What degrees can I earn?
Undergraduates earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in one of two tracks: News and Information or Strategic Communication. Graduate students earn a Master of Science (M.S.) degree.

Which emphasis should I select?
If you see yourself reporting, writing or editing news -- online, broadcast or print -- choose the News and Information emphasis. If you see yourself developing advertising, public relations or promotional campaigns, or working to help corporations, governments or organizations communicate, choose the Strategic Communication track.

What will my course load be like?
A normal semester load is 15 hours. Undergraduate Journalism majors take 30 to 39 hours of coursework in the J-School. The B.S. program also requires a generous sampling of courses in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Upper-level courses, internships and jobs on the University Daily Kansan, KUJH-TV or the Jayplay student magazine provide valuable experience but require considerable time. The chart to the right shows a typical schedule for a pre-Journalism student's first two years.

What about a double major?
You may double major in journalism and in a field in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, such as English, a foreign language, history or political science. You will earn both a B.S. in journalism and a B.A. or B.S. in your College major.

A journalism degree with a business minor will prepare you to work on the business side of journalism. A journalism student may use elective credit to complete a minor in Business. A Business minor will not fulfill the distribution requirement for graduation from the School.

What is the faculty like?
All faculty members are experts in their fields, and many are leaders in professional organizations. They bring real-world experience to the classroom. They also serve as mentors and advisers for students. The faculty directory has links to profiles of individual faculty members. Faculty at the J-School are very student-centered.

What about internships and job placement?
The Career Center offers leads, tips, coaching and other assistance in getting both internships while in school and jobs after graduation. Employers from around the United States come to the School throughout each year to interview candidates for internships and jobs.

How do I apply to the School?
Admission is competitive.There are two options for admission to the School:

1) DIRECT ADMISSION OF INCOMING FRESHMEN:
Qualifications: English ACT score of 33 or higher or Verbal SAT equivalent score and Composite ACT score of 30 or higher or equivalent SAT composite score, and high school GPA, unweighted, of 3.7 or above. A student who transfers one or more English courses or has Advanced Placement credit in English also must meet the ACT or SAT requirements stated above to be directly admitted.

The directly-admitted student must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA and will be placed on probation in the School if the cumulative GPA falls below 2.5. Failure to achieve a 2.5 cumulative GPA in one semester of probation may lead to dismissal from the School. To retain admission to the School, the student must fulfill the courses required for admission by the completion of 45 hours:

• English 101 or exemption, 102 or 105 and one of the following: English 203, 205, 209, 210 or 211. (If all English courses are taken at KU, the required English GPA is 2.67. When any English courses are transferred, students must earn a 3.0 English GPA or have a 2.67 English GPA and English ACT score of 25 or higher.)
• Communication Studies 130 or 230 exemption.
• One of the following Math courses: 105, 106, 111, 115, 121, 141, 365, or Biol 570.
• Completion through level two of a foreign language (proficiency through the fourth level is required for graduation.)
• Economics 104 or 142 or 144.
• A principal course in a humanities department.
• A principal course in a social science department.
• A 4-5 hour natural science course with a lab.
• Journalism 101 with a grade of 2.0 or higher.

2) REGULAR ADMISSION:
A student who is not eligible for direct admission will be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as a pre-Journalism major. A student may apply when completing 45 hours in the semester of application, including required courses (listed above under direct admission of incoming freshmen), with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.

ADMISSION IS COMPETITIVE
The number of students admitted each semester depends on the number grad-uating in the preceding semester and the School’s overall capacity. Candidate selection is based on GPA. Ninety percent of available spaces will be filled by candidates with the highest overall GPAs. The remaining ten percent will be selected from among those who petition by the deadline, provided their overall GPA is a minimum of 2.50. To petition for admission, students should consult the Journalism Advising and Records Office. In reviewing petitions, the School considers elements such as ACT scores, socioeconomic factors, academic progress and commitment to the profession.

For students entering college prior to Fall 2006, click here for admission options into the School of Journalism.

Can I get a scholarship?

School of Journalism Scholarships
The School has scholarship funds that are memorials to faculty or students or are intended to help students in certain majors or from certain locales. The application deadline is December 1, 2008. **Please note this is a change from last year's deadline of February 14. At the April 29, 2008, Awards and Scholarships Ceremony, 98 students learned that they would receive scholarships totaling $277,886 for this year. Download online application form now.

External Scholarships: The School publicizes journalism scholarships available from professional organizations or other outside agencies. Most deadlines for these fall between January and March. Information about available external scholarships is posted online and on bulletin boards in Stauffer-Flint and Dole and announcements are made in classes. KU's external scholarship site, www.scholarships.ku.edu, also is an excellent resource. Also, use scholarship search services to learn of other opportunities: www.fastweb.com, www.finaid.org, www.collegeispossible.org

Where can I get more information?
Journalism Advising and Records Office
Stauffer-Flint Hall, 1435 Jayhawk Blvd., Rm 201
Lawrence, KS 66045-7575
(785) 864-4755 or jschool@ku.edu

-undergraduate admission and curriculum
-graduate admission and curriculum