How do I get into the School of Journalism & Mass Communication?
To be admitted into the upper division program, FIU undergraduates and transfer students must complete 60 credits, satisfy all four subsections of the CLAST (College Level Academic Skills Test) requirements, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. A waiver of the GPA requirement may be granted to a very limited number of applicants upon faculty committee recommendation. Students must score at least a 65 on the schools diagnostic English test (grammar test) to apply for this waiver.

How do I get to see an advisor?
To speak to a student advisor, or make an appointment with one, call the SJMC Office of Student Services at (305) 919-5625 or (305) 919-5940. Advising by email is also available, check your FIU email for details. To make an appointment with your faculty advisor for career or internship advising you must call the departmental secretary at (305) 919-5634 for Journalism/Television and (305) 919-4578 for Advertising/Public Relations.

How should I prepare for a session with my advisor?
The easiest part of an advising session should be selecting your courses for the next semester. To make course selection quick and productive be prepared before you meet with an advisor. The most up to date SJMC class schedules are available in the SJMC lobby ( ACII 230 ). Please pick one up before meeting with an advisor. By using the SJMC class schedule in conjunction with the advising sheets and departmental booklets given to you in an earlier advising session, you choose the classes you think you should take next. Use the time with your advisor to confirm you've made the correct choices rather than looking to your advisor to make the choice for you. Obtain a copy of your SASS report from the web or kiosk, review it, and bring it to your advising session.

What is an advising hold?
SJMC majors who have not completed MMC 3003 (orientation) require advising prior to registration. The requirement for advising will be noted on your Registration Access Information. Most SJMC students must be advised by a student services representative before the advising hold can be lifted. All pertinent advising information is emailed to students' FIU assigned email addresses.

MMC 3003 is a (0) credit class, do I really need to take it?
Yes. MMC 3003 Mass Communication Orientation is a requirement of all the degree tracks in the SJMC. The sooner you take MMC 3003 the better and here's why.

You will learn everything you need to know about the SJMC, subjects covered include:
The 4 degree tracks and their requirements
Admissions Requirements
Graduation requirements
Accreditation Requirements
Clubs and organizations in the SJMC
Career services
Internships
Other pertinent info
Once you have complete the orientaion course, you will no longer have a mandatory advising hold.

How do I sign up for the grammar test, and why do I need to take it?
SJMC wants to ensure that all students leave the university with the language skills needed to succeed as a professional communicator. It is a requirement that all SJMC majors must complete MMC 3104 Writing Strategies. In order to enroll in MMC 3104 students must score 65% on the grammar exam. Please check your FIU email or contact the office of Student Services for a an updated schedule of this test.

What is an internship and how do I get one?
SJMC internships provide on the job learning as a vehicle for further academic growth. The internship program is open to all SJMC majors who have achieved a 3.0 or better GPA. Students must also meet all of the prerequisites for the internship in his or her major. The internship must be approved in advance and monitored by the student's faculty advisor. An internship is required in the journalism track, and because this is a requirement for this track and not an option there is no GPA minimum for the internship. This is the case only in the journalism track. All other majors ( Advertising, PR, TV production and TV management) must have a 3.0 or better GPA to be eligible for an internship. In the TV production track, outstanding students may be invited to take part in a Professional Expansion of Knowledge module (PEK). This new approach to internship can last up to a whole year. Only students who have been invited by the television faculty can take part in a PEK.

What is accreditation and why is it important?
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Florida International University is fully accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Only approximately 25 % of all Communication programs in the country are fully accredited.

What is the 65/ 80 rule?
To graduate with a BS in Mass Communication at FIU, at least 80 of the total semester hours (depending on the track between 120 and 125) that you need to complete must be taken outside the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. These 80 credits can come from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Engineering and Design, College of Health, School of Nursing, or the College of Urban and Public Affairs. The 80 credits can be at any level: 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000. The 80 credits can be transfer credits. The one thing the 80 credits can not be are Journalism and Mass Communication credits. Of the 80 credits a minimum of 65 must be liberal arts. Liberal arts are any of the courses in the College of Arts and Sciences. Business, engineering, education, nursing, and public affairs courses are not liberal arts and will not count as part of the 65 credits needed. Please note: students admitted into our upper division program prior to Fall 2001 will be required to complete 90 credits outside the SJMC.

What kind of a GPA do I need to graduate?
Students entering upper division status Fall 2001 and beyond will be subject to the 2.75 GPA requirement for SJMC courses, as well as the outside requirements on the track sheet. The grade point average will be computed separately to maintain the 2.75 standard in both categories. Please Note: Students admitted into our upper division program prior to the Fall 2001 semester are subject to a 2.5 exit GPA in both areas.

Will a C- have to be made up?
Yes. You must have a final grade of at least a "C" to pass any SJMC course or outside requirement. A final grade of "C-" or lower will have to be retaken. A "P" (pass) grade is only acceptable for (0) credit courses.