Student Life

The Brown Institute for Media Innovation is a collaboration between Columbia University and Stanford University, designed to encourage and support new endeavors in media. Brown awards renewable fellowships to postgraduate or graduate students who create engineering prototypes, innovative media products, or carry out related research. Brown also offers Columbia and Stanford communities the opportunity to submit proposals for Magic Grants. It looks for ideas that are original and have the potential to bring true innovation in the media world, like  Alyson Martin and Nushin Rashidian ’10 M.S. Cannabis Wire, and Jika Gonzalez ’14 M.S. “Cuba Interconectada.”

The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma serves as a resource center and global network of journalists, journalism educators and health professionals dedicated to improving media coverage of trauma, conflict and tragedy. Dart provides travel and lodging assistance through a competitive process that allows students to participate in specialized training workshops on topics that include covering youth violence, suicide and gun violence. It hires a work-study student each academic year to help with editorial content and program promotion. Dart encourages students to pitch blog posts or feature stories for publication on its website.

The Thought Leaders Series brings to the Journalism School journalists and media leaders who will address current issues and concerns. The series, which takes place most Tuesdays in the fall semester, is designed to complement what students are learning in their classes and provide them the opportunity to meet leading practitioners.

The Alfred I. duPont Center for Broadcast & Digital Journalism sponsors many events at the school including the Film Fridays series, that screens a documentary and invites filmmakers to discuss their work like Alex Gibney, Joshua Oppenheimer, Barbara Kopple and Rachel Boynton ’97 M.S. It also holds a lecture series with current duPont winners at the School for students in January. duPont has also started a podcast series, OnAssignment, based on recorded J-School events, which duPont Fellows help produce.

Hearst Digital Media Lectures examine the changing media industry with an emphasis on digital media and online journalism, and supports the Hearst Digital Media Professional-in-Residence who participates in classes and programs, critiques student work, and delivers two lectures during the school year. The series and residency are sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Recent Hearst Digital Medial Professionals-in-Residence include Ken Lerer, Steven Berlin Johnson, Krishna Bharat, Rebecca MacKinnon, Amanda Cox, Mario Garcia, Kevin Delaney, Meredith Artley and Melissa Bell. 

The Lorana Sullivan Lecture Series, founded in 2014, is held in honor of the award-winning, pioneer of investigative journalism, Lorana Sullivan J’64.  The series is designed to enhance the role of women in business and financial reporting and generally to improve the quality of investigative journalism. Recent speakers include Dean Steve Coll, Bethany McLean and Diana Henriques.

The Henry Pringle Lecture is named for a long-time faculty member of this school, a Pulitzer Prize winner in biography and a reporter for The Washington Post.  The Pringle Lectures were endowed by the school’s alumni in Washington, D.C. following Pringle’s death in 1958. The annual guest lecturer is asked to speak to graduates on Journalism Day, the day before graduation, on any aspect of Washington politics, public affairs or the media. Recent speakers include Jorge Ramos,  Jane Mayer, Carol Rosenberg, Jim VandeHei and David Brooks.

Wednesday, Jan. 2 – Sunday, Jan. 13 – M.S. Master's Project reporting time (in NYC)

Wednesday, Jan. 2 – Add/Drop opens

Wednesday, Jan. 9 – Cross registration for NON-Journalism students opens

Monday, Jan. 21 – Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observed – University holiday

Tuesday, Jan. 22 – Spring semester begins (M.A., Ph.D., KB, Spencers and JNCOMS); 

Master's Project: First draft due

Thursday, Jan. 24 – M.S. classes begin

Monday, Jan. 28 – M.A. Master's Thesis: First draft due

Friday, Feb. 1 – Add/Drop ends, cross registration ends

Wednesday, Feb. 13 – February degrees conferred

Monday, Feb. 18 – President's Day – NOT A HOLIDAY AT THE J-SCHOOL, CLASSES IN SESSION

Monday, Feb. 18 – Master's Project: Second draft due

Wednesday, February 27 – M.A. Master's Thesis: Second draft due

Friday, March 15 – Master's Project: Final project due

Monday, March 18 – Friday, March 22 – Spring break

Monday, March 25 – Stabile & Data Master's Project: Final project due

Saturday, March 30 - Career Expo

Monday, April 1 – Summer ballot 2019 goes live

Monday, April 8 – Summer ballot closed

Monday, April 8 – M. A. Master's Thesis: Final thesis due

Week of April 22 – Part-time M.S. students: First meetings with Master's Project advisors 

Friday, April 26 – Last day for M.S. students to submit stipend receipts for reimbursement

Week of May 6 – Part-time M.S. students: Second meetings with Master's Project advisors 

Saturday, May 18 – Last day of Spring classes

Tuesday, May 21 – Journalism Day

Wednesday, May 22 – University Commencement & J-School Graduation

Summer 2019 Semester

Friday, May 24 – Orientation (M.S. part-time, Data, Lede students) 

Saturday, May 25 – First day of classes 

Wednesday, Aug 14 - Last day of classes for Lede and Doc students

Friday, Aug 30 - Last day of classes for Part-time and Data Journalism students

Fall 2019 Semester

Wednesday, Aug. 14 – International Orientation for M.S./SEAS students

Thursday, Aug. 15 – Friday, Aug. 16 – M.S./SEAS Orientation

Monday, Aug. 19 – M.S./SEAS (1st Year) classes begin

Tuesday, Aug. 20 - Add/Drop opens

Tuesday, Aug. 20 – Cross registration opens for NON–Journalism students

Wednesday, Aug. 28 – China Fellow/M.A./Ph.D. International Orientation

Thursday, Aug. 29 – China Fellow/M.A./Ph.D./Spencer Orientation

Friday, Aug. 30 – Fall Prep Day (a talk about journalism trends)/Annual BBQ

Monday, Sept. 2 – Labor Day – University holiday

Tuesday, Sept. 3 – M.A., Spencer, Ph.D., Lede and PT. classes begin

Friday, Sept. 13 - Add/Drop and Cross registration closes

Saturday, Dec. 14 - Semester Ends

Spring 2020 Semester

Thursday, Jan. 23 - First Day of Classes

Saturday, May 16 - Last Day of Classes 

Wednesday, May 20 - Graduation Day

Summer 2020 Semester 

Friday, May 22 – Orientation (M.S. part-time, Data, Lede students) 

Saturday, May 23 – First day of classes 

Friday, Aug 14 - Last day of classes for Lede and Doc students

Friday, Aug 28 - Last day of classes for Part-time and Data Journalism students

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