University of Florida Journalism Program: An Overview
The University of Florida (UF) offers a comprehensive Journalism program, consistently ranked among the best in the country. Housed in a college professionally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the program equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the ever-evolving media landscape. The curriculum emphasizes storytelling across various platforms, preparing graduates for diverse careers in journalism and related fields.
Available Degrees and Specializations
The Journalism major at UF is part of the communication & journalism program. UF Online offers a B.S. in Journalism: Sports & Media, designed for students seeking flexibility without compromising quality. This online program provides versatile academic options with the same faculty and rigor as the on-campus program. UF also offers an accelerated B.S. in Journalism: Sports & Media and M.A. program, allowing students to fast-track their future in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Sports and Media Specialization
The Sports and Media specialization teaches students to be skilled in multiple areas of sports media and communications. This cross-disciplinary program combines journalism with a specialized sports core curriculum. Students learn strategies and skills in reporting, writing, video, audio, social media, and more. Courses such as Multimedia Sports Reporting, Sports Communication, and Sports Media Law provide insight into various positions within the industry. This customizable degree prepares students to work in diverse settings, including traditional and new media platforms. A degree in Journalism: Sports & Media also provides students with strong critical thinking skills, multimedia storytelling techniques, and professional skills.
Curriculum and Coursework
The courses enable students to develop their storytelling talent - in words or visuals - and prepare them for careers in all kinds of media professions, including as writers, photographers, editor designers, multimedia storytellers, and more. The flexible curriculum allows students to work in all kinds of traditional and new media platforms. Excellent writing skills are essential. Courses teach proficiency in key areas including writing for communicators, reporting skills, data literacy, and more.
At the beginning of the junior year, journalism majors meet with their assigned faculty adviser to plot the last two years of courses. Students select a capstone course from one of these areas: editing, design, magazines, online media, photojournalism and reporting. The capstone course is taken in the last semester. One of the requirements of the capstone course will be submission of a professional portfolio. Selecting an area of emphasis does not preclude students from taking courses in other areas. Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for entry to each major. This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses.
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Admission Requirements
Upper division transfer applicants (students with 60 or more college credits earned) and Second Bachelor’s degree seeking applicants should have at least a 2.0 overall GPA and completed the following 5 prerequisite courses with at least a 2.0 GPA.
Rankings and Reputation
The Department of Journalism consistently ranks among the best journalism programs in the country. It is housed in a college professionally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Cost of Attendance
During the 2022-2023 academic year, part-time undergraduate students at UF paid an average of $856 per credit hour if they came to the school from out-of-state.
Outcomes for Graduates
The median salary of journalism students who receive their bachelor's degree at UF is $38,164.
Additional Opportunities
Special training and supervised research are available for journalism teachers and others interested in working at the high school level. The state headquarters of the Florida Scholastic Press Association is located in the College of Journalism and Communications. Students take core courses, an area in methods of teaching journalism, 26 hours of education courses and a minor in English or speech.
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Essential Equipment
All students who major in journalism are required to own a Mac laptop computer with the appropriate software, a digital audio recorder and a digital camera.
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