Students may apply for admission to the two-year professional programs in any semester if they have successfully completed the pre-professional curriculum or are on track to complete it by semester's end. The deadline for spring admission in the last Monday in September. The deadline for fall admission is the last Monday in February.

Please use this form to apply for the Professional Program at the School of Journalism.

APPLICATION PROCESS

An overall grade point average of 2.5 and a GPA of at least 2.5 in the journalism core courses is required of all applicants.

Completed applications are evaluated by director of faculty affairs, with input from the faculty. The primary admissions criteria are grade point average and progress in completing the pre-professional curriculum. Applicants must demonstrate promise and professional aptitude through their overall performance in the pre-professional program, and will have demonstrated an interest in pursuing journalism. Students with deficiencies may on occasion be admitted provisionally. 

Applications for admission to the professional programs may be obtained online. Students must complete the application and submit it, along with an informal copy of their transcripts and an essay of describing their background and interest in journalism, to the office manager in DAH 201.

Permission granted in one academic year cannot be deferred to another academic year without the written consent of the academic chair of the student's department.

Students transferring from other ACEJMC-accredited programs in journalism or radio-television may be admitted on a space available basis. Transfer credit for pre-professional and professional courses taken at other institutions is accepted only for those courses that are deemed equivalent and in which a letter grade of C or better is obtained.

ACADEMIC PROGRESSION

Students in the professional journalism program must maintain good academic progress. Any such student whose grade average subsequently falls below a 2.5 must meet with his or her adviser before classes resume the following semester. A professional program student who has a cumulative or professional grade point average under 2.0 will be suspended from the program.

A student suspended for substandard performance will not be readmitted, except when substantiation is made in writing to the faculty that the substandard performance was the result of circumstances that no longer exist, or that the student has performed satisfactory work since dismissal from the program.

* A student leaving the journalism professional program for any reason must reapply for admission.