Kent State University

What you'll study

The programme combines advanced reporting practice with methodological coursework to prepare students for long-form and investigative projects. You will study investigative techniques, data journalism and visualisation, public-records research including FOIA/OPRA requests, interview and source-protection strategies, multimedia storytelling and investigative ethics and media law. Coursework emphasises hands-on production: students typically work on semester-long investigative projects, file public-records requests, build datasets from source documents, and produce multimedia packages for publication.

Typical modules and learning activities include:

• Investigative Reporting: long-form reporting projects, case building, beat development and narrative construction.
• Data Journalism and Verification: data cleaning, analysis, scraping, basic statistical interpretation and visualisation tools for reporting.
• Media Law and Ethics: libel, privacy, source protection, and the ethical challenges of undercover or sensitive reporting.
• Public Records and Freedom of Information: techniques for accessing, interpreting and litigating to obtain official records.
• Multimedia Production: audio, video and interactive presentation of investigative stories for web and broadcast.
• Research Methods: advanced interviewing, document analysis and collaborative reporting practices.
• Capstone/Practicum: a supervised, publishable investigative project developed in partnership with local or national news outlets, nonprofit investigative organisations, or university-run media.

The programme is delivered through seminars, workshops and newsroom-style practicum. Students have opportunities to publish their work through university-affiliated outlets and to undertake internships with regional newsrooms in the Cleveland–Akron market and beyond.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a recognised bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Relevant undergraduate study in journalism, communication, political science, history or a related field is useful but not always required if the applicant can demonstrate suitable experience. Admissions typically consider the whole application package, including:

• A complete academic transcript showing undergraduate degree completion.
• Professional or academic writing samples or a reporting portfolio demonstrating journalistic ability and investigative potential (usually several published or unpublished pieces).
• A personal statement or statement of purpose outlining reporting interests, investigative aims and reasons for choosing the programme.
• One or more letters of recommendation from academic or professional referees.
• A current CV or résumé highlighting relevant work, internship or freelance reporting experience.

International applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency through recognised tests or equivalent prior study in English. Admissions may also assess applicants’ readiness for the programme through interviews. Specific minimum grade-point averages, test scores or funding documentation are determined by the university and should be confirmed with the admissions office.

Career prospects

Graduates enter a range of roles where investigative skills are in demand. Typical career paths include:

• Investigative reporter or correspondent at newspapers, magazines, broadcast outlets and digital newsrooms.
• Data journalist or reporter specialising in scraping, analysis and visualisation.
• Reporter or researcher at nonprofit investigative organisations and watchdog outlets.
• Documentary producer, investigative producer for radio or television, and multimedia investigative reporter for digital platforms.
• Public records specialist, researcher or analyst in watchdog groups, think tanks, ombuds offices and governmental transparency units.
• Communications and accountability roles in NGOs where investigative research and storytelling support advocacy.

Alumni typically combine traditional reporting skills with data and multimedia techniques to pursue in-depth projects, freelance investigative work, or roles in collaborative investigative networks.

Why study at Kent State University

Kent State’s journalism programme is housed within a school that emphasises practical, career-oriented training alongside scholarly study of media. The school benefits from ACEJMC accreditation and faculty with professional reporting experience, including investigative journalists and data-reporting specialists. Students gain regular access to student-run media and newsroom-style practicum, enabling them to develop publishable work while supervised by experienced instructors.

The university’s location in northeast Ohio provides easy access to a major regional media market and to public records at municipal and state levels, which is valuable for investigative reporting. Kent State also offers resources such as data labs, digital media facilities and research libraries that support document-based and data-driven investigations. These elements combine to give students a practical, skills-focused pathway into investigative journalism careers.