Nieman Fellowship at Harvard

Founded in 1938 through a bequest from Agnes Wahl Nieman, the Nieman Fellowship is the oldest fellowship program for journalists in the world. Each year, approximately 24 journalists — roughly half from the United States and half from other countries — are selected to spend an academic year at Harvard University. The fellowship is not a degree program; instead, it offers working journalists an extraordinary opportunity to step back from the daily pressures of the newsroom, deepen their expertise, explore new subjects, and return to journalism with renewed energy and broadened perspective.

Nieman Fellows have full access to Harvard's vast academic resources. They can audit courses across every school — from the Kennedy School of Government to the Business School, from the Law School to the Department of Astronomy. Fellows design their own course of study based on their professional interests and personal curiosity. There are no exams, no grades, and no formal requirements beyond active engagement with the Nieman community and the university.

The fellowship's alumni network is one of its most valuable assets. More than 1,500 journalists from over 95 countries have been Nieman Fellows, and they form a lifelong community of mutual support, collaboration, and advocacy for quality journalism. Past fellows have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes, lead major newsrooms, found media organizations, and shape the global conversation about the role of journalism in democracy.