University of California - Berkeley Reviews of Master's in Journalism

"I graduated this program in 2017. They program lied to me about funding opportunities and classes I could take, so I neither got the opportunity to take ANY of the classes that made me chose this program, NOR apply for funding opportunities. This program was PC political advocacy masquerading as journalism, and as I was told my faculty, you needed to toe the line in order to get a job at the NY Times, New Yorker, CNN, etc. The faculty I got to know - some of whom I revered before I arrived - were not impressive. It was a very Wizard of Oz-type experience with them. I mutinied and took most of my classes the last 3 semester elsewhere at Cal, mostly at Haas Business School. The difference in quality was night and day, and I essentially earned a MBA at half-price. The success that I've had since graduating - a huge international audience, a book coming out and a second underway - have been IN SPITE of the Berkeley Journal-ism School. I studied really hard, 7 days per week, and essentially did the opposite of what I was taught in most cases. This program used to be great - I used to sit in on classes years ago. In my view, Deans Ed Wasserman and Roia Ferrazares are engaged in fraud - political advocacy and donations disguised as education and philanthropy. Unless you're a rabid socialist or enjoy fighting the bureaucracy every moment of every day, I recommend you avoid the Berkeley Journal-ism School."

"I am currently enrolled as a graduate student at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, and I am a first-year. Given that it is a two-year program, I am only able to speak on the experiences of first semester. I would like to begin with a note on faculty and staff. The school is relatively small, but it is staffed with a sufficient amount of employees who dedicate their time (and careers) to making the lives of their students easier. We have unobstructed access to financial advisers, career advisers, and academic advisers, all of whom vow to be there for us when needed. Also worthy of mention is the fact that the dean himself has a relatively open-door policy, meaning he makes it easy for students to have important conversations with him. Furthermore, there are two additional associate deans who also double as full-time faculty/lecturers at the school. They are also available for both quick advice and important counseling, as well as for random conversations in between. In terms of professors, I really appreciate that most of them are alums from the J-school who are able to understand exactly where students are coming from. They are also all experienced in the field with impressive resumes; this gives students access to a network of professional journalists who play a hand in not only teaching us during our time as graduate students, but possibly also in connecting us to the right people once our careers begin post-graduation. Lastly, as journalism is an industry heavily focused on gear and equipment, it is important that we receive proper technical training on how to handle expensive cameras and video cameras. Students have been trained by the school's own equipment manager on several different occasions. There is also a really neat and organized rental schedule that is well-maintained and constantly updated; this makes for an easy check-out/check-in process when students rent equipment for assignments. We have also been spoken to about the importance of insurance, and we have been recommended different insurance plans. The classroom experience at UC Berkeley's J-school is intimate, as there are only about a dozen students assigned to a single professor in most sections. This makes learning an extremely personalized process, which I believe helps benefit the student immensely. All students are on different tracks and career paths--from New Media to Video Journalism to Narrative Writing--so it helps to have plenty of one-on-one time with professors who are guiding us along. The selection of classes is also very broad--ranging from practical, niche reporting courses (such as sports reporting, investigative reporting, business reporting, and international reporting), to more specialized courses on reporting on sexual violence, reporting from war abroad, etc. Students are encouraged to dabble in different areas of reporting to develop a versatile skillset. For example, though I am following the Narrative Writing and New Media tracks, I am currently enrolled in a mandatory Intro to Visual Storytelling course. The course, along with Intro to Reporting, is required regardless of which track you are on because the school wants all students to try both video and narrative mediums for reporting at least once so to at least establish a basic foundation. Perhaps my favorite part about attending Berkeley's J-school is the network of amazing peers and faculty/staff that I have been introduced to, as well as the honor of being apart of this network that has many useful connections in the industry. I am constantly interacting with my peers at the many events the school hosts, which features panel discussions on important themes in the industry and talks led by leading journalists (some of whom are former students) who have succeeded professionally. I am also involved in clubs at the school including the Asian American Journalists Association, which meets frequently to plan school events, offer constructive feedback on our projects, and spend time/bond outside of the classroom environment. At the J-school, we are constantly reminded to de-stress and maintain a positive mindset and a healthy well-being, so making time for relaxation and fun is absolutely mandatory! I recommend, without hesitation, the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for any reporter who is serious about perfecting his or her craft or interested in developing new skillsets. Journalism is a constantly-evolving field, and Berkeley's J-school is ready to help students modernize and prepare for the current shift as well as any future change to come."

"The cost of living here in the Bay Area is ridiculously high and especially for students who are too busy with grad studies to find a job. But Berkeley's journalism program is wonderful, the faculty is extremely helpful in helping everyone discover their passion in reporting and a niche in the journalism scene. Classes are interesting and there are too many we want to take, only complaint is that the unit restrictions (14.5 per semester) isn't enough! We want to learn!!"

"The U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is a great investment because it provides students from all backgrounds an opportunity to grow and learn modern day journalism skills. From new media to documentary classes, students are able to learn and apply these skills to their jobs after graduate school. The campus is beautiful and located in a busy area. Some cons include noisy streets and expensive housing. You will be in debt if you don't apply for scholarships, but it's worth it in the end."

"The UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is privileged to have an all-star team of faculty members and lecturers. We have fantastic resources like the Investigative Reporting Project and the Center for Investigative Reporting that work with our school and students like myself who have a concentration in investigative reporting. The biggest con of the J School is that each class is only 50 fifty students, 100 total, so we have lots of shared resources like other small professional schools. And recently the university and our dean have added an additional $2000 graduate fee on us that I have no way to pay excel to take out more loans with more interest. $1000 would make a tremendous difference in my life and so that I can continue on into my second year and graduate with my masters degree."