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The Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism, slated to open in October, will offer the country's first master's degree in entrepreneurial journalism. 

"This all flows from an essential optimism about the future of journalism," director Jeff Jarvis wrote on his blog, BuzzMachine. "We just have to build it." 

Jarvis said the program began with seven students and $100,000 in seed money. It's CUNY's shot at bringing more "concrete specifics to the discussion about new business models" and at attempting to teach journalists how to become entrepreneurs.

Courses will be pilot-tested in the spring, and are expected to include business and management skills, news and media economics, and technology and project management.

If the New York State Department of Education approves the degree program, spring 2012 graduates will be the first class eligible to receive the diploma.

The school also hopes to open the program to mid-career journalists, who would receive a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Journalism.

The $10 million project received $3 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and $3 million from The Tow Foundation of Wilton, Conn. The rest of the money came from additional foundation grants, plus monetary and technology in-kind donations from CUNY's J-school staff.

Reach reporter Laura J. Nelson here.

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