Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Oct 3: Changing US visa policies under President Donald Trump have contributed to a sharp decline in international applications to Columbia University and played a role in the decision to pause admissions to the university's Master of Arts (M.A.) journalism programme, according to people familiar with the matter.
Columbia Journalism School announced on Thursday that it was temporarily pausing admissions to the M.A. programme for a “critical evaluation”. Dean Jelani Cobb told Reuters that admissions would be suspended for one year as the school reworks the programme, which was created in 2005.
“The dynamics of visas and all those other kinds of things were part of the consideration,” Cobb said, adding that the school also needed time to assess changes to the programme.
Columbia's journalism school currently describes the M.A. as a programme for experienced journalists seeking deeper reporting and subject expertise in areas including arts and culture, business and economics, politics, and science.
The four people familiar with the admissions process said uncertainty over US visa and immigration policies had deterred prospective international students. They said international students typically account for about half of the M.A. programme's enrolment, although they did not disclose the exact decline in applications.
The Trump administration last year temporarily halted new student-visa appointments before resuming them with expanded screening of applicants' social media activity. A separate rule seeking to restrict how long foreign students and journalists could remain in the United States without extensions was blocked by a federal judge before taking effect.
Columbia was also among the universities targeted by the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian campus protests in 2024. The university subsequently agreed to pay more than $200 million to settle federal investigations and regain most of its suspended federal funding.
The journalism school has not paused admissions to its Master of Science (M.S.) programme. It also announced a new two-year, part-time online M.S. programme this week, with applications open for the 2027-28 academic year.
Cobb said the new online programme was not introduced because of the M.A. admissions pause, as the two programmes serve different groups of students. The online format could, however, allow students to study without needing to obtain a US student visa.
The M.A. programme is aimed at mid-career journalists seeking specialised expertise in subjects such as politics, business and science, while the M.S. programme is designed for students with less journalism experience.
The decline in enrolment has already prompted changes to the M.A. programme, including the combination of science and politics seminars during the 2024-25 academic year, according to people familiar with the matter.
The school is also considering a part-time version of the M.A. programme and a new fundraising strategy. Columbia's website says the school is reviewing its degree offerings to ensure they keep pace with changes in global reporting and the journalism industry.
The admissions pause comes as journalism organisations face broader challenges from artificial intelligence, declining search traffic and job cuts. At the same time, the cost of journalism education has drawn criticism, with the nine-month M.A. programme costing about $120,000 before financial aid, according to the information cited in the report.
Columbia says financial assistance is available to students through grants, loans and scholarships, with about 80% of students receiving some form of financial aid.
The school said the M.A. programme's temporary admissions pause is part of its broader evaluation, while visa uncertainty has emerged as one factor affecting its international applicant pool.