SOC offers prestigious merit-based awards to full-time journalism graduate applicants in partnership with the organizations below. MA candidates receive a scholarship for a designated number of academic credits plus a stipend and an opportunity to pursue professional projects on a part-time basis with some of the country’s finest news organizations.
Recent graduate students awarded SOC's named fellowships include:
- Claritza Jimenez (BA, George Washington University), Center for Public Integrity
- Naseem Miller (BS, University of Central Florida), Center for Public Integrity
- Andrew Medici (BA, University of Pittsburgh), Bureau of National Affairs
- Kristin McGrath (BA, Washington University in St. Louis), USA Today
Center for Public Integrity
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to producing original investigative journalism. Since 2005-2006, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) and SOC have offered fellowships for SOC graduate students in journalism. CPI fellows earn a Master’s degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from SOC while working on investigative projects at the Center for 12 to 20 hours each week. The students receive up to 33 credits of tuition from AU and a stipend from the Center. Starting in 2007-2008, the Center and SOC expanded the program to include two fellowships per year. This partnership helps SOC attract the best students to the SOC journalism program while providing students with a unique fellowship at one of the premier journalism institutions in the country.
* Meet Brendan McGarry, the 2007 CPI Fellow
BNA
Beginning in fall 2008, an SOC journalism student has been selected annually to serve as a fellow at the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), a Washington-based news organization that publishes nearly 200 news and information services for professionals in law, tax, business, and government. BNA has 1100 employees and the president is an AU alum. This focus on specialty reporting provides new career opportunities for our students. BNA’s transition to the web and other digital media is transforming the field. The BNA Fellow receives up to 24 credit hours and the opportunity to pursue professional projects on a part-time basis for 15-20 hours a week with BNA.
USA TODAY
In 2008, USA Today created a fellowship for SOC’s graduate journalism program. The fellowship recipient works 15-20 hours a week during the semester at USA Today and full-time the following summer while pursuing an MA in Journalism and Public Affairs. USA Today and SOC believe this partnership will help attract the best young journalists to both the school and to USA Today.
