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  • Program Tracks

    The DJS offers two program tracks:

    Compact Course

    The compact course is our traditional, 16-month training program. It concentrates entirely on the practice of journalism and is completed in one stretch. It begins with ten months of intensive training in print, online, radio and television journalism at DJS. Then, after a break, students complete two media internships of three months each, one of them in a news department. Upon completion, they receive the coveted editor’s certificate from DJS, which is recognised by employers and unions throughout Germany.

    Our compact course does not require a prior university degree. Some of the 15 students selected each year have just finished high school with the German Abitur. Others have completed a vocational training in the German dual system. In the DJS classroom, those students sit side by side with others who already have a law degree or who have published in scientific journals on molecular biology. This variety of backgrounds enriches class discussion on journalistic ethics as well as team collaboration and project work.

    Master Course

    The master course combines journalistic practice with theory and research. Divided into two classes, 30 students receive nine months of intensive training at DJS and complete two media internships. They also attend social science classes at the Department of Communication Studies and Media Research (IfKW) of Ludwig-Maximilians-University and write a master’s thesis there. The master course is completed in two years and thus requires a longer time commitment than the compact course.

    Coursework begins at the university in the fall. During the subsequent semesters and semester breaks, practical courses in print, online, radio and television journalism take place at the DJS. Students complete their three-month internships in the third or fourth semester. In the fourth semester, they write their Master’s thesis and take an oral examination. Only those who master both the practical and the academic parts of the course receive a Master’s degree from the LMU and an editor’s certificate from the DJS.