Documentary filmmaking is exploding. Doc series are all the rage on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu, and there’s no shortage of excellent films to nominate for the Academy Awards.
To meet the demand for documentary filmmakers, the Newmark J-School features a documentary specialization as part of our existing M.A. in Journalism program. It allows students to learn all aspects of production while focusing on producing a single doc project over the course of their study.
In the first semester, documentary students take the same courses as other master’s degree candidates, and they also pick a subject concentration. The curriculum splits off in the second and third semesters with more intensive classes and fewer electives to let doc students dive into their projects. Additionally, students who are accepted into the documentary specialization can fulfill half of their summer internship requirement of 280 hours by completing up to 140 hours on a documentary film, under the supervision of their doc mentor. To receive the 3 academic credits required for their summer internship, students must complete the other 140 hours through a part-time summer internship.
To participate in the documentary program, students can either apply directly during the admissions process for the M.A. in Journalism or transfer in after the first semester.
Watch highlights of films by our students
The director of our documentary program is award-winning filmmaker Yoruba Richen, whose latest work, How it Feels To Be Free, tells the story of six trailblazing Black women in the entertainment industry. Her other recent films include The New York Times Presents: The Killing of Breonna Taylor; The Sit In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show; and The Green Book: Guide to Freedom. Her work has been featured on PBS, New York Times Op Doc, Frontline Digital, New York Magazine’s The Cut website, The Atlantic, and Field of Vision. She is the 2016 recipient of the Chicken & Egg Breakthrough Filmmaker Award and a Guggenheim Fellow.
Yes. Students who are accepted into the documentary specialization will still be required to find a summer internship.
Do you have a question about the Documentary Specialization? If so, please contact us.
Yoruba Richen
Director of the Documentary Program
yoruba.richen@journalism.cuny.edu
