Are you interested in gaining the professional training to become a broadcast journalist? Or a newspaper reporter? Or a documentary filmmaker? Or a podcast storyteller? Or a long-form magazine writer? Or a news editor? Or an investigative reporter? Or a business journalist? Or an international correspondent? Or a photojournalist? Or an arts critic? Or a data journalist? Or a radio reporter? Or a science journalist? Or maybe a book author? As a student in Columbia Journalism School's
Master of Science Program, you will enjoy a flexible curriculum that provides a world-class education in the areas of journalism that matter to you, all while you receive essential training in reporting, storytelling, and ethics.
With our 2022-23
application for admission now open, we are excited today to spotlight the
Master of Science Program's
Visual Journalism opportunities. Columbia's M.S. students have many opportunities to learn and develop visual journalism skills during the fall and spring semesters. Students have options for taking production classes in these disciplines: video storytelling, photojournalism, and video broadcast. Students do
not need to apply specifically to a visual specialization at Columbia, as all Master of Science Program students will have the freedom to focus as much - or as little - on visual and video broadcast storytelling as they prefer.
The M.S. Program's
video storytelling classes teach students to shoot on professional-level video cameras and to edit on industry-standard software. Students are trained to identify video-worthy stories, to effectively interview subjects and to film compelling sequences and scenes. These classes are designed for students interested in producing films for the web and cinema.
The M.S. Program's photojournalism classes cover in great detail the mechanics and artistry of photography. Students are taught how to report and photograph using professional-level cameras and to edit photos on industry-standard software. Students are also taught the aesthetics, ethics and history of photojournalism. These classes are designed for students interested in becoming photojournalists with deep technical and reporting skills.
Students at the Journalism School also have opportunities to learn the skills needed to excel in broadcast journalism and tell stories in video - as well as in audio. Students can learn on-air skills, experiment with virtual reality, and hone the techniques that are essential to working in a digital newsroom.
In the fall semester, Master of Science Program students interested in visual or video broadcast journalism will have the opportunity to take "Video I" or "Photo I" as their Image & Sound class. These courses allow students to learn the fundamentals of visual journalism before possibly embarking on more ambitious multimedia storytelling projects in the spring.
In the spring semester, Master of Science Program students will have the chance to take 15-week Seminar & Production classes that can provide them with in-depth visual or broadcast training, such as:
- Visual Storytelling, which focuses on issue-driven photojournalism and multimedia in the social documentary tradition with students producing two multimedia stories focusing on a human rights or social justice concern. Students will see examples of work that made an impact, critique the aesthetic strategies employed and learn about NGO and foundation collaborations. Students will incorporate text, video and audio into their stories, with the final outcome being a website of professional quality that can serve as a portfolio and material for contests and possible grants. Students will learn narrative storytelling, post production, archiving practices and business and pricing standards, including day rates, usage fees and copyright.
- Multimedia Storytelling: Visual Craft, which is designed for students looking to learn long-form, documentary filmmaking for theatrical release or digital platforms. The workshop component is part field training, part theory and discussion, part production, and part business. Students will produce a documentary film by the end of the course. A large portion of class time will be spent with instructors working on shooting fundamentals and working towards advanced cinematography and storytelling techniques. A strong emphasis will be placed on visual composition and aesthetics.
- Video Newsroom, in which students will report, write and produce video stories ranging from the four-minute BBC-style story to the 90-second US broadcast news variety to 30-second social media spots. The class will apply reporting techniques to the audio-visual medium, to tell news, feature and investigative stories effectively. The course explores ethical issues applicable to video journalism and teaches students how to interview for video, shoot sequences, and write for the short news format.
To learn more about visual storytelling opportunities in Columbia's M.S. Program, please watch our 2020 webinar with Professors Nina Berman and Duy Linh Tu: