The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is looking to recruit returning Peace Corps volunteers into its graduate programs at Arizona State University.
Cronkite is now part of the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, which helps returning Peace Corps volunteers pursue graduate degrees while continuing to help underserved communities. The program is a partnership between the Peace Corps and select graduate programs across the country.
Returning Peace Corps volunteers who apply to the school’s professional master’s programs in journalism or investigative reporting will be considered for a Coverdell Fellowship.
The Master of Mass Communication degree program prepares students to report, write and produce compelling stories for broadcast and digital platforms through immersive learning experiences, including in news bureaus in Phoenix, Washington and Los Angeles. The new Master’s in Investigative Journalism culminates in the students producing a national investigative project in the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, a new initiative funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation in honor of the late news executive and pioneer Roy W. Howard.
“Public service is central to our mission as journalists,” said Cronkite Assistant Dean Rebecca Blatt, who oversees the school’s master’s degree programs. “The Coverdell Fellows Program allows returning Peace Corps volunteers at the Cronkite School to continue to help those in need on a broader scale, telling their stories to help encourage change in communities across the country.”
Cronkite School Coverdell Fellows earn an assistantship for the first two semesters, including full tuition, health insurance premiums and a stipend, and receive full tuition coverage in the third semester.
As part of the fellowship, students spend 10 hours per week at an internship, focused on helping underserved communities, for the first two semesters of the program.
The three participating internship organizations are Spot 127, a Phoenix-area media center for low-income students created by NPR member station KJZZ; the National Center on Disability and Journalism, a journalism organization at the Cronkite School that provides support to reporters as they cover people with disabilities; and ASU’s Center for Indian Education, where fellows would work with Native American students to produce a magazine and a podcast focused on improving educational outcomes.
Prospective students interested in the Cronkite School’s master’s programs can get more information and apply at https://cronkite.asu.edu/grad. For questions, contact Assistant Dean Rebecca Blatt at rebecca.blatt@asu.edu.