天堂.受难记

BY lixigen(西出阳关)

I know there are more opportunities in China now to be admitted by the graduate programs in Journalism and Mass Communication. But why don't you consider the possibilities of being admitted by the graduate programs in journalism and mass communications in the U.S.? It is a viable alternative and it may not be as difficult as you may think. I would be glad to discuss any issues and concerns you may have in considering the graduate programs in journalism and mass communication in the U.S.

It is not true that universities in the U.S. do not want Asians. Schools of journalism and mass communications in U.S. universities are filled with graduate students from Korea. Some of them paid the cost themselves, many others don’t. They get assistantships or fellowships from the universities. Don’t confuse yourself assistantships and fellowships with scholarships. Scholarships are small amount of money and usually will not cover all the cost.

It is true that U.S. universities don’t want mediocre students. They want the best students. In many cases, the best students get graduate education for free. Even not the best students can get education for free. What they ask for in return for free education are intelligence, excellence, perseverance, eagerness to learn, willingness to work hard and work with others, and potential for and belief in success.

It is possible that an excellent students can’t get an assistantship or a fellowship from a first rate university, not even from a third rate universities; and it is quite possible that a good (not excellent) student can get an assistantship or a fellowship from a first rate university. It all depends on a lot of factors. Perseverance will pay in seeking the financial support from a U.S. university.

What is the criteria to distinguish a first rate university from a third rate university regarding communication studies? It is not the name of the university. It is the professors in the school and your career goal after graduation. For study at the Master’s level, it will not make a big difference which university to attend in the U.S. unless you want to return to China and work immediately after graduation. The name of a university does matter in China when you try to find a job in China. But the substance you learned in a Master’s program in a U.S. university will not differ greatly whether you are from a first rate or a third rate university.

City University of Hong Kong is not a U.S. university. It is probably not a first rate university in Hong Kong. But if you can study under Professor Zhu JianHua, you will be getting the first rate education in journalism and mass communication research that you may not be able to get even in a U.S. university.

Master’s is usually a professional degree. It is not aimed at training researchers even if Master’s students are called research students in China. But Master’s programs in a U.S. university do offer different perspectives from what you will be exposed in a Chinese university. To be a journalist, you do not need to go to graduate school. The inflation of the academic degrees and over supply of college students in China result in that one needs to have a graduate degree to be a journalist. The Master’s programs in journalism in Chinese universities are usually repeating the undergraduate courses of journalism. The universities in the U.S. did not solve this problem well either. But they are very clear about this: A master’s program in journalism is not a research program, it is a professional program. If you want to be a researcher, you need to get into a research-oriented program. Master’s program in journalism at Columbia University is not a research program. Even if Columbia University has a Ph.D. program now, it is far from the best Ph.D. program in the U.S. That shows you why the school name does not matter in this case. Where to attend the Ph.D. programs in journalism and mass communication makes a big difference. Master’s program in China will not teach you how to do research well. Not even most of the Ph.D. programs in China now until the universities attract a large number of the first rate, world class researchers. The statement is backed by the fact: among all the prominent scholars presented here in the forums, how many of them have published in the international journals that are considered the first rate by the communication scholars worldwide? How many of them presented their research at the first rate international conferences? The gap, if not 50 years, is at least 20 years. If you are ambitious to fill the gap, you may be able to do so by getting the first rate education on how to conduct research in journalism and mass communication and become one of the pioneers conducting the first rate research in China. The first rate research refers to the results not only presented at the first rate conferences in the world, but also published in the first rate journals in the world.

If you find an opportunity to study for Ph.D. degree in journalism and mass communication in the U.S., I bet it is most likely free. Free refers to that you don’t have to pay for tuition and other cost. But you have to earn it. You may achieve so by demonstrating your potential as a future scholar and a leader in research in journalism and mass communication in China. And you have to dig up the information, find the opportunities and work hard in pursuing your career goal.

You have to be English proficient first. I see most of the university students are nowadays. If you set up your goal, and made up your mind to pursue the route, I may be of help in your course of success.


I do not see a lot of passion for studying journalism and mass communication in a U.S. university. Is it due to that all of you are concentrated on your study for the extrance exam for the graduate programs of the elite universities in China? If that's the case, I wish you success. Try to fulfill your dream that way first. If you could not get into a graduate program in China, remember there are always alternatives for graduate studies.

