Columbia University‘s journalism school has paused admissions to its Master of Arts program for one year amid changing US visa policies and a sharp drop in international applications, according to a Reuters report.
The school announced the admissions pause on Thursday, saying it would conduct a “critical evaluation” of the program. Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia’s journalism school, told Reuters that the degree would be reworked after being created in 2005, when the journalism marketplace “looked different.”
“The dynamics of visas and all those other kinds of things were part of the consideration,” Cobb told Reuters, adding that the department also needed time to consider changes to the program.
Why an Indian journalist was denied a visa
Reuters’ report also highlighted the case of Kaushik Raj, an Indian journalist who had been admitted to Columbia’s separate Master of Science program in Data Journalism.
Raj was denied a US student visa last year, according to a report by The Intercept cited by Reuters. His rejection letter said he had not shown sufficient ties to India to establish that he would return after completing his studies.
The case comes as the Trump administration’s changing visa policies have affected international applicants to Columbia’s journalism programs. Four people familiar with the admissions process told Reuters that international students make up roughly half of the MA program’s enrolment.
Reuters reported that visa difficulties and uncertainty surrounding US immigration policy have deterred prospective journalism students from abroad. The exact size of the decline in international applications was not disclosed.
What is happening to Columbia’s journalism programs
Columbia is not pausing admissions to its Master of Science program, which is aimed at students with less journalism experience. The MA program is smaller and geared towards mid-career journalists seeking expertise in areas including politics, business and science.
The journalism school has also announced a two-year, part-time online MS program. The move could allow Columbia to enroll international students without US visas, although Cobb told Reuters that the new program was unrelated to the MA admissions pause because the two courses serve different students.
The Reuters report comes after the Trump administration temporarily halted new student-visa appointments last year and later resumed them with expanded screening of applicants’ online activity. The administration said the checks were needed to identify potential threats to US national security.