Journalism-Religion Dual MS/MA Program

This special program enables a small number of qualified candidates to receive two master's degrees, a MS from Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism and MA from the Department of Religion, in two years of study.

Degree Requirements

In their first year, students complete the MS in Journalism program. During the Journalism program students must complete the Covering Religion section of Journalism J6002 Seminar and Production, whose 6 credits are applied toward the completion of the MA in Religion in their second year.  Covering Religion aims at preparing students to write about religion for secular media outlets. Thanks to a generous grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation, the class travels each year to different countries for a week-long study trip to look at how religion is practiced and influences society. In past years, the class has gone to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank; Ireland and Northern Ireland; Russia and Ukraine; India; and Italy. The study-tour takes place over the spring break and at no cost to students. Follow the covering religion blog to learn about the places where previous students have traveled.

The MA in Religion curriculum and requirements for students in the dual degree program mirror those for all other students in the standalone MA program. As such, students should refer to the MA Plan of Study and MA in Religion Checklist.

Application Process

Prospective students must complete applications for each program separately. The deadline for both the Department of Religion and the School of Journalism is December 15th.

For additional information about applying to the MA in Religion portion of the dual degree program, visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Be sure to indicate your interest in the Journalism-Religion Dual MS/MA Program by choosing Religion/Journalism (RELJ) as your subfield.

For additional information about applying to the MS in Journalism portion of the dual degree program, visit the School of Journalism.