The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism opened its doors in September 2006. Our rigorous three-semester Master of Arts program will equip students to work in multi-media newsrooms and report in specialty areas. Students will learn by doing in the media capital of the world, taught by veteran reporters and editors. Students will have access to modern news facilities, including nearby CUNY-TV studios, and news internships will give them a head start when they look for jobs.
The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism will be housed at 230 West 40th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, in the former home of the legendary New York Herald Tribune. Located in the heart of the media capital of the world, the school is within short walking distance of many of the nation's largest media companies. The new headquarters for The New York Times is next door.
Academic Program
The Master of Arts degree in journalism at CUNY's Graduate School of Journalism is a new, intensive, three-semester program designed to train gifted graduate students for a wide variety of careers in the field of journalism. This full-time program offers students a course of study that is both broad and deep, emphasizing the eternal verities of the journalistic profession while providing ample opportunities for specialization.
There can be no more dynamic environment in which to learn and work than New York City. The city is the media capital of the world, and the Graduate School of Journalism is situated in its very heart. Located in midtown Manhattan, the School is just one block from Times Square and next door to the future home of The New York Times. With dozens of media outlets within walking distance and the whole of New York City just a subway ride away, the Graduate School of Journalism could not be more ideally located.
In addition to the plentiful resources of New York City, the School itself boasts state-of-the-art media technology and a superb faculty composed of industry professionals and veteran journalists who have chosen to bring their expertise to the classroom. Students will have daily contact with real journalists, developing mentoring relationships and making the connections that will guide them both in and out of the classroom. Students will also participate in professional internships across the city, gaining the hands-on experience that is so important during that first crucial job search.
Students in the M.A. Program will learn from the best, and they will benefit from marvelous opportunities for internships and on-hands experience. But they will also experience something more: a top-quality education at a public institution renowned for its diversity and its academic excellence. CUNY's Graduate Center, of which the Graduate School of Journalism is a part, is an internationally recognized center for advanced studies and a national model for excellence in public education. A degree from the Graduate School of Journalism will be a mark of academic and professional excellence in the field of journalism.
Degree Requirements and Core courses
The course of study for the M.A. degree in Journalism is challenging and requires full-time attendance. Students complete 45-48 units of course work in three semesters, participate in a comprehensive summer internship, and produce a substantial final or capstone project.
The curriculum is built upon a core of seven common courses, followed by options for media tracks and subject matter concentrations. The core courses stress the foundation skills and knowledge that all good journalists must have, including reporting, writing and editing skills and analytic thinking needed to deal with complex subjects. Other core courses cover journalistic ethics and legal issues, research techniques, and fundamentals of new media such as online journalism, multimedia presentation, Web site design and blogging.
Media Tracks
All students will have preparation for working in the converged newsroom of the future, where they may be asked to work in multiple media formats. They will also have the opportunity to specialize in a media format that most interests them. Beginning in the second semester, students choose to pursue a course of study in the print, new media, or broadcast journalism track. The media track chosen by the student shapes their course requirements for the duration of their degree. For instance, a print track student would take classes that focus on working for newspapers and magazines, while students in new media take courses that concentrate on emerging forms of journalism like online news and blogging.
Subject Matter Concentrations
In their second semester, students also choose a field for subject matter specialization, selecting from Arts/Culture, Business/Economics, Health/Medicine and Urban Affairs. Students take three classes within their field of specialization over the course of their degree. By focusing on a specific subject, students are prepared for either general assignment, specialized or beat reporting — all assignments they are likely to have in their careers.
To see how the core courses, media track and subject matter concentration courses will mesh in a student course schedule, take a look at the Sample Course of Study webpage.
Student Services
Students selected to take the road to advanced study at the Graduate School of Journalism will join some 3,700 others who study at CUNY's Graduate Center, all of them competitively selected from a large pool of qualified applicants. This student body, in the heart of New York City, has a remarkable range of backgrounds and interests. Evenly divided between men and women, it is one of the most diverse student bodies found in any American graduate institution, whether classified by age, ethnic background, or socioeconomic profile. Some arrive after years of professional experience, others are freshly minted graduates of public and private colleges throughout the United States and about 80 foreign countries.
The Graduate Center's vibrant campus is housed in a landmark building located just minutes by foot from the School of Journalism campus. J-School students will be able to take advantage of an array of student services offered by the Graduate Center, and will have access to a wide range of public events, including lectures, symposia, performances, and workshops.
Ethnic Diversity
Student diversity is encouraged to open up the top levels of academia
to students from ethnically varied backgrounds. In particular, the
Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity Programs (OEODP) offers
social, academic, and financial support to historically
underrepresented students. The office recruits locally, regionally, and
nationally, consults with the Executive Officer and admissions
committee of each academic program, and confers with the Financial Aid
Office in efforts designed to increase access to doctoral studies at
CUNY for students from underserved populations. To view the Graduate School of Journalism's most recent class profile, please visit:
http://www.journalism.cuny.edu/journalism/admissions/class-of-2007-stats.html
For more information about the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, please visit www.journalism.cuny.edu.
Travel Directions
Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, 7, N, R, Q, W, S (shuttle to Grand Central) all connect to Times Square stop.
College Contacts
Admission:
Yahaira Castro, Admissions/Outreach Counselor
Colleen Marshall, Admissions/Outreach Counselor
(646) 758-7700
admissions@journalism.cuny.edu
Financial Aid:
Graduate School of Journalism
Office of Admissions and Student Affairs
(646) 758-7700
admissions@journalism.cuny.edu
For a listing of journalism related scholarships, please visit our website:
http://www.journalism.cuny.edu/journalism/admissions/scholarships.html
