At Columbia Journalism School, students in the Master of Science Program are on the street reporting from day one, learning to think critically and act ethically. Their classes are small, instructors give students intensive feedback, and the pass-fail grading policy fosters collaboration. The result: a grounding in the fundamental skills that helps graduates stand out and makes a difference throughout their careers. The M.S. is designed for a range of students, from those with little to no experience to those who have been working in the field for several years and want to enhance their skills in order to advance to a new level.
What is it like to be a Master of Science Program student at Columbia Journalism School? We talked about the student experience with Class of 2022 alum Ngozi Cole. She graduated from Columbia with honors and received a 2022 Pulitzer Center Post-Graduate Reporting Fellowship.
Please read the Q&A below to learn about Ngozi's education at Columbia:
What inspired you to apply to Columbia?
I've always been interested in journalism. When I was a little girl, I'd go around with a matchstick and interview my mom, my dad, and my family members. I'd always say, "When I grow up, I want to be a journalist." And in 2014, I was going into my senior year at the College of Wooster and I came to New York to visit different schools for journalism. I visited Columbia and I was given this really nice tour, and learned about the classes and what its graduates had gone on to do. And so I always said, "One day, I'm going to come to Columbia." The main reasons I applied were to strengthen my storytelling skills and gain access to more opportunities in journalism. It was my dream school.
What was it like starting the Master of Science program by taking the reporting class?
It was intense. My main professor was Howard French. He sent us to different boroughs around New York. This was my first time living in New York, and it was my first time going to Queens. I was assigned to Queens with two other classmates. And we had to turn in a full 800-word story every single week. The same week you were reporting a story, you also had to pitch another story for the next week. It had to be a full pitch, complete with experts, complete with good sources that you've interviewed, complete with background research that you've done. And so it was very intense. But I think going through that experience set the pace for the rest of my time at Columbia - because every class after that just seemed doable. I think that the skills I built in the reporting class have really helped me now send pitches to editors for freelance opportunities and to recently get a Pulitzer Center grant for my reporting. The reporting class set the foundation for everything.
How did you customize your Master of Science experience as you selected your courses?
I decided to take classes in areas that I already had some background in. So, I focused on narrative journalism and visual storytelling. That was a driving force behind how I chose my classes in the spring semester. And I think it really helped because I could start to see where I needed to improve. I could see where I had been lagging behind and I could really see the growth and progress I had made before Columbia and after I took those classes.
What are the most important skills you developed at Columbia?
I think pitching is one of the things that I really learned to do well. If you don't know how to pitch, if you don't know how to sell story ideas, you can't get commissions, you can't get jobs. And so having that skill, knowing what to include in a pitch is one of the most valuable skills I've gotten. Another valuable skill I've gotten is in visual storytelling. Before Columbia, I was doing photography as a communications officer. But in my "Visual Storytelling" class, I really got the chance to see how images work in a piece, how you can tell the story based on visuals and how to speak the language of photography to make your story richer and stronger. So I think those are the two skills I really appreciate that I've developed in the program.
How did you approach Career Development at Columbia?
I think it's nice to build a relationship with a Career Development office very early on in school because the months pass very quickly. It might seem like you have time - but you don't. And I would recommend always staying in touch and updating them after you graduate, because there might be opportunities that they will share with you, or you might want to share something with them to spread the word around. So I think it's nice to build those relationships and build them early on.
How would you describe the Journalism School's student community?
Make sure you are talking to and collaborating with your peers, your colleagues. It really helps to have people you can talk to and share your work with and just get feedback about your work - but also know that you are not alone. You're all going through the same intense process together.
What advice do you have for making the most of the M.S. experience?
I would say first of all, just do the work. The professors, no matter your background or your experience, or how many years you've done this work, they know more than you do. They are just a rich resource for you. So, whatever books they recommend, whatever podcasts they suggest, just make sure that you're listening and learning - and just become a sponge and absorb as much as you can. And also ask for help. When I was doing my master's project, it was on a new topic - technology - that I hadn't explored before. I had never done tech reporting, but I was constantly communicating with my advisor every week. I was making sure that she knew what I was doing, and also asking my peers for help. Just make sure that you're not alone on this journey. And J-School is a very collaborative process, so reach out and ask for help.
What would you say to someone considering Columbia?
Instead of just applying to Columbia because of its reputation and because it's in New York, I would say really sit and question why you want to get a master's in journalism. Because that's a personal decision for everyone. I had my reasons for why I came here: I wanted to bridge the gap between the skills I had and the skills I wanted, and access more opportunities. Others might come here because they have years of job experience, but they want to switch their careers to journalism. We have people who were lawyers before, who were in finance before, and they came to J-School to transition to full-time storytelling and journalism. Make sure that you're coming here for the reasons that are best for you. Columbia has an amazing reputation. You'll get access to so many great opportunities, but make sure that at the end of the day, it's actually going to help you in your career and in your journey.
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