As a result of the economic down fall, many colleges have decided to eliminate several graduate programs from their curriculum. According to Columbia Journalism Review, Columbia University has denied a number of applicants’ admission into their dual degree graduate program for Environmental Journalism. This major is just one of the few that has suffered due to the fact that tuition has increased and financial aid has decreased for students.

At Columbia, Environmental Journalism allows for the student to receive a degree in Environmental Science and Journalism. As of right now, jobs are scarce for journalists’ around the world as they try to apply the knowledge attained from their well-earned degree. With the politics of global warming being debated, along with some students’ never ending desire to be well-informed, Environmental Journalism seems like it should be well in demand.

However, according to CJR, program directors Kim Kastens and Marguerite Holloway reasoned in their letter informing the student body of their decision that “although our students are assuming huge debt for knowledge and skills that we think are valuable, we do not feel comfortable exhorting young people to take on that burden when their chances of repaying it have so diminished.”

Many disagree with the road Columbia University has decided to take. The Columbia Journalism Review reported that a number of Graduates from Columbia’s Environmental Journalism program as well as Dan Fagin, the Director of the Science, Health and Environmental Program of New York University are extremely disappointed that the program would no longer be offered. While others support the decision of analyzing the value of this program because many have not been lucky finding employment in this area.

According to the Review, the future rests on the fact of whether or not sufficient funds will be available to support the program for several upcoming years. Columbia’s Journalism Department is carrying a huge burden on their shoulders as they try to provide enough money to cover tuition for this expensive yet unique program. If they achieve their goal, the dual degree program will return ready to educate journalism students with its one of a kind methods and techniques.

Our Take:

If many graduate students from this program are having a tough time securing a career in this field, maybe the future of this program should be reevaluated. At this time in our economy, jobs are extremely hard to come by which is why this should be a time to critique the program and try to make it even better than before. When the economic crisis is over, funding for the program should be easily accessible and more students will be able to afford it. Temporarily removing the program does not mean it is gone forever. It’s just the first notion in reconstructing and improving it.