University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism

Degrees offered

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional certificate programs in journalism.

Programs and emphasis

Students report through Capital News Service, a student-powered news organization with bureaus in Annapolis, Baltimore, College Park, and Washington that distributes work through partner news organizations and, since a partnership initiated under former dean Rafael Lorente, through the Associated Press nationally. The college hosts the national headquarters of the National Association of Black Journalists and, since 2018, the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, established with the Scripps Howard Foundation.

History

The college was founded in 1947 and renamed in 2001 in honor of newspaper editor Philip Merrill. Ray Hiebert was recruited in 1968 to revamp the university's journalism department; when the program was elevated to college status in 1972, he became its founding dean, serving until 1980.

Key faculty and leadership

Rafael Lorente: Dean since July 1, 2023, a University of Maryland journalism master's graduate who previously served as the college's associate dean for academic affairs.
Lucy Dalglish: Dean for 11 years before Lorente, who established the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and received the Scripps Howard Foundation's Administrator of the Year Award in 2021.
Ray Hiebert: Founding dean (1972-1980).

Student-run media

The Diamondback, the university's student newspaper, is editorially independent and not affiliated with Merrill College.

Location and contact info

Address
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Knight Hall, 7999 Regents Drive
College Park, MD 20742
Phone
301-405-8806
Website
https://merrill.umd.edu