While Columbia and Barnard undergraduates are theoretically permitted to take classes at the Columbia School of Journalism as seniors, the process is far from simple, and no undergraduate is guaranteed the opportunity to do so.
Undergraduate students who wish to enroll in a J-School class must submit a cross-registration request form, a résumé, and an explanation of their interest in a particular course. They must then obtain permission from the professor of that course, who makes the final decision on whether the student has the necessary background. Admission is also contingent on available space, since graduate students are given priority.
According to official University policy, J-School courses are open only to graduate students. Elizabeth Fishman, Associate Dean for Communications, emphasized the size of the school and the rigor of the courses as the primary reasons for the restriction.
“On rare occasions we have accepted some seniors, but it wouldn’t do anyone a favor to accept an undergraduate,” Fishman said. “The students cover beats that are very time-intensive and require a lot of time in the field.” Additionally, “one of the most important aspects of our programs is that we have a very small class size, 16 students per class, something we work very hard to preserve.”
Fishman emphasized the opportunities available to undergraduate students, like attending events sponsored by the J-School.
Journalism student Yoree Koh said the mind-set in J-School classes is different from that in liberal arts colleges like Columbia and Barnard, where students study a wide variety of subjects.
“Everyone’s motivations are much more personally driven,” Koh said.
J-School classes are “more theoretic-based than skills-based,” Anita Kissee, a student concentrating in politics, said. “I have been a television reporter for 12 years and looking to specialize in politics. I get a master’s degree while not wasting time with the basics.”
Meghan Berry, a part-time student with a magazine concentration, emphasized the freedom to focus on specific interests as a key asset of the J-School.
“There are no prerequisite courses,” Berry said. “You pretty much have a lot of room to decide what you want to take.”
Berry also praised the school’s prime location in New York City.
“I can’t really see any other city in the United States with so much diversity and range of issues to report on,” she said.
The J-School is also the only graduate school at Columbia with a one-year program, which officials cite as an additional justification for the restrictions on undergraduate enrollment.
“It’s intensive, and it’s one of the things that’s most popular about it,” professor LynNell Hancock said. “They [working journalists] can’t afford to take two years out of their work life.”
Fishman emphasized the value of a liberal arts education like Columbia’s in preparing aspiring journalists for the professional world and giving them the writing and critical analysis skills needed for journalism.
“We think that students come here with a well-rounded liberal arts education,” Fishman said. “Many of our students have clear capabilities in writing and clear interests in journalism, and they do very, very well here.”
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