Learn to tell compelling stories, use industry equipment and network with award-winning professionals.

Do you dream of producing documentaries or creating a podcast? Do you want to tell the stories of people who are misunderstood or whose voices are rarely heard? Do you relish making persuasive video content for an organization you’re passionate about?

Graduates with a Multimedia Journalism Master’s (MMJ) have successfully pursued all these careers. If this type of career sparks your interest, a master’s in multimedia journalism may be for you. Here is how the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication’s (SOJC) Portland-based master’s program can jumpstart your career.

What careers can I choose from with a Multimedia Journalism Master’s degree?

Whether you see yourself as a future podcaster, a social media content creator or a traditional television reporter or producer, an MMJ degree will position you to get there. SOJC graduates have gone on to work at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), KGW8 and KOIN stations as well as production studios such as Muse Entertainment, AV Club Film Productions or ZP Productions.

In fact, 90 percent of graduates are employed in some multimedia role. For some, that means working for a nongovernmental organization (NGO) producing in-house audio or video content. For others, it means starting their own production company.

While you’re earning your degree, you’ll grow your storytelling skills and have access to state-of-the-art technology for projects of your choosing.

Will a master’s program give me experience working with sophisticated equipment?

One of the first things you’ll need to know before starting a multimedia journalism or content creation career is how to work with technology. During the flexible one-year program, you will use professional cinema equipment, sophisticated video lighting and a professional video production studio — soon with an LED video wall.

In addition, you’ll practice using motion-control equipment, drones, green screens, Adobe After Effects and a range of other software. If podcasting is your passion, you’ll also have access to professional audio equipment. Not only will you get experience with cutting-edge equipment, your skill set will be grounded in still photography, writing, storytelling and data visualization.

What storytelling skills will I master?

Storytelling is an ancient art. Humans are wired to tell stories and to care about a protagonist overcoming obstacles. A good story is the backbone of any narrative, whether it’s in the form of a book, a magazine article, a podcast, a documentary or a video.

But telling a compelling nonfiction story is deceptively hard to do. Students begin their journey with a class called “Thinking Story.” In this class, you’ll figure out how stories work, especially in linear media. You’ll learn how to keep the viewer or listener engaged so they’ll stay with the story until the end.

In class, you’ll begin by going out into the field with peers to produce a story. By the end of the program, you will produce your capstone project. The project is an opportunity to tell a story you want to tell and create something you’ll be proud to share with potential employers.

“It was really nice to have the work not just be in the classroom,” said Thomas Patterson, an alum of the program who now works as a photo editor for nonprofit Partners in Health. “Constantly we were out in the field on assignment.”

For those looking for more, the Story Arc Workshop is an every-other-year opportunity for students to tell the stories of people who are making the world around them a better place.

What professional connections will I make?

While in the MMJ program, you’ll connect with a community of peers, faculty and industry leaders. Now in its 13th year, MMJ offers a robust network of alums, who help each other find work opportunities.

In addition to a cohort of 12-15 students a year, all the MMJ faculty have their own professional networks to connect with students. For instance, Andrew DeVigal is a former multimedia editor for The New York Times. Now DeVigal is the director of the SOJC’s Agora Journalism Center, which works to strengthen the local information landscape through fostering and nurturing community-centered journalism.

Portland-based faculty are working at the top of their fields. These include MacGregor Campbell ’17, who has worked with Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica and has won an Emmy, an Edward R. Murrow award and a Pulitzer Prize. Portland-based instructor Zach Putnam is a filmmaker and producer who founded the production company ZP Productions.

How will a master’s degree open doors to meaningful work in a multimedia journalism career?

The final capstone project is your chance to tell a story that can enlighten and inspire change.

Graduate Dana DeLaski created a film called “The Hard Part,” following a struggling local organic farmer. She also worked with her MMJ cohort to produce “Remembering York,” which tells the story of how the Black community in Portland has been historically displaced.

MMJ alum Rita Sabler ’23 won a prestigious award for her thesis project, “Final Disposition.” The animated film, which explored funerary practices, won best documentary short from the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology.

Maia Laperle ’21 is a lead podcast producer at Spaceship Media, a national news organization founded to reduce polarization and restore trust in journalism.

Sommer Martin ’17 is communication director for the Black Business Association of Oregon and founder of horror movie production company Sommer Camp Productions.

And many other MMJ alumni have created inspiring works while succeeding as multimedia journalists and content creators.

Since graduating, Cecilia Brown has created multimedia projects including a story for “This American Life.”

“I definitely came out of this program with experience enough to get work in animation and in audio storytelling, not just video,” Brown said.

What story do you want to tell?