UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

What UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism does

UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is a public graduate professional school within the University of California system, founded in 1968 and headquartered in North Gate Hall on the Berkeley campus. It offers a two-year Master of Journalism (MJ) degree with five specialization areas (Audio, Documentary, Multimedia-Web Video, Narrative Writing, and Photojournalism), admitting approximately 50-60 students per cohort. The core product is augmented by the Investigative Reporting Program (IRP, established 2006), the Climate Journalism Program, the Business Journalism Certificate (launched 2024 with UC Berkeley Haas and Bloomberg Philanthropies), the Bloomberg Journalism Program (with UNC Hussman and Bloomberg News), concurrent degrees with Public Health (MPH/MJ) and Asian Studies (MJ/MA), an undergraduate minor through the Wojcicki Online Journalism Program, and post-graduation fellowships including the California Local News Fellowship and specialized programs like the Dorothea Lange and psychedelic journalism fellowships.

The school operates as a non-commercial educational institution. Its revenue model is hybrid: tuition and fees from graduate students constitute the core stream, with approximately 90% of UC Berkeley graduate students receiving some form of financial support (merit, need-based, federal loans, work-study). Supplemental revenue comes from private philanthropy—foundation grants from Reva and David Logan Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, The SCAN Foundation, and 11th Hour Project/Schmidt Family Foundation—and state funding for the California Local News Fellowship. Individual donors provide ongoing programmatic support. As a public state entity governed by the UC Board of Regents, the school has no venture capital backing or external investors.

Its customer base comprises prospective graduate students from diverse backgrounds (64% California residents, 57% students of color, 38% first-generation, 36% underrepresented backgrounds), along with working journalists seeking specialized training and UC Berkeley undergraduates pursuing the journalism minor. The school's go-to-market is admissions-led with multi-channel marketing (website, social media across YouTube/Instagram/LinkedIn/X/Facebook, email newsletters, virtual events, campus open houses). The school distributes output through direct publication partnerships with major newsrooms including the New York Times, Washington Post, PBS FRONTLINE, ProPublica, LA Times, KQED, CalMatters, and Inside Climate News, with student work published across these outlets and a built-in 300-hour supervised internship component.

Name

UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

Legal name

University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

Website

https://journalism.berkeley.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is a public graduate school founded in 1968 that offers a two-year Master of Journalism degree and specialized programs in investigative, climate, and business journalism for ~50-60 students per cohort, with alumni placing at major outlets including NYT, Washington Post, and Bloomberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Graduate Journalism)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Media & Publications (Newspaper, Radio, TV) (EDALAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABADAD)

Keywords

• Graduate journalism education
• Master of journalism
• Investigative reporting training
• Climate journalism program
• Business journalism certificate

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and fees: Graduate education revenue from tuition and fees for the Master of Journalism program. Approximately 90% of UC Berkeley graduate students receive some form of financial support.
2. Foundation grants and donations: Funding from foundations including Reva and David Logan Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and The SCAN Foundation supporting specific programs like the Investigative Reporting Program and Climate Journalism Lab.
3. Individual donations: Individual donors provide major program support and have long been the base of funding for the school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism delivers graduate-level journalism education anchored by a two-year Master of Journalism (MJ) degree with five areas of study (Audio, Documentary, Multimedia-Web Video, Narrative Writing, Photojournalism). It supplements the core degree with specialized programs (Investigative Reporting, Climate Journalism, Business Journalism Certificate, Bloomberg Journalism Program), an undergraduate minor via the Wojcicki Online Journalism Program, concurrent degree options (MPH/MJ, MJ/MA), and post-graduation fellowships including the California Local News Fellowship. The offering is structured as hands-on, portfolio-driven professional training with faculty who are practicing journalists and access to Bay Area media outlets.

