At the start of college, many students contemplate the academic path they want to take. Some students know what they want to do from the beginning, others may transfer from other schools and eventually land in a place they enjoy. Some students at the University of Maryland have landed in the journalism field with high hopes for the future.
Students’ experience in the journalism major is incomparable to other majors found at the University of Maryland, according to many. Students and graduates from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism say the hands-on experience can be challenging yet rewarding.
Tommy Tucker, a junior journalism major, transferred to this university from Howard Community College (HCC). Tucker said he did not see a career path for himself in other majors he explored and described journalism to be unique in the nature of the work.
“You can’t pull an all-nighter to complete an assignment, you have to interview people, you have to go places, it’s not something you can…cram together,” Tucker said, “I’d say it’s more career oriented.”
Julia Rosier, a 2022 Merrill graduate, found her passion in journalism and began her first full-time position as a multimedia journalist at WICS-TV in Springfield, Illinois. Rosier said she is grateful for the experience she obtained in college.
“I think the workload comparison is very different…For us, our demonstrating our knowledge for midterms type things…writing and editing is what you produce,” Rosier said, “It’s such a unique major.”
Midterms and finals in the second half of the semesters represent one of the main distinctions of the journalism major. As deadlines approach, students need to plan ahead rather than spend more time studying. In replace of a college student’s typical exam, journalism majors at this university often have long-form journalism pieces or comprehensive projects due instead.
The extracurricular and hands-on experiences in the journalism major set the degreee apart and enrich students the most, according to Rosier.
“All the extracurriculars I did, all the internships that I had and everything, they one hundred percent taught me so much,” Rosier said, “I got to learn from so many different people, both professionals in the field and also students who are older than me.”
Timothy Jacobsen, a photojournalism professor at Merrill, said the college gives students a lot of career potential outside of class. He believes it is advantageous for students to be creative in the content they produce and take advantage of networking opportunities.
“Handing down my passion for visual storytelling is why I [teach],” Jacobsen said, “But I think what keeps me coming back is to watch students…get hooked on photojournalism and to get jobs.”
Jacobsen says Merrill College allows students to explore a variety of careers after graduation. Although his degree is in mass communication, college helped him find what he wanted to do and find his niche in photojournalism.
Journalism offers specializations in investigative journalism, broadcast and sports, in addition to requiring an internship and capstone in the curriculum to best prepare students for graduation. Merrill College sets up students to find their own path, according to Rosier and Jacobsen.