Bethel Becomes Partner School for Journalism Program

Students interested in journalism have a brand-new opportunity for off-campus study in New York City beginning spring 2015. Bethel recently launched a partnership with Phillips Journalism Institute at The King’s College in New York City to create a semester-long program specifically designed for students interested in journalism and mass media communications. Students will stay in Manhattan apartments through The King’s College and take classes on campus in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District. The course offerings include options to study sports, business, magazine, and opinion journalism, and media and culture. Students will also gain real-world experience at an internship chosen to best meet their desired career goals. Other special opportunities include participating in a retreat the Institute hosts for Christian writers and journalists in the city, and tours of the United Nations and a major newsroom.

A Christian institution with a rich history, The King’s College embraces a mission and values parallel to Bethel’s, with a curriculum that integrates faith and rigorous academics to develop and nurture student leaders. Paul Glader, director of The Phillips Journalism Institute at The King’s College, recently visited Bethel to promote the program to Bethel students. Glader underscored the school’s mission, saying the primary focus is “to develop students with an excellence in their craft and a devotion in faith.” He spoke about the institute’s namesake, John McCandlish Phillips, who was a renowned reporter for the New York Times and an outspoken, devoted Christian. Phillips believed it would be beneficial to have more journalists who were Christians, but only if their skills could meet the world’s expectations of great journalism. For Phillips, faith and vocational excellence were not mutually exclusive.

The Phillips Institute of Journalism boasts an impressive list of faculty despite its size. The experience, reputations, and connections through the teaching staff provide high-quality instruction and opportunity for Bethel students. Glader says that the faculty connections students make while in New York City will “supercharge connections when students return home.”

Bethel is one of eight faith-based schools in the country partnering with The King’s College. This partnership opens the door to possible opportunities with other areas of King’s programming in business, communication, and political science. Already, two Bethel students will participate in the semester at King’s in the spring.