A recruiter from the new City University of New York (CUNY) Journalism Graduate School visited UB on Sept.17.
"In April 2006, CUNY was the first public college to offer a Journalism graduate program, making it less pricey for students interested in the field to receive a master's degree," said Colleen Marshall, the school's admissions and outreach counselor.
The school is located in midtown Manhattan, two blocks away from Times Square and right next door to The New York Times.
Tuition is $11,320 for the three-semester program for in-state residents and about $20,000 for out of state residents. For three semesters at New York University, it would cost $33,000, Marshall said.
"CUNY schools are great for people who can't afford private colleges," she said.
Since the cost of the CUNY program is so cheap and the cost of living in New York City is so high, it kind of balances out, Marshall said.
Right now, there are about 110 students enrolled in the program, and 50 of them will be graduating in December.
The first two recruiting periods attracted 300 applicants each, and 80 were accepted from each, according to Marshall. The most important aspects of the application process are letters of recommendation and work samples, she said.
A highlight of the school is the required summer internship.
"One great thing about the school...is our internships," Marshall said. "When you leave, you're going to have a great portfolio."
Current students have interned for major publications and broadcasting organizations such as ABC News, the New York Daily News, ESPN and LiveScience.com.
The school offers up to a $3,000 stipend for students involved in summer internships - which are often unpaid - to help cover the cost of living. The funds for the stipend are from donations made by sponsors such as News Corporation, who recently contributed $500,000, according to the school's newsletter.
Marshall said that a master's degree is needed in journalism because fresh connections can be made through professors and internships. Also, the changing nature of the field, especially concerning multimedia and the Internet, has encouraged many journalists already working in the field to return to school, she said.
However, the value of a master's degree is not set in stone in the field as compared to professions like teaching and business, and newsrooms place more value on experience than a degree, according to an article by Joe Grimm, a recruiter for the Detroit Free Press on Poynter Online's Web site.
Only two students attended the informational presentation.
The low turnout brought attention to the fact that UB's Journalism Certificate Program is still "unstable" three years after its debut on the roster of Academic Programs. The certificate was first offered in the 2004-2005 academic year, according to the Undergraduate Catalog archives.
"There are no set requirements (for the program) right now," said Dimitri Anastasopoulos, the faculty advisor for the certificate. "It's a matter of long-term planning. We're trying to push it and work on getting it set up now."
According to Anastasopoulos, there are several new faculty involved in the program now, including the Chair of the English Department, Cristanne Miller.
"There are new people here who are familiarizing themselves with the program," he said. "We're talking to different departments to see what used to happen here in the past and how we can update to best serve our students."
Among SUNY University Centers, two out of five non-specialized institutions provide bachelor's degrees and minors in journalism. SUNY Stony Brook was the first to develop an Undergraduate School of Journalism in July 2006, according to the University's Web site. The University of Albany followed suit.
The Journalism Certificate is not a degree and can only be awarded upon the completion of a bachelor's degree, according to the Undergraduate Catalog.
The faculty involved in planning the curriculum for the certificate would like to advance to offering a journalism concentration.
"I think we are keeping in mind that we'd like to have more journalism classes and a concentration," Anastasopoulos said.
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
