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School of Communication & Journalism
Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to frequently asked questions are below. Additional questions should be directed to the program’s CLA advisor or director.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

WHEN IS THE APPLICATION PERIOD EACH YEAR?

Students are admitted to the major on a space-available basis four times per year. The application deadline is posted each semester on the School's website. Space is carefully determined based on our national accreditation standards and School resources and faculty.

WILL I AUTOMATICALLY BE SELECTED AS A MAJOR IF I MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND TAKE THE REQUIRED COURSES?

Completing the required courses and meeting the other requirements listed above means that a student is eligible to submit an application for acceptance into the major. No student is guaranteed admission into one of the School's programs. Students are strongly encouraged not to wait until their junior or senior years to apply for admission. Pre-majors should apply for admission soon after completing minimum requirements. 

CAN I AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFER INTO COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, MEDIA STUDIES OR PUBLIC RELATIONS?

On-campus and off-campus transfer students will be placed into the pre-major of their choosing until they have completed the admission requirements listed above. Students who are not accepted into one of the School's programs can meet with the School advisers for other curricular options.

IF I AM ACCEPTED INTO ONE OF THE FOUR PROGRAMS, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ME TO COMPLETE MY DEGREE?

All of the School's programs take a minimum of six semesters to complete. The coursework is sequential and many classes are taught only once per year. The number of available seats in skills-based and studio courses are limited to 15 to 18 students, per our national accreditation standards. On-campus or off-campus transfer students accepted into one of the School's majors should anticipate that it will still take them six semesters to complete the program. 

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO OBTAIN CLASSES IN MY MAJOR? 

Courses in the School of Communication and Journalism are extremely popular and, therefore, are in high demand. We offer as many courses each semester as our resources allow. As stated above, the number of available seats in skills-based and studio courses are limited to 15 to 18 students, per our national accreditation standards. We advise students to follow the plan of study for their respective majors and meet with their School adviser when they have questions or concerns. 

It is very important for students to register for classes as soon as their time ticket allows. When a course is full, we manage the course wait lists, not by first-come, first-served basis, but on priority system determined by the student’s major, seniority and the number of hours completed in the major.

We strongly encourage students to enroll in courses that have available seats before placing themselves on a closed course’s wait list. There is no guarantee that the School will be able to add additional seats in a course or open additional sections of a particular course to accommodate students who place themselves on a wait list.

We do not advise parents to contact professors if their student has difficulty adding a course. It is very important for your son/daughter to develop good relationships with their professors by meeting with them personally. Parents should encourage their students to follow-up directly with an adviser or professor if their student has an issue or a question. 

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?

Please visit the program pages to gain a greater insight into the offerings of our School and the focus of our academic disciplines. Prospective student visits can be scheduled through the College of Liberal Arts' Student Recruiter, Tori Jones, (334) 844-2177 or vac0007@auburn.edu.