You may want to know this: three graduate assistant positions for the spring semester in College of Communications of the university where I teach remain unfilled. You may not be able to get it for the coming spring semester. But you may have the luck to get it for the fall or next spring. It all depends on how persisitent you want to pursue graduate study, how much potential you have to be a scholar in journalism and mass communication, and how hard you are willing to work to earn the opportunity. Again, I may be of help.

U.S. visa may be a problem for some, but not others. I saw none of the students from China that we admitted failed to get a student visa even though some of them had to apply twice or three times.

If you really want to study journalism and mass communication in the U.S., you will need to make as much effort as you would for getting into a graduate program in China. You will need to earn the opportunity instead of letting the opportunity fall on you. For example, do a search to find which schools offer graduate programs in journalism and mass communication, who are eligible to apply, what are the procedures to apply, what are the odds that you are awarded a graduate assistantship. With the search engines such as Yahoo and Google so powerful, it should be easy to find the information about the schools and the programs.

After you get some basic information, and you think over what you really want to study and what you plan to do after you get a graduate degree, you may have questions about the programs, the application procedures, and what you may achieve by getting a graduate degree and any other questions regarding studying for Master's or Ph.D. degree, I may be able to answer your questions and be of further help at that point.

One thing students from China need to know: each university in the U.S. is independent and they make their own decisions. Many factors will influence the decisions on admission and awarding assistantships or fellowships. You should not assume anything on one university based on your experience with another. You may find a good school that you thought almost impossible to get in admits you while a fourth rate school denies you.

The other thing students from China should know, each case is different. Each person has his/her specific background, interest and career goal. Each person will be evaluated individually. A person with a unique background, interest and career goal should target a specific school and program to maximize the opportunities to be admitted and awarded financial support.

You need to improve your English first. For Master's degree, most schools ask TOEFL (550 or 213). Ph.D. program usually ask TOEFL 600 (250). Most of the schools will ask for GRE from graduate applicants, whether Master's of Ph.D. But there are some univeristies that do not reuqire GRE from graduate applicants.

About financial support. If you want to study for Master's degree in journalism and mass communication, it is not easy to find financial support even if you are admitted by a school. If you study for Ph.D., most likely you will receive financial support covering all expenses if you are admitted by the Ph.D. program..

Let me know your specific situation and career goal before I will be able to further help you.


 The U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued a cable to the consular managers worldwide with the subject line "We Don't Want to Lose Even One Student." This cable congratulated the consulates on their efforts in assisting students and exchange visitors to obtain visas over the summer. The cable directs the consulates to make student and exchange visitor visa appointments a priority. The consulates are directed to establish a system for expedited appointments, where necessary, and publicize the availability of the expedited appointments.

http://www.international.duke.edu/Flash/NEWSFLASH_DOSCable.htm

The consulates are instructed to engage in outreach activities with student and academic groups to inform them that the United States welcomes students. This cable appears to be a reaction to some of the negative press and impressions that exist with respect to problems faced by foreign students trying to get visas following 9/11. The inability of students to obtain visas in a timely manner, or at all, has been a great concern within the academic community.

If you have excellent academic record in your undergraduate study, TOEFL score over 550, plan to study in a U.S. university for Master's degree in journalism and mass communication and then Ph.D. degree, and if you can afford to pay part of the study expenses, let me know. I may offer you some helpful advice.

 The part of the expense you need to pay depends on the assistantship that you receive from the university. In some cases, it may be US00 if you receive more than 00 in assistantship and you pay either in-state tuition or part of your in-state tuition is waived. It could be as much as 00-00 if you receive 00 assistantship and you still have to pay in-state tuition.

The school where I work does not require GRE for application to Master’s program in mass communication. If you can show financial proof of all the expenses (,000), and you have TOEFL score, you can apply for admission for Fall 2005. You may not need to spend the whole ,000 for a year. If you want to apply for graduate assistantship, and you do not have TOEFL score yet, you need to take TOEFL first. I suggest you take GRE too to increase your chances to be admitted and get assistantship from other schools if you are determined to study for Master’s degree in a U.S. university. You can apply for admission for Fall 2006.

I wish you success in your entrance exam for the Master’s program.

Yes, it is possible that you be admitted by the Master’s program in mass communication. Students of any major can apply for admission to the graduate program in mass communication. Here are some of the criteria that the U.S. schools use to evaluate your application:

1. TOFEL at least 550, some schools, 600
2. GRE varies, some may not need GRE
3. GPA, at least 3.0/4.0 for Master’s program, 3.5/4.0 for Ph.D. program. Depending on competitiveness of the applicants, having the minimum GPA is not a guarantee of admission.
4. Recommendation from your professors
5. Statement of purpose. Why do you want to study mass communication? What do you want to study, journalism, advertising, media management, telecommunication? What do you plan to do with the Master’s degree in mass communication?

