How to have the best academic and extracurricular experience
The Student Affairs office helps students navigate all aspects of their journalism education – from academics to housing. Learn about student associations, school policies and the many resources available to you.
Student-only Events
New Student Information
Housing. ID cards. Orientation and start dates. Get the essential details here.
Our technology guide gives an overview of the equipment you’ll need while you’re at the Journalism School.
Extracurricular Activities
Join an association. Run for student government. Explore New York City.
Journalism Industry Leadership
The Tow Center for Digital Journalism explores the ways in which technology is changing journalism. It offers a full schedule of events throughout the year, including more intimate gatherings like bi-monthly Tow Teas with some of the top media players from outlets like Buzzfeed, Mashable, VICE among many others. Tow offers research fellowships that often lead to published work, like Vanessa Quirk ’15 M.A. Arts & Culture “Guide to Podcasting.” Tow seeks contributors to its blog and people to cover its events, write tips and tutorials.
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.
Events & Lectures
Columbia Journalism School has lecture series to enhance and support the classroom and reporting work. Many of our events offer the opportunity to meet industry leaders, ask questions and network.
Dean's Roundtables bring together luminaries to have lunch with small groups of about 20 students invited by Dean Coll. People like author and journalist Gail Sheehy, CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of Hearst Steve Swartz, publisher Alice Rogoff and executive chairman of Alphabet Inc. (formerly called Google) Eric Schmidt field questions from students during engaging Dean's Roundtable conversations.
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.
Important Student Dates
Spring 2018 Semester
Tuesday, Jan. 2 – Sunday, Jan. 14 – M.S. Master's Project reporting time (in NYC)
Tuesday, Jan. 2 – Add/Drop opens
Monday, Jan. 8 – Cross registration for NON-Journalism students opens
Monday, Jan. 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observed – University holiday
Tuesday, Jan. 16 – Spring semester begins (M.A., Ph.D., KB, Spencers and JNCOMS);
Master's Project: First draft due
Thursday, Jan. 18– M.S. classes begin
Monday, Jan. 22 – M.A. Master's Thesis: First draft due
Friday, Jan. 26 – Add/Drop ends, cross registration ends
Wednesday, Feb. 14 – February degrees conferred
Monday, Feb. 19 – President's Day – NOT A HOLIDAY AT THE J-SCHOOL, CLASSES IN SESSION
Monday, Feb. 19 – Master's Project: Second draft due
Wednesday, February 28 – M.A. Master's Thesis: Second draft due
Friday, March 9 – Master's Project: Final project due
Monday, March 12 – Friday, March 16 – Spring break
Monday, March 19 – Stabile & Data Master's Project: Final project due
Saturday, March 24 - Career Expo
Monday, April 2 – Summer ballot 2017 goes live
Monday, April 9 – Summer ballot closed
Monday, April 9 – M. A. Master's Thesis: Final thesis due
Week of April 23 – Part-time M.S. students: First meetings with Master's Project advisors
Friday, April 27 – Last day for M.S. students to submit stipend receipts for reimbursement
Week of May 7 – Part-time M.S. students: Second meetings with Master's Project advisors
Saturday, May 12 – Last day of Spring classes
