The Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism

The Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism offers qualified journalists the opportunity to enhance their understanding and knowledge of business, economics and finance in a yearlong, full-time program administered by the Journalism School. Fellows take courses at Columbia’s graduate schools of journalism, business, law and international affairs; participate in off-the-record seminars and dinner meetings with corporate executives, economists and academics; and attend briefings and field trips to New York-based media companies and financial institutions.

In scope and depth, it is the most comprehensive business journalism fellowship in the country. Eligible Knight-Bagehot fellows (those with a B.A. degree from an accredited college) may qualify for a Master of Arts degree in journalism upon completion of this rigorous program.

The program runs during Columbia’s academic year from August through May and accepts up to 10 fellows each year. Each Fellow receives free tuition plus a stipend to offset living expenses in New York City. For the 2018-2019 academic year, a stipend of $60,000 will be granted to each fellow. Housing is available in a Columbia ­affiliated facility.

The fellowship is named for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami, which established an endowment for the program, and Walter Bagehot, the 19th­-century editor of The Economist. The Knight Foundation has been the principal sponsor of the fellowship since 1987. The program also depends on grants from a number of other charitable foundations, corporations and publishing organizations for a portion of its annual budget.

Eligibility Requirements:

• The fellowship is open to full-time editorial employees of newspapers, magazines, wire services, digital media and broadcast news organizations as well as to freelance journalists.
• Applicants must have at least four years of experience.
• There are no academic prerequisites.
• The affiliation of applicants is not a factor in the selection process.
• Journalists from nationally known organizations are not given preference over those from smaller regional media.
• The chief criterion for selection is demonstrated journalistic excellence. While essays and letters of recommendation are important parts of the application, the greatest weight is given to work samples.
• All materials, including letters of reference, college transcripts, essays and work samples should be compiled and submitted with the application form (link is external).

Benefits:

• The number of fellowships awarded each year, as well as the level of the living expenses stipend, is determined by the program’s financial resources.
• For the 2018-2019 academic year, we anticipate awarding 10 fellowships that include full tuition plus a $60,000 living stipend.
• KNIGHT­-BAGEHOT SEMINARS, DINNERS and FIELD TRIPSAll fellows attend seminars twice a week to hone journalistic skills. They also take regular field trips to New York financial institutions and media companies and meet weekly over dinner with senior corporate executives, well­-known economists and academics, ranking government officials and others with a special perspective on business affairs. Past guests have included Lloyd Blankfein, Warren Buffett, Abby Joseph Cohen, Jamie Dimon, Timothy Geithner, Carl Icahn, Andrea Jung, Sallie Krawcheck, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Volcker.

Selection:

• Fellowships are announced by May 1.

Application Requirements:

• The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2018.
• To apply, you must create an account through our online system in order to submit the application and required materials (link is external). Please remember to write down your username and password to access your application at a later time.