Data Journalism (online) (MPDJ)
Graduate Degree Program
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
ABSTRACT
The fully online Master of Professional Studies in Data Journalism is a collaboration between the Philip Merrill College of Journalism and the College of Information Studies. The program prepares students to responsibly leverage open data, results of public records requests, scraped (or otherwise automatically accumulated) data, and acquired data in their assessment, evaluation, and investigation of an issue. Students will learn how to use open-source tools, application programming interfaces (APIs), and low-cost computing resources to find, access, gather, prepare, and analyze data, and then to use the results of that process to develop stories and recommend methods of visualizing stories. The Data Journalism MPS degree trains students to apply data management and analytics techniques to report and develop news stories, provide deeper insights into these stories, 754: Data Journalism (online) 3 and improve the ways that information can be disseminated via data visualization and interactive media. Increased technical savviness coupled with analytical tools will enable graduates to increase the precision and sophistication of investigative journalism.
CONTACT
Serap Rada, Ph.D.
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Knight Hall
7765 Alumni Dr.
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2513
Email: sdrada@umd.edu
Website: http://www.merrill.umd.edu
Courses: JOUR
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcript(s)
- TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
- Letters of Recommendation (3)
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (optional)
- CV/Resume
- 3 Writing Samples: Writing samples uploaded to the Upload Requirements section of the application – under Writing Sample 1, Writing Sample 2, and Writing Sample 3.
- Supplementary Application (optional)
- Description of Research/Work Experience (optional)
- Portfolio PDF Upload (optional)
APPLICATION DEADLINES
| Type of Applicant | Fall Deadline | Spring Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Applicants | ||
| US Citizens and Permanent Residents | July 2, 2025 | N/A |
| International Applicants | ||
| F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants | July 2, 2025 | N/A |
RESOURCES AND LINKS:
Program Website: merrill.umd.edu/degrees-programs/masters-degree/online-data-journalism-masters-degree
Application Process: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions
The MPS will be offered entirely online, though students may choose to take some of the required courses through in-person sections. Online students still have access to university library resources and can access them online. Interaction with instructors will be through ELMS, email, phone, and Zoom office hours. Advising will be virtual (phone, email, and Zoom) by our Graduate Student Services advising teams. Tech support for INFM and INST courses will be offered by the College of Information Studies by emailing the shared email address (ischooltechsupport@umd.edu) and generating a ticket. Tech support for JOUR courses will be offered by Clint Bucco (cbucco@umd.edu). ELMS-specific support will be handled by the Division of Information Technology. We will offer basic troubleshooting links on our website.