Master of Journalism Graduate Student Handbook 2021-22

1. Introduction
2. Your Program
   • MJ (September Entry)
   • MJ (January Entry)
   • Scholarships
   • Bursaries & Financial Aid
3. People in Your Program
4. When You Begin the Program
   • Registration
   • Paying Your Tuition
   • IDs
   • Email Address
   • ID Card
   • Transit Pass
   • Health and Dental Care
   • Bookstore
   • Library Services
   • Software
   • Campus Emergency Alerts
5. As You Progress Through the Program
   • Grading
   • Accommodation
   • Withdrawals
   • Conduct Within the University
   • Conduct Within the School of Journalism
6. As You Prepare to Graduate
   • Approving Your Program of Study
   • Registering to Graduate
   • Graduation Ceremonies/Encaenia

Introduction

Welcome to King’s and to the Master of Journalism program.

This handbook is a guide to the various regulations and policies that govern your participation in the MJ. It also introduces people and services that can help you get the most out of the program. The handbook is meant as a guide only — official documents take precedence.

The Master of Journalism is a degree offered jointly by the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University. The program is governed by Dalhousie’s Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS). So you are a student at both universities and members of both the King’s Students’ Union (KSU) and the Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students (DAGS).

Your Program:

Fall – Year One (September Entry):

• JOUR 6151.03 Journalism Research
• JOUR 6153.03 Reporting Fundamentals
• JOUR 6156.03 Writing and Reporting for Audio and Video
• JOUR 6709.03 Journalism and Society
• JOUR 6857.09 News Workshop

Winter (Also January Entry)

• JOUR 6702.06 Advanced Reporting
• JOUR 6703.03 Professional Journalism Environment
• JOUR 6705.03 Data Journalism Methods

(Any Term):

• Elective 1 6xxx.03 (At King’s, Dal or other university)
• Elective 2 6xxx.03 (At King’s, Dal or other university)

Summer:

• JOUR 6800.03 Professional Project

Fall – Year 2:

• JOUR 6704.03 Visual Storytelling
• JOUR 6706.03 The Evolving Business of Journalism
• JOUR 6800.03 Professional Project

Winter:

• JOUR 6800.03 Professional Project

Scholarships:

Entrance scholarships available to MJ students are listed here.

Additionally, MJ students are eligible for (currently two) Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarships, awarded in-course upon substantive completion of their professional project.

MJ students are, in general, ineligible for FGS scholarships.

Bursaries & Financial Aid:

See here for general bursaries available at King’s for students in financial need.

People in Your Program:

Your faculty instructors are your main point of contact. The course syllabus has their preferred contact information. A list of all faculty in the program — with contact information — is at the bottom of the MJ page on the King’s website.

The Director of the Journalism School is Tim Currie. Drop by for a chat or book an appointment if you have a matter to discuss. He also the Graduate Coordinator, your liaison with FGS.

Kelly Porter is the Department Administrator in the J-School. See her to answer your questions about administrative matters in the School, including schedules, academic forms, etc.

Jeff Harper is the School’s Multimedia Assistant. He is available for technical assistance in completing your coursework and help with the School’s computers and equipment sign outs.

For questions about financial and registration matters:

• Tuition, Fees and Student Accounts: Student Accounts Officer Sharlene Salter (Bursar’s Office)
• Scholarships, Bursaries & Financial Aid: Assistant Registrar Catherine Read (Registrar’s Office)
• Registration & Graduation (Encaenia): Assistant Registrar Brandi Trzop-Goodick
  (Registrar’s Office)
• Grade Appeals: Graduate Co-ordinator Tim Currie

Mailing Address:

School of Journalism
University of King’s College
6350 Coburg Road
Halifax NS B3H 2A1
Switchboard: 902-422-1271

When You Begin the Program:

Registration: Graduate students can register online usually beginning sometime in March. Check your account online, especially before deadlines, to ensure you are correctly registered.

Paying your Tuition: You will be sent an email from the Bursar’s Office with detailed information about how to access your online student account, and how to pay your tuition, including tuition deadlines. This email will be sent to your Dal email address. If you do not pay your student account by the term due date, there is a late fee of $50. If the account is still outstanding a month later, another $50 late fee plus weekly interest will be added.

For a tuition estimate, you may use the online calculator. Note: this calculator provides an estimate only.

IDs: Your (B00…) student ID number is assigned to you on admission to the program. This is your academic ID. Please include it when corresponding with everyone who isn’t your faculty instructor. Your NetID is your login ID for various campus services. Activate your NetID or change your password. Use your NetID to log into eduroam, the wifi network available at many university campuses across Canada and worldwide.

Email Address: The University issues you a @dal.ca email address. This is the only email address the University will use to communicate with you. An email sent to it will be considered delivered to you. So, if you regularly use another email address, it is important that you set up your @dal.ca to automatically forward mail to it. Administer your email address.