If you want to apply for graduate assistantship, you need to be competitive in all aspects of the above.

If you can pay all expenses yourself, including tuition and fees, with the above credentials, you are likely to be admitted by a few universities.

If you can show the school that you are an excellent student through your study of the first semester, you may get a graduate assistantship in your second or third semester. However, to hold a graduate assistantship, you have to work for the school 20 hours a week. That makes your study time only 20 hours a week. Studying for Master’s degree is not as relaxing as in some of the graduate programs in China. You will be assigned to read a lot of books and journal articles and do a lot of projects.

 There were students with a Master’s degree from a U.S. university who got jobs in U.S. media after graduation. But the chances for a Chinese student to get a U.S. median job are low. Yet it may not be a good idea to get a job in U.S. media since one will compete with American journalists with his/her weakness in language and the understanding of the culture. It is possible that you can get a job in media industry in China after you get a master’s degree from a U.S. university. But it will be decided by market demand and whether you have the skills that meet the need of the specific media organization.

我鼓励英语好的同学去美国念硕士和博士研究生，尤其是那些有志于从事新闻和传播学研究，愿意致力于提高我国新闻和传播学研究水平的同学。如果你想去美国读新闻和传播学的硕士，你先要弄清自己的学习目标。在国外拿了硕士学位回国当记者？我不知道国内现在的行情，中文媒体对海归的需求不会太大，英文媒体本来就需求很小，而且对新闻业务的要求很高。学习新闻业务是本科的任务。美国的硕士教育会涉及新闻业务，但是主要任务不是学习新闻业务。如果你的目标是回国当记者，在国外拿了硕士学位，回国能否找到适当的工作，就要看你的运气了。

如果你想读完硕士，继续读博士，不论将来在那里工作，在国外的学历都会很有价值。但是读博士录取条件比较高，读书时是很艰苦的。博士毕业后的工作也很清苦。这些都要搞清楚了以后再作决定。

你所提到的加拿大大学我都不了解。密苏里州立大学有好几所，按中国的说法都是地方院校。只有一两所招收硕士研究生。密苏里大学虽然也是州立大学，但是是有全国地位的大学。不过地处偏僻。是否可能录取，要看你的综合情况。读硕士一般较难获得学校的助学金，但是也不是全无可能。读博士，一般都有助学金，同时免去部分或者全部学费，就是说自己基本不必花钱。但是每周须承担所在系20小时的工作。

2006年美国大学的硕士和博士研究生截止日期大约在2月1日。各校日期不同，申请材料须根据申请学校的规定在截止日期前寄到。如果你的考试成绩能在截止日期前寄到，学校会根据你的材料作出是否录取的决定。所以须安排好你参加托福和GRE考试的时间。2月1日是申请奖学金的截止日期。如果你能够自己支付学费和其他费用，秋季入学的截止日期是5月1日。但是因为处理外国学生文件需要时间，越早申请越好。

  美国大学的硕士项目有的不要求申请人考GRE，但是几乎所有大学都需要中国学生考TOEFL。任何专业的学生都可以申请读新闻和传播学专业的硕士。是先考国内的研究生还是去国外留学需要你自己做决定。毕业后大概到什么单位工作,在很多题目下已经谈得很多。目前国内的情况我不是很清楚。你自己可以做一些查询。

 TOEFL考试费用现在可能是100美元。就像支付学费一样，这只是一小部分投资。美国大学的博士项目一般每年支付博士研究生两万美元左右。还包括免除部分或全部学费，加上健康保险。Louisiana State University支付博士研究生两万五千美元一年，免去部分学费，以后逐步全免。如果你有幸被录取读博士，考托福的费用就微不足道了。不过不想做研究，只想拿钱的，可以不必浪费你自己和学校的时间。美国大学的博士项目入学不需要专业考试，但并不是轻易就能获得入学资格的。

硕士奖学金在五千到一万五千美元，各校数额不同。份额比起博士奖学金要少得多。但也不是没有可能获得。获得硕士奖学金的条件：学习和考试成绩优秀，锲而不舍的努力，和天上掉馅饼的运气。

IT MUST be related to your study depending on your level of study, your area of study, your research interest and your career goal

