Journalism (MA)
Program Description
The NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute offers an online master’s degree in journalism as well as traditional graduate programs and concentrations in ten targeted areas of study.
Admissions
All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the general application requirements, which include:
- Academic Transcripts
- Test Scores (if required)
- Applicant Statements
- Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
- Letters of Recommendation, and
- A non-refundable application fee.
See Journalism for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
Students take 36 to 44 credits for the Master of Arts degree, depending on the concentration which has been chosen. Depending on the concentration chosen, up to 20 credits of electives may be taken. Possible electives include any courses in the Institute (if prerequisites are met) or any graduate-level course in another department or school at NYU if approved by that department or school and by the Journalism Institute. Internships and Directed Reading are considered electives. Internships cannot be taken for credit until at least 20 credits have been completed. Up to 12 credits for a 36-credit program may be transferred from another institution (if approved by the program director and the dean’s office). All applications for transfer credits must be made within the first year of matriculation. The program requires at minimum three regular semesters of full-time study (fall, spring, fall), although part-time students are accepted. It is not always possible, however, to offer part-time students a complete selection of courses each semester. Some, but not all, courses are available at night.
Concentrations
Cultural Reporting and Criticism
Students in the Cultural Reporting and Criticism concentration are equipped with a broad background in cultural and social issues, as well as with the reportorial and analytical skills needed to write on the arts, popular culture, the media, human rights, political controversies, and social groups and milieus. The program teaches a wide array of types of writing, including the review, the critical essay, the longform reported piece, and the polemic. Nine courses, for a total of 36 credits, are required. Almost all students complete at least one internship. The CRC concentration is deeply collaborative, and stresses close working relationships between professors and students and the creation of a supportive intellectual community.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1181 | Cultural Conversation | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1184 | Critical Survey | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Tpc in Cult Journalism | ||
| Journalistic Tradition | ||
| Topics in Literary Journalism: | ||
| Tpc in Cult Journalism | ||
| Capstone Courses | ||
| Recommended capstone courses for this concentration: 1 | ||
| JOUR-GA 2081 | Cataclysm and Commitment | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 2056 | The Long-Form Essay | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 2057 | The Critical Profile | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 2058 | 4 | |
| Electives | ||
| Possible electives include any courses in the Institute (if prerequisites are met) or any graduate-level course in another department or school at NYU if approved by that department or school and by the Journalism Institute | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Students may enroll in a different capstone course with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies. In any of these courses, students will complete a deeply-researched work of critical journalism of at least 3,000 words in length.
News and Documentary
Students in the News and Documentary concentration learn short-form and long-form journalism for traditional and nontraditional media. From the first class, News and Documentary students are immersed in shooting, editing and learning to report with pictures and sound as well as words. They learn form, structure, and storytelling by working in the field with a partner and, eventually, by themselves. The Reporting I course begins with the basics of short-form stories covering an ethnic neighborhood in New York. Students then move on to magazine length and finally produce a 30-minute documentary that they shoot over the summer and edit in Advanced TV.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1040 | Television Reporting I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1172 | Television Reporting II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 12 | Press Ethics | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1175 | Advanced T.V. Reporting 1 | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1149 | The Art of Video Editing: Long Form | 2 |
| JOUR-GA 1148 | Visual Thinking | 2 |
| Seminar Course | 4 | |
| Electives | ||
| Other Elective Credits | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
The capstone project for the News and Documentary Concentration is a 30-minute documentary that the student generally shoots over the summer after the first year and then edits as part of the Advanced TV Reporting, JOUR-GA 1175 Advanced T.V. Reporting course.
Studio 20: Digital First
Studio 20: Digital First concentration emphasizes project-based learning with a focus on innovation and adapting journalism to the web. Students, faculty and visiting talent work on editorial and web development projects together, typically with media partners who themselves need to find new approaches or face problems in succeeding online. By participating in these projects and later running their own, students learn to grapple with all the factors that go into updating journalism for the web era. Studio classes provide a “hub” for organizing activity and a common space for inquiry and reflection around the program’s various projects. Students are expected to be flexible and curious, generous in sharing skills, eager to pick up new knowledge and willing to adapt to what the project—and its deadlines—demand. The program requires three semesters of study, with opportunities over the summer to take an internship or job in the field. All Studio 20 students must complete 9 courses (36 points).
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1022 | Writing/Report Wkshp II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1012 | Digital Thinking | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1042 | Studio I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1043 | Studio 2 | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 2044 | Studio 3 1 | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Possible electives include any courses in the Institute (if prerequisites are met) or any graduate-level course in another department or school at NYU if approved by that department or school and by the Journalism Institute | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Capstone project is completed as part of the Studio 3, JOUR-GA 2044 Course JOUR-GA 2044 Not Found, course. As the culmination of this course, students will complete a substantial work of quality journalism or journalistic criticism made for the web or a demonstration project that shows substantial innovation in web based journalism. This project must have a media partner that will use or carry the final work and collaborate in its production, setting constraints and distributing the work.
