and are looking to expand their understanding of current trends and technologies. The second group tends to be less experienced. They’re budding journalists who have grown up with social media and are looking to expand their writing, research, and distribution skills.

No matter which group a new student falls into, each class provides balanced opportunities for both new media training and journalistic skill-building – beginning with a leadership course before moving on to study the foundations of new and interactive media. Students are encouraged to pursue topics that they’re passionate about as they build a portfolio throughout the program.

“Your career training starts when you enter the program. We help students pick a beat that interests them, and then they develop content around that topic along the way,” says Kitelyn.

Today’s journalists must also further the conversation through social media. Courses in online community engagement and public relations round out the foundational courses, offering strategies for continued discourse and social media hygiene. Finally, students will learn how to distribute their work.

“As students complete deliverables, we encourage them to send that stuff out,” says Kitelyn. “Hopefully, some of those pieces get picked up and published by media outlets.” The goal is to send graduates into the professional world with a robust portfolio they can show off to potential employers. The degree culminates with a final project that serves that very purpose – and allows students to do a deep dive into a story they’ve always wanted to tell.

“One thing all of our graduates have in common is curiosity,” says Kitelyn. “They come from all walks of life, but each of them wants to know more about the world around them. They’re the kind of people who read something and want to know who the writer is, or they watch a news story and look up more information about it afterward. Our grads are excited to dig deeper.”