你确实应该评估你自己的能力，不管是参加国内的研究生考试，还是去国外留学。至于国外学校的课程考试，现在的担心完全是多余的。世界上我们没有做过但是将要做的事情很多，过于担心，畏缩不前，则一事无成。只要认真学习，有准备地参加考试，我还没有见到过一个中国学生考试不及格。我在这个论坛的不同题目下写了很多关于在美国读硕士和博士研究生的情况介绍。搜索起来很方便，你可以仔细读一下这些介绍。如果再有具体问题，可以提出讨论。网络给我们提供了非常方便有效的查询工具。你所提出的有关国外学校的情况以及学习费用问题，只要你花一点点功夫就可以非常容易地从网上获得答案。比如说，用Master’s degree in communication, or journalism, or journalism and mass communication 在Google 查询，就能获得非常充分的信息。

不是国内一流大学毕业的同学，也有很多去国外留学。不是一流大学毕业，并不妨碍你被录取，因为美国大学很多，学校会看你的各方面条件决定取舍。至于是否在国内学习三年后，你有了更多知识，去美国学习就可能更轻松，答案是否定的，因为美国研究生教学的内容和国内的研究生教学的内容差异很大。你如果有机会在国内上研究生，学习内容很少会与美国新闻和传播学硕士或者博士课程的内容重合。除非你在国内就开始用美国的教材，大量阅读原著，否则进了美国大学的硕士或者博士项目，基本上是一切从头开始。

有些问题我在很多题目下有过详细讨论，希望同学们自己去查找相关答案。欢迎具体的，以前没有讨论过的问题。研究生阶段的学习，老师主要指导学习方法，大部分时间，学生自己寻找答案。学生掌握的东西多了，就有了和老师讨论的资本。老师的指导也更加有的放矢。在很多学生研究的课题领域，博士研究生，甚至硕士研究生知道得比老师更多是常有的事。


 我在其它帖子里说到过，如果你研究生毕业后的目标是做新闻记者，如果你本科学的不是新闻，研究生阶段学习可以注重提高新闻业务水平。包括参加学校和社会上媒介的新闻实践活动。当然前提是学好必修课程。如果你本科学的是新闻专业，那就可以利用研究生学习阶段充实自己其它学科的知识，以备将来做记者时能更好地把握社会和自然科学方面的问题。如果你硕士研究生毕业后有志继续读博士，做研究，那么硕士学习阶段可以为以后做研究多做些准备。

国外的新闻专业研究生项目也不都是学习新闻业务和培养新闻和传播方面的从业人员的，也有硕士生打算毕业后继续攻读博士的。这些硕士研究生在硕士学习阶段比较注重学习理论和研究方法，努力参与一些研究项目。美国大多数新闻和传播学博士项目要求申请人有硕士学位。部分硕士学位课程的学分可以转为博士学位的学分。

关于博士研究生的研究方向，各校的重点各有不同，主要取决于所在学校指导老师的专业研究领域和专长。我说不出国外新闻学研究的前沿关注什么问题，因为新闻和传播学领域是这样宽广。任何有重要理论意义，能揭示事物发展重要规律的研究都可能是前沿课题。如果我能找到一项前沿课题，但是对课题的意义阐释不具有创见，研究设计不符合规范，研究结果意义揭示不能显示其独创性，照样无法发表。研究成果不能发表，不能得到同行的认可，就不能实现其价值。

国外有关新闻和传播学的经典著作很多。因为个人的研究方向、兴趣有所不同，所以很难有一个划一的书目。Michigan State University 的大众传播博士项目给在读博士提供了一个书目，其中有些著作大家可能会有兴趣。大家可以各取所需，千万不要把它们都当成经典。

http://cas.msu.edu/programs/doctoral/mmphd/readinglist.html

此外潘忠党教授和何舟教授的两篇访谈对大家了解和学习新闻和传播学也会有不少启迪作用。

潘忠党：学为问，学而知不足
http://www.people.com.cn/GB/14677/21965/22072/2330295.html

何舟：为中国传播学把脉针灸
http://www.people.com.cn/GB/14677/21965/22072/2330304.html

 国内的英语新闻采编硕士主要为英文媒体培养编辑记者。是英语新闻专业的高级强化训练。美国哥伦比亚大学新闻研究生院的硕士研究生与此相似。哥伦比亚大学新闻研究生院的硕士毕业生主要去美国以及其它国家的英文媒体。国内的英语新闻采编硕士主要在国内英文媒体工作。

