Journalism

The course of study for the M.A. degree in journalism at CUNY is challenging. Students will participate in a comprehensive summer internship and produce a substantial capstone project, in addition to completing 40 units of course work, for a total of 43 credits. The curriculum offers students the opportunity to construct a program in three or four semesters that best reflects their interest in writing, audio, video, photo or interactive media, and their interest in a subject concentration: Arts & Culture Business & Economic, Health & Science, International or Urban Reporting. Students are required to take a set of courses designed to provide the solid foundation that all journalists should have, regardless of the media and subject choices they make.

Those courses, offered in the first and second semesters of the program, are:

• Craft of Journalism I (must be taken in first semester and all work for the course must completed before the start of the second semester)

• Legal and Ethical Issues

• Fundamentals of Multimedia: Audio/Video

• Fundamentals of Multimedia: Interactive

• Craft of Journalism II: Writing, Video, Audio, or Interactive emphasis (prerequisite for Summer Internship; must be taken in the student’s second semester)

SUBJECT CONCENTRATIONS

Towards the middle of their first semester, students will choose a subject specialization, selecting from Arts & Culture, Business & Economics, Health & Science, International, Spanish-Language and Urban Reporting. By focusing on a specific subject, students will be prepared for either general assignment, specialized or beat reporting—all assignments they are likely to have in the course of their careers. Students are required to take a minimum of nine credits of classes within their field of specialization over the course of their study. Courses within each program are listed below. All courses are three credits, unless noted otherwise. Special topics course are sometimes offered in the specialization. The subject matter will vary depending on the instructor’s subject matter expertise.

PUBLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Craft 1, Craft 2, Reporting for Social J and Advanced Reporting for Social J courses all include a requirement that all students publish at least one piece of work each semester. Students can fulfill this requirement with work from any first or second-semester class.

THREE SEMESTER TIMELINE

A student’s course of study will be determined in large measure by the choice of electives and subject concentration. However, here is a generic course of study that will allow students to figure out what they are likely to take over the three semesters, once they’ve decided which media courses and subject specialization will help meet their goals.

FOURTH SEMESTER OPTION

All students have the option to stretch their studies into a fourth semester. They may choose to pursue this option for any of the following reasons:

• To take additional media courses or electives that do not fit into a three-semester program.

• To take related courses at other CUNY colleges. For instance, a student in the international concentration may want to study Arabic or Chinese at City College; someone in the J-School’s business & economics program may want to take MBA-level classes in the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College.

• To allow more time to complete their M.A. in Journalism degree requirements.

• To participate in an exchange program at a journalism school abroad. • To more easily accommodate a professional internship during the school year.

Students who have chosen to stay beyond a third semester in order to take additional courses at the school or at another CUNY college should discuss appropriate sequencing of their courses over a four-semester time frame with their academic advisor and the Office of Student Affairs. Please note that students who pursue this option must pay tuition for the extra semester. Also, courses taken outside of the Newmark J-School may not count towards the journalism degree. For example, credits taken in undergraduate language courses outside the Newmark J-School will not be counted. Any student in good academic standing may apply. For maximum flexibility, those who are interested in a fourth semester should consult the Office of Student Affairs as early as possible.