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 2021 alum Sabrina Escobar, who, at graduation, received a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, which is awarded to the top four graduates of the school. She is currently reporting for Barron's.
Please read the Q&A below to learn about Sabrina's education at Columbia:
What led you to apply to Columbia Journalism School?
I always knew that I wanted to go to Columbia Journalism School. It was always a dream that I had in the back of my mind, even as far back as my freshman year in college. I remember being with a friend, joking "One day, you'll work in banking and I'll go to New York and be in Columbia Journalism School," and it was a joke, but it stuck with me. I always wanted to do journalism and I know Columbia is unrivaled when it comes to journalism education and when it comes to the reputation it has for being able to get people on board with great jobs and opportunities and amazing professors.
How did you decide that the broader Master of Science Program was the right fit for you?
When I applied to Columbia, I was doing another master's degree in Latin American Studies and that gave me a much more academic perspective. I hadn't really been doing a lot of practical journalism for that year, so I was thinking that I needed to get back into the basics of it. And also I was already doing one master's degree program, so the nine-month length of Columbia's program really appealed to me, as opposed to doing two years or a year-and-a-half. I wanted to get back into the world, immerse myself again in journalism and distance myself from academia a bit. I thought that the M.S. offered a broad reintroduction into different fields and would allow me to experience some different types of media, so I could play around with a bit of photography, a little bit of radio - and I had the chance to do both.
What was it like starting the M.S. Program with the Reporting Module class?
The Reporting Module was excellent. I was a journalism major in undergrad and I had already taken some reporting classes, so I was like, "It's okay, I got this, I know how to do this." But it was still intimidating, and I think reporting and doing person-on-the-street types of exercises can be intimidating no matter how long you've been in the business. It's always awkward, it's always uncomfortable - which I think was good. It was during the pandemic too, and I wasn't used to talking to people in person. I had been in El Salvador where we couldn't even leave our houses - and now I had to go out and talk to random people on the street. My professor was Steve Coll, the Dean of Columbia Journalism School, whom I learned so much from. His TA Amel Brahmi and he were really excellent at adjusting to what we needed and at working with all of us at our different levels of experience. Learning from him was really inspiring.
How did you choose your two elective Seminar & Production classes in the spring semester?
I wanted to take all the seminars. I was really sad I could only choose two. I ended up taking Bill Grueskin's "Managing the 21st Century Newsroom" class and Steve Eder and Walt Bogdanich's "Investigative Project" class. They were both such great classes; I'm so happy I took them.
When choosing your seminar classes, I think you have to focus on what your goals are as a journalist. So for me, I knew that I was applying for a business reporting internship and I had very little experience in business reporting, and Bill's "Managing the 21st Century Newsroom" class seemed one that offered the most business training. I am also interested in editing at some point, and the class is all about managing a newsroom and being an editor, so for me the class aligned well with my goals after graduation. And with the "Investigative Project" class, that was a more spontaneous choice. I had Steve Eder as an Investigative Techniques professor in the fall and I loved the class. I'm interested in pursuing investigative stories at some point in the future, and I wanted to get more of an idea of whether or not I liked it.
How did you develop your master's project?
I had an idea when I came into Columbia of general reporting topics like women, immigration, Latino women and gender violence, which are some of the things that I do like to study. And they are what I pursued, and I think finding your interest and making sure you're actually passionate about a project really helps because you're getting very in-depth with one topic when you do your master's project, and if you don't like it, it's going to be stressful.
My advisor was Professor Helen Benedict. She had really thoughtful insights and she worked with you to get to where your piece needed to go and asked for your opinion throughout. I think that's something you have to look for in a good advisor: somebody who is available, who gives insights, and who doesn't just let you do your own thing. They're advisors for a reason - they know what they're doing. It's just a matter of working with them to make sure they understand your vision and vice versa.
What was it like working with our Office of Career Development team?
They were always on top of it and their seminars were so useful. I have saved a lot of the guides and worksheets that they gave to us in different workshops, and they've been really helpful in writing cover letters. And their advice was great. I think the Career Expo was awesome. I already had my internships lined up, but it was great for networking. What I would recommend to students is to start their conversations with the Career Development staff early. Even if you don't have a straight idea of where you want to work, just come in with vague concepts because the advisors are very good at guiding you to different resources or different companies you may not have considered previously or you may have thought you weren't qualified for.
What advice would you give to new Master of Science Program students?
I think one mindset to have is a growth mindset: to make sure that you come in with this idea that even if you're very experienced, even if you've been in journalism for many years, you can still learn and have so much to learn. You want to have a very flexible, open mind just to take it all in and to take on the challenges. And I think you also want to have good time management skills. If you have things scattered, it'll be fine, you'll make it, but to really maximize your experience, you have to make sure you're putting in the time. Put in enough time, but also have enough time to enjoy New York City. I think now that things are more open, it's going to be a lot easier to really learn from each other and form those friendships and networking opportunities that you wouldn't get anywhere else. You are part of this little microcosm of journalists who are gonna be top journalists in the field - so what better way to get to know people?
What advice do you have for someone considering applying to Columbia Journalism School?
I do feel like something that convinced me about applying to Columbia was the connections that you make here. Even if you think you're somebody who already did undergrad degree in journalism or you already have some experience in journalism, the networking chances at Columbia, I think, are really unrivaled - not just for career advancement, but in terms of the professors who are teaching you. The faculty are people who are working real-time as journalists in top newsrooms across the world.
It's a nine-and-a-half month program, so you're not giving up a significant amount of time - it's not a Ph.D. And there are scholarship opportunities available if you're looking into applying for financial aid as well. I was very lucky in receiving generous scholarships from Columbia and that made it possible for me to attend. Of all the schools that I applied to, I received the most aid from Columbia.
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