美国大学新闻系的硕士研究生有多种方向。大学学的其它专业，主要补充新闻专业课程，毕业后可以做新闻或者相关的工作。大学学的是新闻，则主要学习与新闻有关的理论和研究课程，以及其它与新闻实务有关的课程，例如媒介管理、新闻政策与法规、新闻与宣传、消费者心理等。毕业后可以从事新闻工作，广告和公共关系，其它与新闻传播有关的工作，或者继续攻读博士。

中国学生在美国学习新闻和传播学的出路，取决于个人的专业方向和职业目标。很少有硕士毕业生去美国媒体工作。一部分毕业后在美国从事与信息传播有关的工作，有的回国工作。一部分继续攻读新闻传播或者其它专业的博士。有的选择攻读第二硕士学位。

 Thought the following might be helpful for many who have the similar questions:

--------------------------------------

Professor Li:

My name is xxx and I am a graduate student now in Guangzhou, China. I am now in the first year study. After I read your articles in the bbs of media china, I think it might be possible for you to give me some advice.

I graduated from a normal university and was major in English, after the four year study and I went to work for a year, last September I came to the university now to get my journalism degree as a graduate student. The original thought of me is to combine the things which I studied, but it seems like that some problems just occurred.

first, I could not find an exact part to work on , seems like we should not work on the interviewing or writing or editing, but in fact, I did not learn them before, and really wonder if I could be a qualified journalist after I graduate.

second, if I go abroad, there are some options: to get a MA or Ph.d. I found recently that I am interested in the capital movement and management of media , do you think it's better for me to go out to learn these? should I apply for an MA or Ph.D.?

third, if I don't want to make research, just to be a good media person , do you think it's necessary to go abroad? maybe after I graduated, it turns out that what I learn doesn't fit the situation of china.

Last, would u recommend some good universities in the US of media management?? what about the UK universities and the universities of other countries?

thanks very much.


Dear xxx:

If your goal is to be a journalist after graduation, you can still learn how to do it while you are in a graduate program. You learn through practice. I suggest you to find a news organization during the summer and work there for a few months. After working there for three months, I am sure you will learn the basics of being a journalist.

Journalism is a profession of reporting the facts. The best way to learn to be a journalist is through the training in a news organization. The training does not require high level of education. That is why a person with a secondary education can be trained into an excellent journalist. If you really want to be a journalist, you need not worry that you could not learn writing and editing while studying in a graduate program. It takes less than three months to learn the basic skills. But a journalist may not have the opportunity to learn what you are learning in a graduate program.

I do not know capital movement. Media management in a school of journalism gives you basic understanding about media organization, operation and management. You also need to take other course. You could further develop your skill of media management through practice. An MA in media management will not guarantee you to get a job as a media manager. I do not know which is better to learn media management, in China or abroad.

You certainly do not need to apply for Ph.D. program because Ph.D. program is for training researchers and professors, not media managers. The two professions have different requirements.

It is difficult to answer whether it is necessary to go abroad to study if you don't want to do research, but just want to work in media. Studying abroad is a unique experience, not just learning something that you may not get in China or otherwise difficult to get in China. It will require more commitment, more money, and you may face more difficulties than studying in China. Most of the times, it is not something at your disposal, that is, not something that you can get as you want to. It may be true what you learned abroad does not fit the situation in China. But the reality often says something beyond that. Even if all you learned fits the situation in China perfectly, you may not be as lucky as you expect in applying what you learned. It is not what you learned that matters; it is what your unique knowledge, experience, your communication skills, ambition, the courage to take the risk, your professional connections, or even the sheer luck that matter. Do not expect too much from studying abroad.

I do not have a list of good universities in the U.S. that have media management programs. You can easily find them on the Web through a search engine. You need to know why you want to go abroad to study, and how you are prepared for that before you explore further.

