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CUNY B.A. + M.A. Program

Attention CUNY Juniors!

Apply now for the School of Journalism’s 4+1 program.

The 4+1 program allows eligible CUNY students to complete an MA in Journalism in an additional year after their bachelor’s degree, by taking 12 credits of coursework at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in their senior year that counts toward both their bachelor’s and MA degrees.

To be eligible, a student must be enrolled at one of the participating CUNY campuses, have completed 75 credits towards a bachelor’s degree and must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. No prior journalism coursework or experience is needed. Currently, the participating CUNY campuses are: Brooklyn College, the CUNYBA program, John Jay College, Lehman College, Macaulay Honors College, Queens College, and York College.

How to Apply?

Interested students should complete an online application.

Online Application

The application will include: 3 writing samples (these do not need to be journalistic; recent class papers are fine) and a statement of no more than 1,000 words that explains what draws you to journalism what subjects you’d like to shine a light on, and what you hope to gain from studying at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. You may submit a multimedia sample in lieu of one of the writing samples. This could be in the form of photography, audio or video. Additionally, you must request a recommendation from one of your recent professors. Finally, you will need to submit copies of your transcripts (unofficial are fine). GPA and credit count will be confirmed with applicants’ schools. There is no application fee.

If you are applying for the Bilingual Journalism Program in Spanish and English, one of your writing samples must be in Spanish. Additionally, you will be asked to schedule an interview to help assess your spoken language skills.

Admitted students are accepted into the J-School provisionally, with final acceptance granted once they have completed their bachelor’s degree, maintained at least a 3.5 GPA and completed the 12 credits at the journalism school with no grade lower than a B in each class.

Applications will accepted on a rolling-basis.

1. What does this program cost?

Students pay undergraduate tuition for the first 12 MA credits and remain eligible for already-approved Pell aid or scholarships. Continued full TAP eligibility will be confirmed with the financial aid office of accepted applicants.

For the remaining 31 credits at the journalism school, current tuition and fees are $12,473 for full-time enrollment or $470 per credit (plus prorated fees).
The required summer news internship provides a stipend of $4,200, reducing the net cost of the program.

There is no TAP at the graduate level. All 4+1 students will be considered for Newmark J-School scholarships for after they complete their bachelor’s degree. Federal loans of up to $20,500 are available to all graduate students, and federal PLUS loans covering tuition and other costs of attendance are available to students based on income.

All students at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism are required to own a variety of essential tools: this includes an Apple MacBook Pro laptop, specific accessories and software, and a smart phone. Additional students are required to have personal property insurance to be able to borrow additional gear from the school’s equipment room. Please see our resource page for technical requirements.

2. Am I eligible for Newmark J-School scholarships?

3. What courses would I take at the journalism school while still an undergrad?

In the fall of your senior year, you would take the 5.5-credit Craft of Journalism course, which lays the foundation for all subsequent coursework at the school. It covers reporting skills like interviewing and research, writing and story construction, verification, photography and audience engagement, among others.

In the spring of your senior year, you would take a first course in a subject concentration (3 credits), then choose among other introductory courses, such as data journalism (3 credits), fundamentals of audio (2 credits), fundamentals of video (2.5 credits) or advanced research (1 credit).

4. What happens after I complete my undergraduate degree?

Upon completion of your undergraduate degree, you will be fully admitted to the J-School. You will need to complete two more courses in your selected reporting subject concentration. Concentration choices are: Arts & Culture, Local Accountability Reporting, International Reporting, Health & Science, Business & Economics, and Bilingual Journalism in Spanish and English.

In addition, you can choose to take a range of courses across all media formats, or you can opt to specialize in audio, broadcast/documentary, investigative or data reporting. Finally, you will be required to complete a paid summer internship.

Students in the 4+1 program can complete their MA in as little as one year (two semesters and a summer) but can also extend their studies, depending on work and family obligations.

5. What career opportunities does journalism offer?

Within a year of graduation, 90% of Newmark’s graduates have secured a position using their degree. First-year salaries for 2021 graduates ranged from roughly $50,000 to $85,000. Our graduates work in newsrooms across the globe. A sampling can be seen above. Alumni focus on a wide range of “beats,” including food, politics, sports, immigration, law, business/economics, labor, biotech, environment, travel, technology, health/sciences, criminal justice, Black culture, energy, parenting, education, music, and medicine.

A journalism degree can also be used in careers outside of journalism. Examples: Writing and audio/video/photography producing for any nonprofit or business entity; Overseeing websites and producing outreach content/campaigns for any organization; Managing public relations/communications; Fundraising/grant writing.

Andrew Mendelson
Professor
andrew.mendelson@journalism.cuny.edu

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