In the fall 2025 semester, Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications alerted 3+1 and 4+1 seniors enrolled in the master’s in journalism program that the program was ending at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Professor and Journalism Department Chair Ben Bogardus said the university formally dissolved the program last week.
The journalism master’s program has seen low enrollment for around a decade. The program’s termination underwent what Bogardus called a “very involved process.”
The department sent a proposal to Debra Liebowitz, university provost, to approve the ending of the program, which then required approval from the institution’s Academic Planning and Priorities Committee (APPC) and Faculty Senate.
Students were given the option to enroll in the university’s interactive media and communications, public relations, sports journalism and media or producing for film and TV programs if they still wanted to earn their master’s degree in the School of Communications.
“I was really surprised,” 3+1 sophomore public relations major Ava Highland said. “One of the reasons I toured this school was because of how strong I heard that their communications program was, and I definitely think that meant they had a big focus on journalism.”
The communications department is allowing students who have already taken courses for the journalism master’s program to seamlessly transition to another School of Communications program without having to start from scratch.
“We don’t want to harm students for a decision we made,” Bogardus said.
First-year journalism major Gabriella Cozzi, who had planned to complete both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism, shared a similar sentiment as Highland. She was told about the program’s end in a weekly meeting with The Quinnipiac Chronicle, which covered the story in October 2025.
“I was like, ‘What?’” Cozzi said. “Like, you have to be joking, you’re just grandfathering it, right?”
The final class graduating with this degree will do so this May.
“I’m just disappointed,” Cozzi said. “I’m very frustrated that this has happened and that they haven’t told anyone about it.”
As of publication, the university has not sent out confirmation of the program’s end, but Bogardus said there will be a formal announcement within the next week.
“I decided to go for my MBA now,” Highland said. “I definitely wish journalism was still an option for other people who are interested in journalism and don’t just want to do sports.”
There is another avenue for students like Highland.
“What’s sort of come out of the sun setting of the journalism grad program is a graduate certificate that will be housed within the interactive media graduate program,” John Powers, assistant professor and interactive media and communications graduate program director said.
Students can earn a certificate in digital multimedia and journalism through the online ICM master’s program or as a stand-alone certification. If a student completes the four journalism courses available in the ICM graduate program — where seven of the 10 required classes are electives — they can earn the certificate.
“I think this four-class certificate allows professionals in the world of journalism to sort of stick their toe in without committing to a full graduate program, but say, ‘Let me do the certificate, see how that helps me professionally,’” Powers said.
The hope is that students can still earn a journalism accreditation in the absence of a full master’s program.
“I do think the certificate meets a need and that it fulfills something,” Powers said.