Magazine and Digital Storytelling
The Magazine and Digital Storytelling concentration is premised on the belief that mastering the traditional skills required to produce great journalism will remain essential in a constantly evolving media culture. We offer a wealth of reporting and writing classes and the program also enthusiastically embraces new technologies, with an emphasis on story-telling through video and photography. Magazine students try their hands at every type of journalism—deadline driven hard news stories, profiles, in-depth features, personal essays, opinion articles, critical reviews, and reader-service pieces. The magazine concentration requires students to take nine courses (36 credits) over the course of three semesters.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1022 | Writing/Report Wkshp II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 12 | Press Ethics | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1090 | Digital Magazine | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Reporting Elective | 4 | |
| Capstone and Elective courses | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Reporting the Nation and New York
Reporting the Nation and New York concentration prepares students to cover local and national issues using a variety of mediums. Each semester includes an intensive series of writing and reporting courses, and journalistic seminars and production classes. Students can also take an interdisciplinary course to provide them with a deeper understanding of a significant issue. The concentration stresses deadline reporting, agility with various mediums and deep, thorough reporting. There is also a multi-platform reporting trip to an underserved community every fall. Students also create content for the concentrations award winning website pavementpieces.com. An internship with a city publication or broadcast outlet takes place between the second and third semesters. This is a 37-credit concentration with a total of 10 courses leading towards an M.A.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1022 | Writing/Report Wkshp II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 12 | Press Ethics | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 331 | Investigative Reporting 1 | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1290 | Fieldwork in Journalism | 1 |
| Electives | ||
| Possible electives include any courses in the Institute (if prerequisites are met) or any graduate-level course in another department or school at NYU if approved by that department or school and by the Journalism Institute | 20 | |
| Total Credits | 37 | |
- 1
Capstone project is completed as part of the Investigative Reporting, JOUR-GA-331 , course As the culmination of this course, the student will complete a significantly reported piece of approximately 3,000 words or a deeply reported multimedia project.
Business and Economic Reporting
Business and Economic Reporting concentration requires 44 credits over three semesters and an intervening summer. The curriculum is split between courses in the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and courses at NYU’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1022 | Writing/Report Wkshp II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 11 | First Amendment Law | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 331 | Investigative Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1080 | Multimedia Storytelling | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1290 | Fieldwork in Journalism (can be split into two 1 point internships) | 2 |
| JOUR-GA 2046 | Long Form Narrative 1 | 4 |
| NYU Stern Requirements | ||
| COR1-GB 2311 | Foundations of Finance | 3 |
| COR1-GB 1306 | Financial Accounting and Reporting | 3 |
| COR1-GB 1303 | Firms and Markets | 3 |
| COR1-GB 2303 | The Global Economy | 3 |
| Two courses with approval of the BER director | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 44 | |
- 1
The capstone course for this concentration is Longform Narrative, JOUR-GA 2046 Long Form Narrative. In this course, students produce a 3,000-word-long feature article of publishable quality.
Science, Health and Environmental Reporting
Science, Health and Environmental Reporting concentration at NYU is a 10-course, 38-credit program, including nine required courses and one elective. Founded in 1982, SHER is a globally renowned program operating in the world capital of science communication. The program’s 400-plus alumni have diverse backgrounds and beliefs and work in many types of digital, print and broadcast media in 25 countries. What unites them are two deeply held convictions: science is too important to leave only to scientists, and journalism is too important to leave only to the scientifically illiterate. A key focus is reporting, writing and editing features and news for online sites and magazines, but students also dive into all forms of modern journalism, from books and long-form narratives to video and audio stories, podcasting, editing, data visualizations, blogs and social media. Entrepreneurial skills, including self-marketing, are also emphasized throughout the SHER sequence, as is investigative science journalism. SHER students also operate their own news site, Scienceline.org.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1022 | Writing/Report Wkshp II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1017 | Curr Tpcs in Science, Health, & Envir Reportng | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1189 | Investigative Science Journalism | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1188 | Environmental Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 12 | Press Ethics | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1290 | Fieldwork in Journalism (twice) | 2 |
| JOUR-GA 1187 | Medical Reporting | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1180 | Science Writing 1 | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Possible electives include any courses in the Institute (if prerequisites are met) or any graduate-level course in another department or school at NYU if approved by that department or school and by the Journalism Institute | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 38 | |
- 1
The capstone course for this concentration is Science Writing, JOUR-GA 1180 Science Writing. In this course, students produce a 3,500-word-long feature article of publishable quality.
Podcasting and Audio Reportage
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1022 | Writing/Report Wkshp II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1310 | 4 | |
| JOUR-GA 13 | Media Ethics and Law | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1300 | 2 | |
| JOUR-GA 1301 | 2 | |
| Capstone course | 4 | |
| Electives | ||
| Other Elective Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Sample Plan of Study
| 1st Semester/Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| JOUR-GA 12 | Press Ethics | 4 |
| JOUR-GA 1021 | Writing/Report Wkshp I | 4 |
| JOUR-GA ---- | Concentration Course | 4 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| 2nd Semester/Term | ||
| JOUR-GA 1022 | Writing/Report Wkshp II | 4 |
| JOUR-GA ---- | Concentration Course | 4 |
| JOUR-GA ---- | Journalism Elective | 4 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| 3rd Semester/Term | ||
| JOUR-GA ---- | Journalism Elective | 4 |
| JOUR-GA ---- | Journalism Elective | 4 |
| JOUR-GA ---- | Journalism Elective or Master's Thesis | 4 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Learn how to transform their passions into well reported, thoroughly researched forms of journalism.
- Learn how to seek out sources and report story subjects locally, nationally and internationally.
- Learn how to conceive of, report, structure and produce ambitious short and long-form narrative stories, whether in print, audio, and/or video.
- Learn to work ethically, treating their subjects with respect and maintaining high intellectual and moral standards.
- Develop critical thinking skills, independence, and creativity appropriate to the role of journalism in a democratic society.
Policies
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Graduate School of Arts and Science Policies
Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page.