Columbia pauses journalism M.A. admissions after visa-driven drop in international applicants

October 3, 2026 at 02:34 AM2 min

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Columbia University's journalism school paused admissions to its Master of Arts program for one year, citing a sharp drop in international applications tied to U.S. visa policies. Dean Jelani Cobb said visa dynamics were part of the consideration as the school reworks a degree created in 2005. The pause affects a program where international students make up roughly half of enrollment.

Key Facts

Columbia's journalism school paused admissions to its Master of Arts program for one year, according to Dean Jelani Cobb.
International students make up roughly half of the M.A. program's enrollment, four people familiar with the matter said.
The Trump administration temporarily halted new student-visa appointments last year, then resumed them with expanded screening of applicants' online activity.
Columbia agreed to pay over $200 million last year to settle federal investigations and regain most of its suspended federal funding.
A federal judge blocked a new rule limiting how long foreign students and journalists could stay in the U.S., calling its rationale 'exceptionally weak.'

Admissions Pause

The journalism school announced on Thursday it was pausing admissions to its Master of Arts offering to conduct a 'critical evaluation,' without giving further details about the reasons. Jelani Cobb, the journalism school's dean, said admissions to its Master of Arts program would pause for one year while the school reworked a degree created in 2005, when the 'journalism marketplace looked different.' The connection between the admissions pause and U.S. visa policies has not been previously reported, nor has the length of the admissions pause. The school is not pausing the Master of Science program, which is aimed at students with less journalism experience.

Visa Policy Impact

The Trump administration's changing visa policies caused a sharp drop in international applications to Columbia University, four people familiar with the matter said. The people did not disclose the exact size of the drop in applications. Last year, the Trump administration temporarily halted new student-visa appointments, then resumed them with expanded screening of applicants' online activity, saying the checks were needed to identify potential threats to U.S. national security. A new rule this year also sought to limit how long foreign students and journalists could stay in the U.S. without seeking extensions, but a federal judge blocked it before it took effect last month, calling its rationale 'exceptionally weak.'

International Student Reliance

Visa difficulties and immigration policy uncertainty have deterred prospective Columbia journalism students from abroad, the four people said, requesting anonymity to discuss its admissions. International students make up roughly half of the M.A. program's enrollment, the people said. Kaushik Raj, an Indian journalist admitted to Columbia's separate M.S. program in data journalism, was denied a U.S. student visa last year, the Intercept reported. His rejection letter said he had not shown sufficient ties to India to establish he would return after his studies, according to the report.