Admissions

Historically, the College of Communications enrolled only juniors and seniors. Beginning with applications submitted in spring 2006 for admission in fall of 2006, the college also will enroll sophomores.

Students who will complete their 30th hour of course credit in spring 2006 should apply early during that semester for admission the following semester. Applications will be accepted from all students who by the end of the spring semester will have completed as least 30 but no more than 90 hours.

Students from other colleges on campus should apply three to nine weeks before the start of early registration for courses. Applications for fall 2006 admission will be accepted Jan. 18 through March 10, 2006. Forms are available from the college.

Students seeking to transfer from another university may apply in the spring semester for fall admission. Forms are avaiable from the university Office of Admissions and Records between Jan. 15 and March 1 each year.

Each application should include a personal essay of 250 to 500 words demonstrating the applicant's communications abilities and detailing the applicant's interest in and demonstrated commitment to a career for which a College of Communications degree would be appropriate.

Admission is competitive. To ensure the best instruction possible, a limited number of applications will be approved. Students with the best essays and the best academic qualifications, including any pertinent extracurricular activities or internships, will be considered first. One way to demonstrate interest is to have earned a grade of B or better in introductory courses such as ADV 300, COMM 100, COMM 101, COMM 166 or JOUR 200.

There is no specific requirement regarding grades. Applications are reviewed holistically. However, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is advantageous. For applicants who have completed few courses at the University of Illinois, a higher GPA may be advisable.

Applicants need not have completed all requirements by the time they apply. Students are accepted on the condition that by the time they join the college at the start of the semester after they apply, they must,

+ Have completed at least two semesters in the UIUC college to which they were admitted, if admitted as a freshman.

+ Be classified by the university as a sophomore (at least 30 credit hours) or as a junior (fewer than 90 credit hours).

+ Be in good academic standing.

+ Have completed approximately one-fourth (if a sophomore) or one-half (if a junior) or more of the total credit hours required to satisfy the university's General Education requirements.

Sophomores are admitted to the Communications General program, from which they may sample courses in one or more of the college's majors until they become juniors. Juniors are admitted directly to a specific major: Advertising, Broadcast Journalism, Media Studies or News-Editorial Journalism.

Acceptance into each of the majors (or changing majors once accepted into one of them) is competitve. The college does not admit students it believes will have difficulty obtaining the major they desire. However, because performance may vary from expectation, a specific major cannot be guaranteed. Students who establish records of achievement within Communications General, including maintaining a high grade point average and performing well in introductory courses, will improve their chances for admission into specific majors.

Applications from students who would require more than nine total semesters of college enrollment to complete their degree may be denied. WIthout special permission, students must complete their Communications degrees within seven semesters of joining the college as sophomores or within five semesters of joining the college as juniors.

Because considerable coursework in other colleges is implicit within the requirements for all College of Communications degrees, students are not admitted to the College of Communications for the purpose of pursuing second majors or second undergraduate degrees. However, minors in areas outside the college are encouraged.

Students completing freshman and sophomore studies at institutions other than the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are strongly advised to defer courses in communications until they enroll in the College of Communications.

Students may transfer up to nine hours of Advertising, Journalism or Media Studies electives. However, those hours will not be applied to the minimum number of hours required in College of Communications courses and may not be used to replace required courses.