Scholarships
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers a large number of scholarships for exceptional students. Some of the scholarships are specifically for incoming freshmen. Upperclassmen will have additional opportunities to apply for scholarships on an annual basis. See the list of scholarships for students.
Career Services
Need someone to look over your resumé or portfolio? Wonder what the interview questions are which most frequently trip up job applicants? Want to find a part-time job in your area of interest while a student at USC? Our career services director can help you with all of that. The director plans and organizes yearly job fairs on campus, holds workshops for career development and serves as a resource for students seeking and interviewing for jobs everywhere.
Graduate Assistantships
Opportunities for graduate assistantships are available for both our doctoral degree and master’s degree students. Most doctoral graduate assistants work in either research or teaching positions; master’s degree graduate assistants serve in many capacities (e.g., assisting faculty with large classes, writing and editing newsletters, supporting communication efforts in other departments on campus). All positions provide a stipend and potential tuition supplement.
Internships
Internships connect the classroom to the work environment, providing students an inside look at professions they are pursuing. Our students have landed internships at broadcast giants — CNN and ESPN, at major publications; The Wall Street Journal, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Fortune Magazine; and major advertising and public relations agencies. Some internships are for class credit, some for pay and some for both credit and pay. We work with you to achieve the best opportunity for your goals.
Mentor Match
Get early career advice and start building your network. Mentor Match pairs area alumni with students interested in the fields of work alumni practice. This year-long program gives students the chance to develop professional connections with alumni and to gain coaching from industry leaders.
Practicum
To gain professional experience and observe management at work, all of our Master of Mass Communication degree students complete a practicum during the last semester of their degree program. Sponsoring organizations treat practicum students as regular full-time employees of the organization. Our students are encouraged to use the professional practicum as an opportunity to experience working and living in locations across the United States or internationally.
Research/Travel
Undergraduate students have a role in the research capacity of the university. Undergraduates, working with a faculty sponsor, may apply for the Magellan Scholar and compete for up to $3000 to fund their research project, including travel costs.
Travel funds are available for our doctoral students to present their research at regional, national and international conferences. In addition, doctoral students who are first authors on research findings are eligible to apply for Graduate School Travel Grants to assist in funding their travels. Our master’s degree students also may apply for limited travel funds through the school for both academic and professional conferences.
Student Professional Organizations
The first step in your career begins while you are still in school. Many students begin networking and connecting with faculty and professionals in their field by joining the student chapters of professional organizations. Find out what professionals are doing; let them see what you can do. The Student Advertising Federation and the Public Relations Student Society of America are two of our largest student chapters. Student chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and National Press Photographers Association have both won national chapter of the year awards from their national organizations.
Study Abroad
Come to South Carolina and see the world. Our school has partnerships with journalism and mass communications programs on three other continents — Griffith College in Ireland, Queensland Technical University in Australia and Sogang University in South Korea. Their courses are a direct match with our program. And scholarships are available for many study abroad programs. But the opportunities and locations for study abroad are limited only by your imagination and the availability of visas. Can't go for a full semester? You may choose to accompany faculty on short-term trips such as our service learning opportunity in Malawi, Africa, and to Germany for our three-week Multimedia Maymester course.