Applying to Upper Division

The upper-division application process occurs in October and March of each academic year.

Before pre-journalism majors may register for most upper-division journalism courses, they must make a formal application for upper-division standing in one of the six sequences within the School of Journalism: magazine writing & editing, newspaper reporting & writing, copy editing & design, broadcast news, photojournalism or multimedia.

Applying and meeting the minimum requirements do not guarantee acceptance. Students not meeting or maintaining requirements by the end of the semester will be dropped from upper-division journalism classes and the area of study to which they were accepted and will be reclassified as a pre-journalism major.

Students must meet the following minimum requirements by the end of the semester in which they are applying:

• 60 or more hours of college credit
• Overall GPA of at least 2.25 and a College of Communication GPA of at least 2.0
• A score of at least 45 on the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation (GSP) Test
• A score of at least 29 on the Word Processing Test
• J 310 with a grade of at least C
• J 315 completed with a grade of at least C or currently enrolled
• J 316 with a grade of at least C or currently enrolled (only required for those applying to photojournalism)

If you wish to apply, you must fill out an on-line application that includes:

• Your sequence preferences (you may choose up to four).
• A 250-word statement of purpose that explains why you wish to pursue a career in journalism (what sparked your initial interest) and why you have chosen the sequence to which you are applying. This essay should also address what you hope to do in journalism and what makes you uniquely qualified (i.e. what do you possess that other students do not or what contributions you can make to the profession) for the sequence to which you are applying. And last, please address what you believe to be the current state of journalism in your desired area of study and in general.
• A summary or résumé that tells us something about you — a listing of extracurricular activities, jobs, family/volunteer activities, scholarships, awards, honors and other recognition — from your junior year in high school to the present.
• You also must provide one letter of reference from someone who can speak about your professional interests as well as your journalistic capability — a teacher, a professor or an employer. References may use the PDF form below and mail or fax it directly to the School of Journalism or they may send a letter on letterhead. References should not be sent by e-mail. *Letters of reference are optional for all but the broadcast news applicants.
• Students applying to the photojournalism sequence must also submit a CD or DVD portfolio containing at least 10 images. Your CD or DVD must be labeled with your name and UT EID and must be submitted to the journalism office by the deadline.

Download letter of reference form in PDF format. (Download Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Criteria for acceptance to an upper-division sequence also include grade point average, performance in lower-division journalism courses, motivation, experience and other communication skills. Students applying to the broadcast sequence may be required to complete an interview with a team of faculty members depending on the number of applicants for that semester. Once accepted into a sequence, a student can expect to continue in that sequence as long as satisfactory academic progress is maintained.

If you have questions, please contact Theresa Thomas in CMA A6.146 or at (512) 471-6938 or Wendy Boggs in CMA 4.140 or at (512) 471-1553.