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Master of Arts in Journalism
The prestigious Master of Arts program, inaugurated in 2005, is for experienced journalists who wish to study a specific subject area, such as business and economics. Unlike the Master of Science program, which focuses on teaching basic reporting, the M.A. is designed to equip journalists with subject-area expertise, so that they may cover complicated issues in a sophisticated, nuanced manner.
For instance, students develop the knowledge that will allow them to situate news events in their larger context, to ask more informed questions, and to evaluate competing claims made by sources. The program imparts a deeper understanding of journalism and the forms it takes, and the focus is on content as much as on skills.
During the application process, candidates select a major in one of four subject areas: arts & culture; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Program in Health and Science Journalism; business & economics; or politics. Once enrolled, M.A. students work closely with professors from both the journalism school and academic departments and professional schools throughout Columbia University. Each student also designs and completes a Master's Thesis, an ambitious reporting project that results in a written piece of 8,000-10,000 words or its broadcast equivalent.
The program is full-time, and runs from August through May. The deadline for applications is January 15, 2012. The Journalism School is proud to offer generous financial assistance to students who demonstrate excellent academic achievement, financial need and exceptional promise for leading careers in journalism. A grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provides generous tuition support for students in the M.A. science concentration, and also covers some of the costs of thesis reporting.
Graduates of the M.A. program have been hired at news organizations including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Pro Publica, Reuters, The NewsHour, and CNN. They are also writing books, producing independent documentaries, and freelancing for a wide variety of magazines, newspapers, broadcast and online news organizations.
Our Career Services staff — all former journalists with strong industry connections in print, broadcast and online media — work closely with students to help them pursue the most prestigious jobs in the U.S. and overseas. Students meet with a Career Services counselor for one-on-one consultations throughout the school year.