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Join us in Silicon Valley

Some of our applicants come from journalism backgrounds. Some come from technical or civic hacking backgrounds. Others are just passionate about uncovering public affairs stories. Whatever the case, our program will gear you to thrive as a multimedia-savvy, data-driven storyteller.

The application for the Stanford Journalism Master’s Program is currently closed. Stanford’s online application for the 2025-26 entry is expected to open September 15, 2024. 

If you'd like to be notified when the application reopens, please subscribe to our e-mail list using the form below. 

 

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The Stanford Journalism Program typically enrolls 15 students annually. All are expected to complete the degree requirements in one academic year. Part-time students are not admitted.

The Admissions Committee examines individual applications for evidence of probable success in an academically demanding program designed to cultivate the breadth of knowledge and critical judgment skill-set needed to excel in a journalism career.

The Stanford Journalism Program welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, journalism samples and admission essay in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and their potential contributions to the field of journalism. 

The Stanford Journalism Program recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision. 

Application Deadlines

The online application fee is $125 for all applicants, both domestic and international. If you are considering applying to Stanford graduate programs and need assistance with the application fees, consider applying for a fee waiver.

Applicants who do not have a bachelor’s degree from a university based in the U.S. should review the information for international students to determine their eligibility to apply to graduate school at Stanford.

Applying to the Stanford Journalism Program (MA) requires:

(A.) Application Form

By mid-September, you can access the online application and all accompanying information at Student Affairs Graduate Admissions

(B.) Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose explains the nature of your interest in journalism and reasons for pursuing the degree at Stanford University. The maximum recommended length is 1000 words.

(C.) Three Journalistic Samples

Submit three samples of journalistic work. Each submission should demonstrate an appreciation for the basic standards of good journalism and an exceptional aptitude for advanced writing and reporting. Up to two of the samples can be digital media samples in any multimedia format (audio, video, blog, photography) submitted as links in a PDF.

(D.) Transcripts

List every post-secondary institution where you were enrolled — or are currently enrolled — in an undergraduate or graduate degree program. Your list must include the institution where you earned your bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent as defined in Stanford’s minimum education requirements for graduate study.  

For each institution you list in the application, upload the most recently available version of your transcript. The transcripts you upload here are considered unofficial and will suffice for the review process.  

If you have participated in a study abroad program or transferred courses to your home institution, and the individual courses and grades are reflected on the transcript of the home institution, then you do not need to submit transcripts from the study abroad/transfer institution. Multiple page uploads are allowed for all transcripts. 

If you are offered admission to Stanford Communication and accept the offer, you will be required to submit official transcripts/degree conferral documents.

(E.) Resume

Upload a 1-3 page resume into the ‘resume’ section of the application.

(F.) Letters of recommendation

We require three letters of recommendation. Recommendations must be submitted online by January 3, 2024.  As part of the online application, applicants will be required to register the contact information of their recommenders. Recommenders will then receive an email with directions on how to proceed. At least one evaluation and letter should be from a faculty member at the last school you attended as a full-time student (unless you have been out of school for more than five years). Substitutions for faculty recommendations may include work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work.

The recommendation process supports letters submitted via Interfolio. The applicant registers a recommender using an email address that contains “interfolio.com.” Please remember that letters written specifically for your Stanford graduate program tend to be stronger than letters written for general use purposes. Furthermore, the recommendation form displayed for a recommender using Interfolio will not include the evaluation questions displayed and required for other recommenders.

(G.) Official TOEFL test scores - For applicants whose first language is not English

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).  Please see the Graduate Admissions website for detailed information. 

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Join dozens of Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students who receive up to three years of funding and valuable leadership skills as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS).

KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a multidisciplinary and multicultural cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your graduate studies at Stanford.

Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS.

If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 2024. Learn more about KHS admission.

Coterm Degree (for Stanford Undergraduates only):

If you are a Stanford undergraduate student interested in the journalism track of the Coterminal Master’s Program in Communication, you can find detailed information at the Department of Communication website. Contact Katrin Wheeler, Student Services Manager, with any logistical questions about the coterm program. Contact Stanford Journalism Program Director James Hamilton to see if your academic background might be a good fit for learning storytelling and data skills. Some students have a background in storytelling and want to learn data skills, while other students have a data or computer science background and want to learn storytelling and reporting skills.

Questions?

Make sure to take a close look at our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have further questions after carefully reading the information provided, please contact Stanford Journalism Program Director James Hamilton or Student Services Manager Katrin Wheeler.


Thank you for your interest in the Stanford Journalism Program.