ID Card: Obtain a DalCard when you arrive on campus. This is also your Library card. New students may obtain their ID cards at the Dal Card Office located at 6230 Coburg Road.

Transit Pass: The UPass is included in your fees. It allows you to ride conventional buses and ferries in Halifax. It’s a sticker placed directly on your DalCard. Get it at the DalCard Office.

Health and Dental Care: As members of the King’s Students’ Union, you are eligible for coverage under its group Health and Dental plan. Coverage runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 of each year. If you wish to opt out of the program, you must do so before mid-September. You may also opt-in to enrol dependents or family members in the program.

Bookstore: The King’s Co-op Bookstore sells textbooks, other books of interest and King’s merchandise. You may order from them online or visit the store in the basement of the New Academic Building. They are also happy to do special orders for books not listed on their website.

Library Services (Library card and inter-library loans):  Use your student ID card to borrow books from the King’s Library or any other member institution of the Novanet  consortium of Nova Scotia university and college libraries. Register your card first at the King’s library. You must also renew your library registration at the King’s Library circulation desk each year of your program. With your card registered, you may request a Council of Atlantic University Libraries (CAUL) card, which extends your borrowing privileges to other universities across the country in accordance with the Canadian University Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement. Not all universities participate in CURBA, and some participants charge additional fees.

Software: Various software packages are available to students for download at no additional cost, including antivirus software and Microsoft Office.

Campus Emergency Alerts: You may wish to register your email address or your mobile phone number for DalSafe alerts or download the DalSafe app.

As You Progress Through the Program:

Grading:

All graduate courses use the following grading scale:

Students must achieve a minimum grade of B- in all courses. Disputes over academic assessment are dealt with according to the Academic Regulations of the School of Journalism and the Dalhousie University Faculty of Graduate Studies.

In general, discuss your grade first with your instructor. If you wish to file a formal appeal, talk to the Registrar’s Office to get the appropriate form and pay the fee. Consult the calendar to learn more about the appeal procedure.

Accommodation You  may request accommodation as a result of barriers experienced related to disability, religious obligation, or any characteristic protected under Canadian human rights legislation.

Students who require academic accommodation for either classroom participation or the writing of tests and exams should make their request to the Student Accessibility Centre  prior to or at the outset of the regular academic year.

A note taker may be required as part of a student’s accommodation. There is an honorarium of $75/course/term (with some exceptions). If you are interested, please contact the centre or send an email to notetaking@dal.ca.

Withdrawals

Withdrawal from a course: The deadlines for adding and deleting classes are published in the schedule of Academic Class Add/Drop Dates in the King’s Academic Calendar. A withdrawal prior to a deadline is not recorded on the academic record. After these dates, the student is responsible for payment and content of the class, and receives a grade for it.  Non-attendance does not, in itself, constitute withdrawal. Most courses are offered sequentially in the program. Dropping or changing courses may affect your expected graduation timeline and your eligibility for student aid.
Drop a class in DalOnline. Be sure to inform your program faculty and administrators.

Withdrawal from the program: If you want to withdraw from the program you must  immediately inform the Graduate Coordinator and the Faculty of Graduate Studies in writing. The immediacy of notification is important since the amount and speed of possible fee reimbursement is influenced by the date of withdrawal. You must contact Student Accounts directly to make arrangements to receive their fee reimbursement. A withdrawal is not official until it has been approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and received in the Registrar’s Office and your classes have been dropped in Dal Online.

See the FGS calendar for additional information regarding Suspension of Studies and Parental Leave.

Conduct Within the University

All students, staff and faculty are governed by the university code of conduct, general college regulations, and policies on discipline, equity, and sexual harassment. These support your participation in a safe and respectful environment. View these in the university Yellow Book.

Conduct Within the School of Journalism

Additionally, the Journalism School expects high standards of practice. Students are expected to read and abide by the School’s Handbook of Professional Practice. This guide is an overview of our standards concerning ethics, law and safety.

As You Prepare to Graduate

Approving your Program of Study:

Before graduation, you must approve the courses that constitute your degree. Approve your Program Requirements. The Graduate Coordinator will prompt you to do this.

Registering to graduate:

If you are graduating in May, the deadline to apply to graduate is December 1. Email reminders to register will be sent to your Dal email address. If you miss the deadline, you may still apply to graduate, but will have to pay a $50 late fee.

Graduation ceremonies/Encaenia:

Graduation ceremonies at King’s are referred to as Encaenia, a Greek word meaning “beginning, commencement.” The term has been used since the founding of King’s in 1789. View the Encaenia page for details on the ceremony, including arrangements for the rental of gowns and hoods, receptions and associated events. Tickets are required for various events.