Tuesday, May 15 – Journalism Day
Wednesday, May 16 – University Commencement & J-School Graduation
Summer 2018 Semester
Friday, May 18 - Part-time M.S./Data M.S./Lede Orientation
Saturday, May 19 - Part-time M.S. classes begin
Monday, May 21 - Lede and Data M.S. classes begin
Friday, August 31 - Summer semester ends (Part-time M.S., Documentary and Lede)
Friday, August 31 - Summer PT & Documentary Master's Projects Due
Fall 2018 Semester
Wednesday, Aug. 1 – International Orientation for M.S./SEAS students
Thursday, Aug. 2 – Friday, Aug. 3 – M.S./SEAS Orientation
Monday, Aug. 6 – M.S. classes begin
Monday, Aug. 13 – Add/Drop opens
Tuesday, Aug. 14 – Friday, Aug. 17 – Knight Bagehot Orientation
Monday, Aug. 20 – Knight Bagehot classes begin
Monday, Aug. 20 – Cross registration opens for NON–Journalism students
Wednesday, Aug. 29 – China Fellow/M.A./Ph.D. International Orientation
Thursday, Aug. 30 – China Fellow/M.A./Ph.D./Spencer Orientation
Friday, Aug. 31 – Fall Prep Day (a talk about journalism trends)/Annual BBQ
Monday, Sept. 3 – Labor Day – University holiday
Tuesday, Sept. 4 – M.A., Spencer, Ph.D., Lede and M.S. classes begin
Friday, Sept. 14 – Add/Drop ends
Friday, Sept. 14 – Cross registration ends, M.A. cross registrations due
Friday, Sept. 14 – M.A. Thesis Overview
Monday, Oct. 8 – Columbus Day – NOT A HOLIDAY AT THE J-SCHOOL, CLASSES IN SESSION
Wednesday, Oct. 17 – October degrees conferred
Wednesday, Oct. 17 – M.A.: Applications for first-round thesis grants are due
Monday, Nov. 5 – University Holiday – NOT A HOLIDAY AT THE J-SCHOOL, CLASSES IN SESSION
Tuesday, Nov. 6 – Election Day – NOT A HOLIDAY AT THE J-SCHOOL, CLASSES IN SESSION
Monday, Nov. 12 – Veteran's Day – NOT A HOLIDAY AT THE J-SCHOOL, CLASSES IN SESSION
Friday, November 16 – M.A.: Thesis proposal due
Wednesday, Nov. 21 – Friday, Nov. 23 – Thanksgiving break
Saturday, Dec. 15 – Semester ends (M.A., M.S., PhD., KB, Spencer, JNCOMS)
Sunday, Dec. 16 – Tuesday, Jan. 1 – Winter break
Friday, Dec. 21 – Semester ends – Lede students
Graduation Rates
See recent graduation rates below.
FT Master of Science | |||
---|---|---|---|
Academic Year | Enrolled | Graduated | Graduation Rate (%) |
2012-2013 | 251 | 248 | 99 |
2013-2014 | 242 | 241 | 99 |
2014-2015 | 236 | 230 | 97 |
2015-2016 | 240 | 238 | 98 |
2016-2017 | 232 | 231 | 99 |
PT Master of Science | |||
Academic Year | Enrolled | Graduated | Graduation Rate (%) |
2012-2013 | 38 | 35 | 92 |
2013-2014 | 32 | 31 | 97 |
2014-2015 | 32 | 30 | 94 |
2015-2016 | 30 | 28 | 93 |
2016-2017 | 34 | 31 | 92 |
Master of Arts | |||
Academic Year | Enrolled | Graduated | Graduation Rate (%) |
2012-2013 | 58 | 56 | 97 |
2013-2014 | 48 | 47 | 98 |
2014-2015 | 44 | 44 | 100 |
2015-2016 | 53 | 52 | 98 |
2016-2017 | 48 | 48 | 100 |
Dual Degree Computer Science | |||
Academic Year | Enrolled | Graduated | Graduation Rate (%) |
2011-2012 | 4 | 4 | 100 |
2012-2013 | 7 | 7 | 100 |
2013-2014 | 9 | 9 | 100 |
2014-2015 | 6 | 6 | 100 |
2016-2017 | 6 | 6 | 100 |
Contacts
Policies & Resources
All students should be familiar with these important Journalism School policies and regulations.
- General Policy on Conduct and Discipline
- Grievance Procedures
- Medical Leave and Reinstatement Process
- Transfer of Credit Policy
- Satisfactory Academic Progress & Federal Financial Aid
- Policies on Student Suggestions & Complaints
- Grade Policy
Important policies and regulations of Columbia University