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 2025 Courses (Program registration deadline, July 15):
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 first class for each course will be Saturday, Sept. 6.
- 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, in Room 2103, and some will be online.)
Instructor: Adjunct Lecturer Nicole Munchel, a photographer/videographer for the University of Baltimore's Office of Marketing and Creative Services, previously freelanced for the Baltimore Sun Media Group.
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.
Instructor: Hyon-Young Kim, a senior digital news specialist for Education Week, where she manages and produces webinars, trains and supports the newsroom in the use of the content management system and third-party editorial tools, and helps execute immersive storytelling projects, along with other responsibilities.
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 2026 Courses:
- JOUR657, Section PCJ1: Social Media Content Creation, Audience Engagement and Analytics. Meets 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 Room 2105 Knight Hall.
Instructor: Holly Morris, an adjunct lecturer at Merrill College and a digital journalism trainer at NPR.
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.
Calendar: Instruction starts on Saturday, Jan. 31, and there will be no class during the university’s spring break on March 21. Check back later for additional details.
For More Information
Chris Harvey
Director of Assessments; Director of the Graduate Multimedia Certificate Program; Principal Lecturer
Alexander Pyles
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs; Director of Master's Program; Senior Lecturer
