Multimedia Certificate
The industry is changing. Your skills should change, too.
Our Graduate Certificate of Professional Studies in Multimedia Journalism teaches the skills most in demand today for communication professionals in news organizations, nonprofits and business.
The 12-credit, four-course graduate certificate program is designed for working professionals and blends practical training in video, audio, photography, social media and interactive web publishing with the critical application of editorial, ethical and legal principles in digital media.
Built For Working Pros
- Classes typically meet on Saturdays during the fall and spring semesters, so there’s no conflict with work schedules.
- Classes may be taken individually over a two-year period, or two at a time to complete the program in one year, enrollment permitting.
- No GREs are required. Simply submit official undergraduate transcripts, a resume or CV, and a brief statement of purpose through the online application.
- Completion of all four courses provides media professionals with a strong understanding of digital communication, including the fundamentals of web production, shooting and editing photos, video and audio, and use of mobile and social media tools. In addition, a media entrepreneurship class guides students through the steps of researching and pitching a startup digital business that could operate within an existing company or as a new enterprise.
- Full-time University of Maryland employees qualify for full tuition remission, but they must pay university fees. Click here to see the university's tuition and fees schedule.
- Need more? Merrill College also offers full-time master’s degree programs. In fact, you can apply up to three of the four certificate classes toward a master’s degree.
Fall Semester 2026 Courses (Program registration deadline for domestic students, July 17):
One fall semester class (JOUR 604) will be taught in a blended format, partly online (on Zoom and a college ELMS site) and partly in person at Knight Hall. The other class (JOUR 652) will be taught fully online, with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions. The fall semester starts Sept. 5.
- JOUR604, section PCJ1: Introduction to Multimedia Skills for Graduate Certificate Programs, taught Saturdays during the 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. block, with blended learning. (Some class sessions will be taught on campus in Knight Hall and some will be online.)
Course Description: This course examines the basics of producing and editing digital photos, video and audio for news. Topics include framing, lighting and other aspects of composition; sequencing, using wide, medium and tight shots; and ethical considerations when collecting sound and visuals. Students will be loaned camera equipment by the college. The Adobe software suite is made available by the university - JOUR652, section PWJ1: Interactive Design and Development, taught Saturdays online during the 1:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. block, with synchronous and asynchronous sessions.
Course Description: Students in this class will conceptualize, wireframe, design and build responsive web pages using HTML, style sheets and other coding tools; and work with open-source interactive tools and JavaScript libraries to create charts, timelines and maps to tell stories. The Adobe software suite is made available by the university.
Spring Semester 2027 Courses (Program registration deadline for domestic students, Dec. 15):
- JOUR657, Section PCJ1: Social Media Content Creation, Audience Engagement and Analytics, taught Saturdays during the 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. block. Hybrid Instruction, with 12 synchronous sessions. When on campus, the class meets in Knight Hall.
Course description: Provides students with an overview of social media best practices for journalists, and will work to develop their skills in social content creation, audience engagement, sourcing and verification and analytics. By the end of this course, students will have the practical skills needed to manage a social media account for themselves or contribute to the management of a news organization's social media presence. - JOUR455, section PCJ1: Media Entrepreneurship, taught Saturdays in hybrid format during the 1:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. block, with synchronous and asynchronous sessions.
Course description: The central goal of this course will be to equip students with the confidence to captain their own entrepreneurial initiatives in journalism and media, whether independently or as part of a larger organization. The course will explore revenue models, design thinking, audience strategy, product development, market research and other topics relevant to conceiving and launching a successful information product in today's competitive digital marketplace.
For More Information
Chris Harvey
Alexander Pyles
