academics

Students at the School of Media and Public Affairs are trained in both theory and practice with a solid grounding in liberal arts. This page offers links to more detailed information about our programs, as well as instructions, forms and deadlines for current and prospective students.

Programs
SMPA offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Communication and Journalism & Mass Communication; Master of Arts degrees in Media and Public Affairs and Global Communication; five year programs that combine our undergraduate degrees with either a Master of Arts in Media & Public Affairs or a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management; and a Certificate in Documentary Filmmaking.

Curriculum
The SMPA Class Schedule includes all of the graduate and undergraduate courses for the current semester. The University Bulletin contains program requirements and short course descriptions for graduates and undergraduates. A list of special topics courses and more specific course descriptions are also available.

Current SMPA Students
SMPA students should familiarize themselves with the program requirements and course offerings in the Undergraduate Programs and Graduate Programs section of the University Bulletin. Details about the curriculum and requirements for undergraduate Journalism & Mass Communication students are listed in the Journalism & Mass Communication Student Handbook. Requirements and courses of study for graduate students are detailed at the Graduate Curriculum Page.

Current majors can use the Political Communication Curriculum Worksheet or the Journalism & Mass Communication Curriculum Worksheet to make sure they have fulfilled the course requirements necessary to graduate.

SMPA undergraduates who are interested in one of the five year BA/Master's programs can review the curricular requirements for the combined BA/MA in Media and Public Affairs or the joint BA/MPS in Political Management. Students apply to the five year programs during the second semester of their junior year. Graduate Admissions offers further Guidelines for Combined Bachelor's/Master's Programs.

Current GW Non-Majors
George Washington University students who wish to apply to SMPA or declare a major must submit an Application for Political Communication or an Application for Journalism & Mass Communication. Guidelines for GW students applying to the programs are available on the General Application Information sheet. The deadline for the spring is September 25, 2009 and the deadline for next fall is February 12, 2010. Non-majors can also choose to minor in Journalism & Mass Communication by submitting a Declaration of Minor form.

Prospective Students
Students currently in high school, in other universities, or out of school who are considering SMPA are invited to explore the Prospective Students page. Those who have made the decision to join our community of scholars can find links to instructions and applications at the Admissions page. Admissions lists undergraduate deadlines and graduate deadlines.

The Documentary Center has information on its application process, as well as course descriptions for the six month certificate program.