Brochure Page - Digital Journalism
Welcome to Bona's Online
Dive into this comprehensive program guide to learn more about St. Bonaventure University’s Master of Arts in Digital Journalism program.
Ready for the next step?
Schedule an appointment with one of our dedicated enrollment advisors to learn if this is the right program for you. They can answer all your questions and even help you with enrollment.
- Graduate in 1.5 years (9 terms)
- 12 courses, 30 total credits
- 7-week courses
- 6 start terms
- No GRE or GMAT required
- 100% online–flexibility to fit your schedule
As a student, you’ll benefit from an exceptional learning experience from a university rooted in Franciscan values and recognized for academic excellence:
- Accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC)
- One of just three ACEJMC schools offering accredited online graduate programs
- U.S. News & World Report
- Top 5 Best Value Schools in the North 2022
- Top 20 Best Regional Schools 2022
- The Princeton Review
- 387 Best Colleges 2022
- Foundation – 6 credits
- Digital Journalism Today
- Writing and Editing
- Core – 9 credits
- Digital Reporting
- Digital Storytelling
- Journalism Ethics
- Specialization – 12 credits
- Visual Communication
- Social Media Storytelling
- Data Journalism
- Coding and Interactive Storytelling
- Capstone – 3 credits
- Digital Project I - Research
- Digital Project II - Reporting
- Digital Project III - Presentation
At Bona’s, our mission is to see you succeed. To be considered for enrollment in this program, you must meet the following requirements:
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
- Transcripts from all institutions attended
- Online application
- Personal statement / Writing sample
- Resume
Online Master of Arts in Digital Journalism
Master the craft of journalism
St. Bonaventure University’s online digital journalism master’s degree goes beyond traditional journalism skills, such as writing, reporting, and editing and allows you to master the art of digital media and connect with audiences on a wide range of platforms by incorporating photography, video, design and audio.
Tradition Meets Technology – A graduate degree that emphasizes the highest journalistic standards to earn public trust and multimedia courses that prepare you with a digital skillset. Learn to demonstrate an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to move journalism forward in a variety of organizations and settings.
Ethics and Diversity – Shaped by Franciscan values, the university places a large emphasis on integrity and is committed to truth, accuracy, fairness, diversity, and freedom of speech. Our students become socially conscious and ethically committed journalists.
Journalism Excellence – We’ve been developing skilled journalists for more than 70 years, including Pulitzer Prize, duPont, Peabody, Emmy, and Edward R. Murrow award winners.
The cost per credit hour is $815 for the MA in Sports Journalism program. Offered at the ACEJMC-accredited Jandoli School of Communication, the student experience is enriched by its legacy of journalistic excellence and mentorship from successful journalism alumni.
Guided by our Franciscan values, we strive to make a graduate education available to as many students as possible. We strive to foster meaningful lifelong relationships, whole student growth, diversity, and authenticity in all that we do.
St. Bonaventure University has partnered with specific organizations to offer 15% reduced tuition for employees and their spouses for as long as they’re employed with the partner organization. To learn if you’re company is a part of our Corporate Partnership Program, please speak with an enrollment advisor.
We will work with you to identify the different financial aid options available to you as an online student. To learn more about your financial aid options, schedule an appointment with an enrollment advisor.
This is the foundational course in digital journalism. Students will contextualize the role of digital journalism in our rapidly changing society and media landscape. There will be a focus on how diverse audiences interact with journalism and how journalists cover issues of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual misconduct and other contemporary issues. The course also covers the forces affecting change in the industry and how flexibility, agility and adaptability are crucial for digital journalists and open up many career possibilities.
This course teaches the foundational principles and skills of visual journalism, including photojournalism, design and video journalism. The ethical standards for producing digital media and an understanding of visual representation of diverse audiences are also a focus.
Since 2013, St. Bonaventure has offered graduate degree programs in a dynamic environment created for the online learner. This approach to academic excellence is guided by the university’s ongoing on-campus commitment to quality education for its students since its inception in 1858.
Foundation and Core Courses
Regardless of the medium a journalist uses, the crux of the profession depends on strong writing. This course builds from the ground up—words, sentences, paragraphs, stories—to create the solid foundation underpinning every news story. Students will then apply those principles in a journalism context, learning different writing conventions for different media.