Product overview

UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism offers a Master of Journalism (MJ) as its core two-year professional degree program, with five areas of specialization: Audio, Documentary, Multimedia-Web Video, Narrative Writing, and Photojournalism. The program is augmented by specialized programs including the Investigative Reporting Program (IRP), Climate Journalism Program, Business Journalism Certificate (in partnership with Berkeley Haas), and the Bloomberg Journalism Program. Additional offerings include an Undergraduate Journalism Minor through the Wojcicki Online Journalism Program, Concurrent Degree options (MPH/MJ and MJ/MA), California Local News Fellowship for graduates, and other specialized fellowships. Students also have access to school-run media outlets including North Gate Radio, Richmond Confidential, and Oakland North news sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Journalism (MJ) Program A two-year professional graduate degree that trains journalists in hands-on reporting, multimedia storytelling, and practical skills across five areas of study: Audio, Documentary, Multimedia-Web Video, Narrative Writing, and Photojournalism. Designed for aspiring journalists including career changers, early-career journalists, and those with prior reporting experience.
• Wojcicki Online Journalism Program (Undergraduate Minor) An undergraduate journalism minor offering online courses through Berkeley Summer Sessions, covering reporting, video production, photography, audio storytelling, social media, data visualization, and communication technology. Available to UC Berkeley students, visiting students from other UC campuses, and the general public.
• Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) A nonprofit newsroom and teaching institute that produces investigative journalism exposing injustice and abuse of power while training students in investigative reporting standards. Led by four-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Barstow and supported by the Reva and David Logan Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and The SCAN Foundation.
• Climate Journalism Program A comprehensive climate journalism initiative including the Berkeley Climate Journalism Lab, courses in climate reporting, research projects, and public programming aimed at reinventing climate journalism through collaboration with UC Berkeley researchers.
• Business Journalism Certificate A certificate program in collaboration with Berkeley Haas School of Business and Bloomberg Philanthropies that prepares journalists to report on business, economics, and financial markets with access to Bloomberg Terminal software.
• Bloomberg Journalism Program An annual intensive five-day business journalism workshop conducted in New York City, partnered with UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Bloomberg News, designed to recruit diverse students interested in business journalism.
• Concurrent Degree Programs Dual-degree programs allowing students to earn a Master of Journalism alongside a Master of Public Health (MPH/MJ) or Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MJ/MA) in three years instead of four.
• California Local News Fellowship A post-graduation fellowship program providing early-career journalists with paid, full-time reporting positions for two years, with renewed funding from the state of California, supporting local journalism rebuilding.
• Specialized Fellowships Additional fellowship programs including the Dorothea Lange Fellowship (documentary), the Ferriss-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship, and the Mycoskie-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship.
• Student Publications and Broadcasts School-run media outlets including North Gate Radio (broadcasting on KALW and KALX), hyperlocal news sites (Richmond Confidential and Oakland North), and an on-site gallery for student photography exhibits, serving as hands-on training platforms for students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Alumni work published in major outlets including NYT, LA Times, SF Chronicle, Washington Post, NPR, KQED, Reveal
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Bloomberg News / Bloomberg PhilanthropiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership with UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Berkeley Journalism for Bloomberg Journalism Program - a five-day intensive business journalism workshop in NYC. Bloomberg journalists and executives teach courses. Program aims to increase diversity in journalism and has led to participants attending Berkeley Journalism.
• Pulitzer CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Ocean's Stories Symposium and climate journalism initiatives. Supports student climate reporting projects.
• New York TimesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia partner publishing student and IRP investigative work. Host organization for student internships.
• PBS FRONTLINEmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia partner for investigative documentaries. IRP work has aired on PBS FRONTLINE.
• ProPublicamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit investigative newsroom partner publishing IRP student work.
• KQEDmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area public radio station partner for North Gate Radio broadcasts and internship host.
• Los Angeles TimesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia partner publishing student work and host for internships.
• The Washington PostmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia partner publishing student work and alumni employer.
• CalMattersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCalifornia-focused nonprofit news organization partner publishing student work.
• The Marshall ProjectmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit news organization covering criminal justice, partner publishing student journalism.
• Inside Climate NewsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClimate-focused news organization partner for student climate reporting.
• UC Berkeley Energy and Resources Group (ERG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Climate Equity Reporting Project exploring intersection of climate and equity. Students from journalism and environmental science collaborate.
• UC Berkeley Haas School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Certificate in Business Journalism program launched in 2024. Journalism students gain access to Haas business courses and Bloomberg Terminal software.
• UC Berkeley School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcurrent degree program (MPH/MJ) training journalists in public health reporting. Students develop skills in both journalism and public health.
• UC Berkeley Asian Studies DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcurrent degree program (MJ/MA) combining journalism with Asian cultural, political, and economic studies.
• Maynard InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in California Local News Fellowship through Maynard Institute's Propel Initiative, supporting local journalism diversity.
• Berkeley Ocean Futures ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting ocean-focused climate journalism and storytelling.
• Berkeley Climate Change NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus-wide network connecting climate journalism students with researchers across university.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Stanford Graduate Program in Journalism: Stanford closed its standalone journalism graduate program in 2023 and now offers journalism through its Department of Communication. A near-peer at the West Coast elite-university level with reduced direct competition but persistent applicant overlap.
• MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing: MIT's graduate science-writing program trains specialized journalists with science depth, partially overlapping with Berkeley's Climate Journalism and documentary science reporting niches. Competes for applicants seeking STEM-journalism careers.

Broad incumbents

• Poynter Institute: Established national journalism training organization offering short courses, seminars, and the MediaWise program. Comparable as a journalism-skills training provider but does not offer a graduate degree, making it an adjacent rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism: Public-university graduate journalism program with strong investigative and data-journalism tracks. Comparable to Berkeley in faculty-led specializations and public-university positioning.
• University of Missouri School of Journalism: The world's oldest formal journalism school and a public-university peer to Berkeley. Offers M.A. programs with hands-on newsroom training and is a direct competitor on the public-school journalism axis.
• USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: Top-ranked private journalism graduate school offering M.A. programs with strong specializations in investigative, broadcast, and multimedia journalism. Competes with Berkeley for California-resident and West Coast applicants.
• Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY: Public-university graduate journalism school focused on diverse cohorts and local-news reporting. Competes with Berkeley on mission, public-school affordability, and diversity-driven applicant pipelines.
• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism: The most direct peer — a private Ivy League graduate journalism school offering an M.S. with similar specializations, award-winning faculty, and a duPont-Columbia Award program. Competes head-to-head with Berkeley for top-tier applicants and industry placements.
• Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism: Top-tier private journalism graduate school offering M.S. programs with strong investigative, broadcast, and magazine tracks. A leading competitor for Berkeley's applicant pool and a comparable employer of Pulitzer-winning faculty.
• NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute: Private New York-based graduate journalism program offering M.A. tracks in print/online, broadcast, and magazine writing. A direct competitor for applicants prioritizing NYC media-market proximity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ucbsoj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ucbjschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucbjschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/ucbjschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/berkeleyjournalism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism