J-school: Worth it?

do not major in journalism unless you're sure you want a career in advertising or PR work. paying college expenses to learn about reporting/writing isn't worth it in my book.

 

I never thought a masters made much difference for a journalist unless he/she wanted to teach. I hate to say it, but I wouldnt encourage a HS senior to major in journalism because of the aforementioned trouble the industry is in.

 

No one else has weighed in.

Columbia: Exception? No?

 

Because I've read the Pulitzer.org bios on winners and a ton of them went there. I have no dog in the fight.

 

And Northwestern and Syracuse don't have the same type of pedigree and professors? Of course they do.

 

Undergrad.

 

Maybe I just have Ivy envy.

 

I have never seen where a masters in journalism is all that beneficial. I think if I had to do it over again, I might have majored in something else. That would've given me more options.

 

There are a lot of things you can do with a master's that aren't just journalism, even if that is what your master's is in.
Education is never a bad thing or a bad investment.
That said, I would major in something else if I had it to do over again, but I will be glad I have the framed piece of paper my entire life, even if there are times I wish different words were written on it.

 

I honestly think journalism schools are still valuable (And no, I didn't pick the wrong week to stop sniffing glue). Regardless of the challenges our industry is currently facing, journalism itself will continue. And someone is going to have to teach it.

For most working journalists with no aspirations of teaching, I have to agree that a Master's is pretty worthless. What's worse are those job candidates who honestly think an advanced degree trumps legit experience and natural ability.

 

If a school does it right, though, the advanced degree comes with "legit experience." Go look at Northwestern's Medill grad program Web site. That's all they do is get field experience. They even have their own wire service, I believe. It's not like you're sitting in a classroom talking about "A Few Good Men" for two years.

Also, an advanced degree and "natural ability" are not mutually exclusive. So save that. Most people working on an advanced degree probably have some natural ability, or at least the equivalent of it by now.

 

All valid points. But don't you mean "All the President's Men"?