Best wishes,

lixigen

你如果硕士毕业以后想在国内做新闻记者，建议你不必花太大代价去国外读新闻学硕士。原因已经在本题目和其它一些题目下讨论过。

人生永远是充满后悔的，因为所有的经历不可能重新来过，所以现在做决定时不必追求完美。这样或那样的决定，除非天平明显倾斜，其它决定的结果多数倚重运气。

充满智慧的人会记下每一笔花销吗？如果你是读新闻专业的，可以学学如何不使你写的东西走题。

能否出国读研究生取决于很多因素。你的英语可以拿全奖，你不一定就能拿到全奖。如果能去，可以满足你出国学习的愿望。如果不能去，在国内读研究生，并不会一无所得。教育是人生知识系统的积累。国内的研究生教育有其不足之处，但是依然是不可多得的学习机会。而且要争取读研究生的机会也不是轻而易举。如果你能找到合适的工作，也可以先参加社会实践，积累工作和生活的经验。以后再争取上学。我在考虑录取来自国内的研究生申请人时，更喜欢录取有工作经历的。当然大学毕业直接来美国读研究生也有不少。但是由于缺少人生经历和工作经验，他们在研究生学习中常常提不出问题，在独立研究中常常遇到困难。

人生有许多不确定因素，谁也无法事先猜测哪一个决定所带来的结果会比其他结果更好，最终我们只能选择其中的一项，随后尽自己的努力去达到较好的结果。眼前如何做决定呢？尽可能多地了解信息，权衡利弊，作出眼前看起来最有利于自己前途的选择。眼前的选择是否是最好的选择，往往要到几年甚至十几年后才能知道。

正在写这个贴子的时候，看到cnn中国周特别节目在北京采访外交学院院长吴建民，主持人问了个中国如何进行民/////////主建设，吴说我们不要搞这些陈词滥调，主持人问“民///////主难道是陈词滥调”？他开始枉顾左右而言他，说自己在美国呆了10年，欧洲和美国民主如何如何不同，根本不正面回答问题。他说的才是我党已经讲了几十年的cliche, 这就是现在中国的外交精英们受的教育：偷换概念，转移目标。

中国的大众媒体和精英在开启民智方面，并没有取得多少进步，因为他们本身就稀里糊涂，或者是揣着明白装糊涂。当年的国务院港澳办主任鲁平几乎上百次得意地问一个问题：难道夏威夷要独///立美国政府会允许媒体支持么？事实上如果美国的媒体或民间团体鼓吹夏威夷独///立从法律上讲美国政府一点办法也没有，甚至鼓吹恢复奴隶制政府都无权过问。但这个谎言到现在仍在重复。

 美国大学一般只在秋季招研究生。2005年秋季入学申请的截止日期已过。你可以准备申请2006年秋季入学。有些学校录取时可能无法提供奖学金。如果学生自己能解决入学时所需费用，入学以后表现优秀，有可能在第二年春季获得奖学金。

"这样的职位最后又没有学位拿?"

在美国只骗钱，给假学位或者不给学位的学校不多。学校和招生的信息都是公开的，可以很容易地在网上查到。中国教育部有一个美国被认证大学的名单。申请入学的步骤：先找学校信息，了解申请要求，按照要求寄送申请材料。各校都有不同要求。

在美国大学念书，学生要支付昂贵的学费。如果你能支付学费，你可不必接受任何职位，就像在国内一样，安心念书。但是多数中国同学都无法支付学费，需要靠学校的奖学金生活并支付学费，这种奖学金就是 Graduate assistantship。 拿了奖学金，每周要在所在系工作20小时，所以在美国念书基本上是半工半读。

美国大学的新闻和大众传播研究生项目欢迎有任何学历背景的人报考，不管原来读的是什么专业，所在学校是重点还是非重点。但是学位项目都有报考条件，在学校网站上明确列出。是否被录取，要看个人条件和竞争情况。

 如果你要做主持人或者出镜记者，建议你不要出国读研究生。找一家国内的电视台锻炼。如果你很有才能，很快就会脱颖而出，读研究生并不能增加你的出镜能力。有实践经验，更容易被国外大学的新闻和传播学研究生项目录取，获得奖学金。至于具体申请步骤，我在有关题目下已经谈了不少，网络对这些问题提供了极为详尽的信息。

国内读完硕士，一定要弄清为什么要出国。千万不要为出国而出国。如果目标不明确，建议不要行动，更不要浪费你宝贵的人生时光去国外读博士。博士在国内或许可以名利双收，在国外意味着走上一条异常崎岖的路，拿到博士学位只能教书和做研究。窄窄的通道走起来异常艰难。我遇到过在美国大学读了一年新闻学博士觉得没有前途半途而废的。正看着不少来自国内的同学在攻读博士学位这条路上艰难跋涉。

这样说不会吓着有志去国外攻读博士学位的同学吧？只想重复前面说过的，出国学习不是对每个人都合适的。只有那些目标明确，期望值不高，不急功近利，肯吃苦耐劳，坚韧不拔的同学才可能获得机会，才可能最终获得成功。