The Daily Plan-it / Dean of Students Blog, Columbia J-school

Dear Incoming Students:

The School bulletin used to say that the Faculty expects all students to type at a “reasonable speed,” 35 words per minute or better. While we don’t test our students on their individual typing speeds, students who can’t type at at least that speed, will find it hard to keep up with all the work (at school and home) or be able to do well after graduation as professional journalists.

We strongly suggest you find out how close you are to the 35 wpm threshold and, if you need to speed up your typing, practice, practice, practice.

Feel free to try this test (which the School has no way of monitoring your results!). Remember, accuracy is even more important than raw speed…



From p. 85 of the 2006 Bulletin, Admissions section:
In evaluating applicants, the Committee on Admissions looks for the following:

6. Students must be able to type in English
at a reasonable speed (35 wpm).

For more typing resources, scroll down on http://www.calculatorcat.com/typing_test/

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[A quick note to remind any experienced journalists looking to earn a Master’s degree that Columbia J-school’s new M.A. program (which allows you to specialize in business, arts, politics or science reporting) is a great option. In addition to in-depth specialization, you can also learn the digital skills that are in such demand in newsrooms today. The deadline for application is MONDAY JAN. 12 (NO GRE required!) and there’s very generous funding available this year. Details below (and via the webcast with Prof. Holloway) and at http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/admissions ]

Columbia Journalism School is doing several webcasts with our faculty and alumni to add to our collection (30+) at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/columbiajournalism (suggestions welcome: ss221[at]columbia.edu)

This week, two terrific speakers to get us going in the new year.

MONDAY: Prof. Marguerite Holloway, science and environmental journalism expert

WEDNESDAY: Lydia Polgreen, Class of 2000 and West Africa bureau chief of the New York Times

Prof. Marguerite Holloway
Monday, Jan. 5, 2009
9:30-10:30 am, NY time
See local time around the world: http://bit.ly/xjxk

Listen live or to a recording
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ColumbiaJournalism/2009/01/05/Prof-Marguerite-Holloway-science-journalism
(you can set an e-mail reminder for yourself there)
or dial live into a NYC number: +1-646-915-9583

Columbia Journalism School presents a conversation with Prof. Marguerite Holloway, Director of Science and Environmental Journalism. She will discuss the M.A. program aimed at experienced journalists, (and her specialization, Science) and and why it’s an ideal opportunity for experienced journalists in the midst of the changing media landscape. She’ll also talk about general state of science journalism. Her bio: http://bit.ly/aHYw

Send questions to ss221[at]columbia.edu (subject=webcast) or use the live chatroom during the webcast.

PLEASE NOTE: All concentrations in the M.A. program have very generous funding. In addition, the science concentration has received a new grant. In recognition of the need for highly trained health and science journalists, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently granted $4.46 million to support the M.A. program. Journalists accepted into this nine-month program will receive generous tuition assistance and will be known as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellows. Subject areas studied during the program include public health, the environment, and the processes of innovation and discovery. Info below.

Listen to Dean Nicholas Lemann talk about the M.A. program here.

- - -

Lydia Polgreen, Class of 2000 and West Africa bureau chief of the New York Times

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009
noon-1 pm, NY time
5-6 pm Dakar, Senegal time (where she’ll be calling from)
See local time around the world: http://bit.ly/2ROvh5

Listen live or to a recording
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ColumbiaJournalism/2009/01/07/Lydia-Polgreen-NYTs-West-Africa-bureau-chief
(you can set an e-mail reminder for yourself there)
or dial live into a NYC number: +1-646-915-9583

Columbia Journalism School presents a conversation with Lydia Polgreen, the West Africa bureau chief of the New York Times and member of the Class of 2000. Polgreen, who is based in Dakar, Senegal, has won several awards for her coverage of the region, including the George Polk Award for her reporting in Darfur. She will soon be moving to South Asia as a NYT correspondent. She’ll discuss what it’s like to be a foreign correspondent; some of her major stories; and tips for those who want to become international journalists.

