The Department of Journalism offers a 4 + 1 program leading to the Master of Science in Journalism for undergraduates enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Journalism program at the University of Illinois. Students can apply for this program in the first semester of their junior year and will be encouraged to select their remaining undergraduate journalism elective courses at the 200- and 300-level from courses listed in the professional option other than the one they elected to follow in completing their undergraduate degree.

As graduate students, they will enroll in a minimum of four advanced electives at the 400- and 500-levels, in addition to required graduate courses. Electives may be in areas inside or outside Journalism to allow them to pursue a topical specialization. Those electives would require the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Students with approved undergraduate journalism degrees from other institutions also are eligible to apply for this sequence. Those without undergraduate degrees in Journalism -- and who do not qualify for the deep knowledge or Sequence 2 track -- will be required to take Multimedia Storytellingas an elective.