19. How long will it take me to complete a degree? Can I take a semester off to work as an intern in other state or country, or just to take a break from school?

Most students can complete a degree in four years.

We have a program called Four Bear at the University of Montana. The program encourages you to prepare a schedule (with your advisers' help) that will keep you on track to graduate in four years. If you maintain the requirements of that program, you receive a benefit: early registration each semester.

If you choose to take a semester or a year of study abroad or study on a national exchange program, or if you have an internship during the autumn or spring semester, then it may take you up to five years to complete your degree requirements.

We encourage students to study abroad or on a national exchange program in their sophomore years, before they are accepted into the School of Journalism's professional program. Once students are accepted into the professional program, it is important that they enroll in a sequence of courses as designated by the School of Journalism. If a student skips a class and falls out of sequence, we can not guarantee that the student will find openings in those courses later on.

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