See her archive of stories: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/lydia_polgreen/

Send questions to ss221[at]columbia.edu (subject=webcast) or use the live chatroom during the webcast.

- - - -

More on the school’s programs, deadlines and financial aid at http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/admissions and in the descriptions below.

===> Watch a 12-minute documentary about the J-school:
http://blip.tv/play/ge9n0_59j6RX

ABOUT COLUMBIA J-SCHOOL’S PROGRAMS

Columbia Journalism School offers three programs, including the new M.A. in journalism for experienced journalists - all with generous financial assistance available. Each of these programs has a mix of U.S. and international students.

* The new M.A. Program for EXPERIENCED journalists who wish to specialize in
one of four majors - business, arts, science, politics - is a great way for
journalists to pick up valuable in-depth knowledge in covering a subject as
well as in learning digital media and production skills. The course is nine
months long and does NOT require a GRE test. Read details via the left-hand
column of http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/admissions

* The M.S. Program is the traditional Master’s degree at the school aimed at
journalists at the beginning stages of their careers as well as
career-switchers new to journalism. The M.S. degree is 10 months long and
does NOT require a GRE test (there is a school-designed test that is
administered around the world after the application deadline).

The M.S. Program also offers a PART-TIME Program aimed at those with
full-time jobs, that runs 18 months to two-three years.
Read details via the left-hand column of
http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/admissions

* The Ph.D. Program is the school’s doctoral program the gathers and focuses
the resources of Columbia University in a multi-disciplinary approach to the
study of communications. GRE is required. Read details via the left-hand
column of http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/admissions

Admissions application deadlines are:

Monday, January 12, 2009 for Master of Arts, full-time, beginning August 2009 (aimed at experienced journalists who want to specialize in one of the following majors: business, arts, science or politics)

The full-time M.S. and Ph.D. deadline for August 2009 have already passed, but there we may still be taking applicants for the Part-time M.S. program cohorts that begin classes in May 2009 or September 2009.

Admission decisions are made without regard to applicants’ financial need. All applicants who wish to be considered for scholarship assistance must submit the Journalism School Scholarship Aid form, which is found at https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=col-jour - by February 1.

You can apply today at http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/admissions

===> Watch a 12-minute documentary about the J-school:
http://blip.tv/play/ge9n0_59j6RX

===> Listen to webcasts with various faculty members:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/columbiajournalism (scroll down to “older
posts,” too)

SCHOLARSHIP INFO (see partial list of international scholarships below)

The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism welcomes applications
from U.S. and international students who plan to pursue journalism careers.
We offer approximately $4.4 million annually in fellowships and
scholarships to students who demonstrate high academic achievement,
financial need, and exceptional promise for leading careers in journalism.

To be eligible for admission, international applicants must hold the
equivalent of a U.S. university baccalaureate degree and be fluent in both
written and spoken English. International applicants who are not native
speakers of English must provide proof of proficiency in English.

MORE ON COLUMBIA JOURNALISM SCHOOL AND ITS M.S. (full-time & part-time),
M.A. and Ph.D. PROGRAMS AT http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/admissions

Admissions questions to admissions[at]jrn.columbia.edu

A partial list of scholarships available includes:

HINDERY FELLOWSHIPS (M.S. and M.A. • domestic and international applicants)

The Hindery Fellowship program provides substantial tuition assistance
to Master of Arts and Master of Science students who are among the top
applicants to the Journalism School, exhibit superb academic
achievement, professional promise and a special commitment to
leadership in social and political journalism, and demonstrate
financial need.

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION FELLOWSHIP
(M.S. and M.A. • student from the Middle East)

The purpose of this fund is to provide scholarship aid for a student
from the Middle East who demonstrates financial need, an interest in
political coverage, superior academic and journalistic achievement,
and an intention to return to the Middle East after graduation to
continue his/her journalism career.

