4 + 1 Pipeline Program with Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
The 4+1 programs 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 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.
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.
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).
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.
How to Apply
Current CUNY BA students interested in applying should submit 2-3 writing samples and a statement of no more than 1,000 words that explains what draws you to the profession, 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. GPA and credit count will be confirmed with applicants’ schools. There is no application fee.