Journalism (BA)

College of Sciences
Nicholson School of Communication, NSC, Room: 143
http://communication.cos.ucf.edu
Email: journalism@ucf.edu

Dr. Steve Collins, Program Coordinator, steven.collins@ucf.edu
Nicholson Academic Student Services, nassc@ucf.edu
Phone: 407-823-2681

Admission Requirements

• The Journalism program is a limited access program that requires a separate application.
• Students should apply to become Journalism majors only after completing all requirements for admission.
• Admission is based on multiple factors, not strictly GPA.
• Students must be in good academic standing.
• Attain an overall minimum 2.5 GPA based on a minimum of 30 credit hours of college work. NOTE: Meeting the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission because students are admitted on a space available basis.
• See a NSC advisor for additional admission criteria.
• Meet a grammar proficiency standard. Students must pass a grammar proficiency exam administered by UCF’s Testing Center unless they have AP or IB credit in English or an “A-” or better in both of the following courses:
  • ENC 1101 – Composition I Credit Hours: 3
  • ENC 1102 – Composition II Credit Hours: 3

Application Deadlines:

• October 1 to be admitted the next spring term
• February 1 to be admitted the next summer term
• June 1 to be admitted the next fall term

Degree Requirements

• Students who change degree programs (other than from Journalism Pending) and select this major must adopt the most current catalog.
• The Journalism faculty strongly recommend that majors work for a student news outlet.
• Journalism majors may obtain an off-campus internship with a news organization.
• To receive credit for an internship, students must have a 2.5 GPA in their required major courses. Students with less than a 2.5 GPA will not be given academic internship credit.
• Students can enroll in a maximum of three hours of internship credit. However, the internships must be with different employers. Each internship must be approved by and supervised by a Journalism faculty advisor.
• A portfolio of representative work must be submitted to, and approved by, a faculty committee at least one semester before graduation. At least 75% of the work must be produced while at UCF.
• Co-op or internship credit cannot be used in this major without prior approval.
• Students should consult with a school advisor.
• Of the 120 hours required for graduation, a minimum of 72 hours must be taken outside of the disciplines represented within the Nicholson School of Communication.
• Of these 72 hours, 56 must be taken in the liberal arts (i.e. within the College of Arts & Humanities or the College of Sciences).
• To ensure completion within 120 hours and to comply with the 72 hour minimum rule, no more than 48 (or 51 if a GEP speech class was taken at UCF) of the 120 hours may be taken within the Nicholson School of Communication.
• Journalism majors must select their required minor or area of concentration from outside the Nicholson School of Communication to remain below the 48 credit hour school maximum.
• School residency requirement consists of at least 24 semester hours of regularly scheduled 3000-4000 level courses taken from the UCF Nicholson School of Communication.
• The Journalism program follows the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. Students who violate the code (plagiarizing, cheating or fabricating, for example) may be removed from the program.
• All prerequisites of courses taught within the College of Sciences will be enforced.
• Courses designated in 1 (General Education Program) and 2 (Common Program Prerequisites) are usually completed in the first 60 hours.

Related Programs

• Journalism (BA) - Electronic Journalism
• Journalism (BA) - Print/Digital Journalism