Journalism School Cuts Expensive Internship Programs
Administrators discontinue two international programs due to low enrollment as they shift focus to sustainable opportunities.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Internships
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The Missouri School of Journalism is discontinuing its London and Florence internship programs for the 2026-27 academic year. The school will instead prioritize its remaining international and domestic internship opportunities.
Why it matters
Low student enrollment combined with high participation costs led to the removal of these programs. Operators must regularly review service ROI to ensure program costs align with market demand.
The school retired the London program after more than 20 years of operation and the Florence program after only 2 years. Meanwhile, 25 students are currently assigned to the active Barcelona internship program.
The players
Missouri School of Journalism
An academic institution that manages global and domestic professional internship programs for students.
Global Programs Office
The administrative department responsible for coordinating international and domestic internship placements.
The details
The Global Programs Office attributed the cancellations to low enrollment rates, noting that students often selected different abroad experiences once they reviewed individual program budgets. These discontinued programs were the most expensive offerings available through the school. The office will continue to manage internship pipelines in Brussels, Barcelona, New York City, and Washington D.C.
Timeline
1998: The London internship program was launched.
2019-2025: The New Delhi program operated.
February 2021: The Costa Rica program launched.
Spring 2024: The first Florence program students traveled.
2026-27 academic year: The London and Florence programs are discontinued.
Market Landscape
The cancellation of London and Florence follows the established pattern of the closure of the New Delhi internship program from 2019 to 2025. This indicates a consistent effort by the school to prune programs that fail to meet enrollment targets.
Managers should monitor participation rates for specific offerings and be prepared to cut high-cost programs if demand does not justify the budget. Focusing resources on high-enrollment sites is a necessary strategy to maintain program viability.
The takeaway
When high-cost programs consistently underperform, leaders must prioritize resource allocation toward programs that sustain consistent demand. Audit program budgets against attendance data annually to avoid carrying underperforming assets into new fiscal periods.
Further reading
For more information on program oversight, visit our Internships section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Maneater.
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