How to Apply
Applications are available from the GSAS application resource center starting in late September, for fall of the next year’s admission only. Applications to Magazine and Digital Storytelling—along with all applications for financial aid—must be received by January 4.
Late applications may be considered if space is available. Please contact graduate.journalism@nyu.edu to check if there are still spots open in this program.
Need an application?
Note: All application materials (including test score reports) should be sent directly to GSAS, not to the Carter Journalism Institute. Please visit the application resource center for further instructions.
Requirements
The Department of Journalism accepts candidates with bachelor’s degrees in any field and with a wide variety of experience. We look at the quality of applicants’ writing and insights as displayed in the personal statement, their undergraduate transcripts and their recommendations. We accept clips (published examples of applicants’ work) submitted with applications, and recommend that applicants submit any clips they have. But clips are rarely a deciding factor in the applicant review process.
Along with the completed application, the applicant must provide academic transcripts (one from each school attended), three letters of recommendation, and three writing samples. These samples are not limited to published work. They should be indicative of the applicant’s best overall work. A statement of purpose, which should adhere to the guidelines listed in the journalism supplement attached to the general application, is also required.
To be considered for the graduate program, an applicant should have an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 or B.
Non-native English speakers must also take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the test of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) unless English is their native language or they have completed their undergraduate education at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction.
A 5.0 minimum score on the TWE (Test of Written English) portion of the TOEFL test [if taking the paper- or computer-based version] is required, however a score of 5.5 or 6.0 on the TWE is preferred. GSAS recommends that applicants achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the internet-based test (equivalent to 250 on the computer-based test or 600 on the paper-based test). For the IELTS, a score of 7 or above is needed.
Note for International Applicants
You must receive your undergraduate degree (U.S. baccalaureate or equivalent) from an institution of recognized standing before enrollment in the Graduate School. Students from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh must show completion of both the baccalaureate and master’s examinations prior to registration in the Graduate School. The examinations for the Bachelor of Engineering and the Bachelor of Technology meet the application requirements for the Graduate School. GSAS does not accept three-year degrees from Australia. For students holding three-year degrees from Australia, an additional four-year degree is required to apply.