Columbia College Chicago

Program Information

Degree Offered

M.A.-Journalism

Program Description:

Columbia College Chicago's Master of Arts program in Journalism keeps its core emphasis squarely on public affairs reporting and the crucial role played by a free and active press in communities large and small, national and international. The curriculum focuses on issues central to civic life - education, housing, welfare, criminal justice, labor, politics and the electoral process, science, economies, and arts - because responsible journalism begins with investigations into all aspects of these issues and ends with an informed and active citizenry. The technological and professional landscape of the field of journalism has changed dramatically in recent years, and the program's innovations in new media have kept pace with this recent paradigm shift. However, in every case where the curriculum has been updated to reflect the changing industry, those revisions are designed to complement the priority given to the fundamentals of news and information gathering. This balance of tradition and innovation means that graduates of this program to emerge as professional journalists trained across media platforms and prepared for the realities of today's news market. Columbia's growing urban campus is located in Chicago's thriving South Loop community, within walking distance of major government, media, and cultural institutions. The curriculum relies on the accessibility of these organizations, and the program treats Chicago as its own living laboratory. In the Reporting Lab seminars students are sent out into the city to cover the news in real time, alongside Chicago's working journalists. They also work closely with the city's news professionals through a robust internship program, which places students in national and local news outlets, government agencies and the offices of state legislators. Opportunities to both publish and serve as editors on the ChicagoTalks.org website - co-founded by Columbia Journalism professors Barbara Iverson and Suzan McBride -provides students with an additional outlet to showcase their work and talent.

Accreditation:

Accredited at graduate and undergrad levels by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Also accredited as teacher training institution by Illinois State Board of Education

# of Credits Required:

36

International Student Requirements:

International students are required to submit an official TOEFL score of 100 or greater on the internet based test. For more information about requirements for international students at the graduate level, please visit our website.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Cost Per Credit Hour:

$733.00 USD

Tuition In-State Full Time:

24624 USD

Financial Aid Offered: Yes

Format: Campus

Classification: Master's Colleges & Universities I

Institution Sector: Private not-for-profit

Locale: Large City

Size & Settings: 10,000 - 19,999