The practice and study of using social media for journalism. The course will include an overview of social media platforms and using them to cover news with speed and accuracy, including for breaking news. Also discussed are ways to use social media to build a brand and promote journalistic work.
This course helps journalists understand data and how to use it to inform the public. Students will explore databases and how to use digital tools to analyze and present data.
- Summer 2025 Term: May 19, 2025
- Apply by: April 25, 2025
Specialization and Capstone Courses
This course focuses on reporting skills for the digital age. The course focuses on multimedia reporting, using research and data gathering skills, interviewing techniques, analyzing information and sharing it with digital audiences.
This course will focus on a variety of digital storytelling principles, tools and techniques. There will be a focus on telling stories using data, multimedia story presentation and mobile storytelling.
This course focuses on the web programming languages used to create interactive digital storytelling packages that include multiple media elements. Students will learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery, among other tools for interactive storytelling, and apply those to produce significant journalistic work.
This course will examine the ethical issues journalists face doing their job and how that comports with the highest ideals of the profession. The intersection of ethics and law and major principles of media law will be discussed including prior restraint, privacy, libel and copyright. How journalists can use public records is also a focus.
Students will begin a major journalistic effort that will serve as their master’s project. In this first of a three-course sequence, students will develop a project idea, research it and develop a plan to produce the major work of digital journalism.
“The emphasis on truth, on reporting, on being thorough, on writing, on understanding storytelling through a variety of disciplines...all of those were foundational principles during my time as an undergrad and they are very much alive today.”
“The emphasis on truth, on reporting, on being thorough, on writing, on understanding storytelling through a variety of disciplines...all of those were foundational principles during my time as an undergrad and they are very much alive today.”—Chris LaPlaca ‘79, senior vice president, ESPN
Students will report a major journalistic digital story that will serve as their master’s project. In this second of a three-course sequence, students will do deep reporting and information gathering to produce the major work of digital journalism.
“If you're looking to make lasting friendships, have unprecedented networking opportunities, hands-on experience early and often...St. Bonaventure is the place for you.”
“If you're looking to make lasting friendships, have unprecedented networking opportunities, hands-on experience early and often...St. Bonaventure is the place for you.”—Shannon Shepherd ‘12, beat writer, Sports Illustrated
Established in Western New York in 1858, St. Bonaventure University offers nearly 50 undergraduate programs and 20 graduate programs, eight of which can be completed entirely online from virtually anywhere in the world. St. Bonaventure has expanded to more than 2,300 students, and our tight-knit community of alumni exceeds 32,000 worldwide.
Bonnies come from all different backgrounds and faiths. In fact, The Princeton Review ranks St. Bonaventure #5 nationally for diversity and inclusion. At Bona’s, we’re united by universal human values, driven to surpass intellectual boundaries and connected across all faiths and cultures—long after virtual office hours, basketball season and years from graduation.
Students will present a major journalistic digital story that will serve as their master’s project. In this third of a three-course sequence, students will finalize and present a major work of digital journalism.
“My professors at SBU challenged me, embraced my ideas, and kept their office doors open. When I needed help, they were there. When I needed advice or a listening ear, they were there. When I needed someone to have my back, they were there. My professors taught me valuable skills to flourish in my field and also in life. It's been nearly 20 years, and I am proud to still be in touch with many of them today.”
“My professors at SBU challenged me, embraced my ideas, and kept their office doors open. When I needed help, they were there. When I needed advice or a listening ear, they were there. When I needed someone to have my back, they were there. My professors taught me valuable skills to flourish in my field and also in life. It's been nearly 20 years, and I am proud to still be in touch with many of them today.”—Rayna Banks ‘03, senior managing producer, ESPN
Schedule an appointment with one of our dedicated enrollment advisors so you can learn more about earning your online Master of Arts in Digital Journalism degree with St. Bonaventure University. We’re here to answer any question you may have, guide you through the application process, discuss your career goals, and explain how Bona’s helps working professionals succeed from enrollment to graduation. If you don't see an appointment time that works for you, please email us 2-3 options that best fit your schedule, and an advisor will be in touch!
