Certification or graduate school is not a prerequisite for a job in journalism, says Len Strazewski, chairperson to the Journalism graduate program. Students who would benefit most are those without work experience or limited internships. Clips, showing what a student has done and is capable of, are what s important. When you look at the real world it s not necessary to have a master s degree to direct a film. There s no need for any degree, says Paul Hettle, assistant chairperson to the graduate Film program.
Teaching is the only direction that needs graduate school.
The internship is what counts. The experience students can accumulate throughout their undergraduate years will prepare them for the job market, as well as familiarize them with what to expect. If statistics mean anything to you, one survey of Columbia graduates one year after commencement, is full of them. According to this survey of 1998 graduates, administered through the office of Institutional Research, only seven percent went on to continue their education. Nearly six out of 10 were self-employed.