NEW SUPPORT FROM THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION
In recognition of the need for highly trained health and science journalists, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently granted $4.46 million to support the M.A. program. Journalists accepted into this nine-month program will receive generous tuition assistance and will be known as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellows. Subject areas studied during the program include public health, the environment, and the processes of innovation and discovery.

Admissions questions to admissions[at]jrn.columbia.edu

NEW-ISH WAYS CONNECT WITH COLUMBIA JOURNALISM SCHOOL:

Facebook: friend “Columbia J-school”
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=611726581

Twitter: http://twitter.com/j_school

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/columbiajournalism

Blip.tv: http://cujs.blip.tv/

Audio webcasts: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/columbiajournalism
(set automatic e-mail reminders there for yourself)

The audio webcasts are also available as downloadable MP3 files for your
personal collection and on-the-go listening. If you want to subscribe to
these as podcasts on iTunes, go to “Advanced” within iTunes, then select
“Subscribe to podcast” and type in
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/columbiajournalism/feed and hit OK.

MAIN WEBSITE: http://www.journalism.columbia.edu

From Dean Lemann.

Dear M.S. Students,

I’m writing to remind you that tomorrow evening, at 6 p.m. in the Lecture Hall on the third floor, there is an information session on the Master of Arts in Jouunalism program. I hope you’ll come.

The M.A. program, as most of you probably know by now, is an optional second year that focuses on imparting deep subject-matter expertise to journalists. It is generally considered to be the most ambitious attempt to expand the boundaries of journalism education now going on in the United States. It is in its first year of operation. At tomorrow night’s meeting, various deans, including me, will be there to describe the program in detail, and faculty members and students from all of the program’s four majors—Arts and Culture, Business and Economics, Politics, and Science—will be there too, so it will be easy to get answers to any questions you may have.

The one question we can’t answer yet for sure is the one that I would guess is uppermost in your minds: What kinds of jobs does the M.A. program lead to? That won’t be answerable until the second year of the program has already begun. But, mindful of the uncertainty, we are offering the program once again on extraordinarily generous financial terms: full-need tuition assistance. So in return for being a brave early adopter, you’d get a deal that is not going to last into the years when the program is a proven success.

The application deadline for the program is three weeks away. Please try to take the time to find out more about it tomorrow evening. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you then.

Best,
Nick Lemann

From Dean Klatell.

To all M.S. Students:

As you know, next Tuesday evening (1/17) we’ll be holding an information session on the M.A. program in the lecture hall. I urge you to attend, because much information as well as current participants (faculty and students, not just administrators) will be available. Dean Lemann will orchestrate the discussions.

Frankly, this is the best time to consider applying for the program: the job market is tight, so the extra expertise gained in the M.A. will give you extra oomph in the eyes of employers; tight times in industry inevitably produce a surge of people heading back to various kinds of graduate schools, preparing themselves to be more-attractive candidates for the smaller number of jobs, when employers can be much pickier in their recruitment efforts. And the M.A. doesn’t duplicate what you’re gaining from the M.S. - - it provides not only greater specialization, depth and mastery of in-demand subject matter, but employs a very different model of teaching and learning, habits of the mind which have their own, intrinsic value over the course of your career. The faulty is terrific, the classes very small (half the size of the average M.S. class) and the students committed, eager and engaged.

You may also want to remember that the university’s substantial financial support for this program offers M.A. students this wonderful education at an amazingly low price – a situation that cannot be counted on to last forever. So, if you’re interested, come to the briefing and Q&A Tuesday evening, and be prepared to fill out an application quite quickly; as you are aware, we’ve extended the deadline by a couple of weeks, but it rapidly approaches.

Regards,
DK

From Dean MacDonald, rm37.

To Columbia Journalism Students:

The application deadline for the Master of Arts program is now
February 9, 2006 at 11:59 p.m. (PST).

The deadline to submit the Financial Aid application form remains the
same, February 28, 2006.

Use you time wisely. Enjoy your short break.