Journalism BA

Institutional Accreditation

Information on FGCU institutional accreditation is available at www.fgcu.edu/accreditation

Degree Maps are to be used as a general guideline for students. Some students scheduling needs may vary based upon completed courses and transfer credits. Please see your advisor for assistance and verification.

2024-2025 Journalism BA Degree Map
2024-2025 Journalism BA PR Concentration Degree Map

Additional Graduation Requirements include:

• A minimum of 120 credit hours.
• A minimum of 48 of the 120 hours must be at the upper division (3000 - 4999) level.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
• A minimum grade of C for each course used to satisfy the following categories: common prerequisites, required courses in the major, and courses in the concentration.
• Satisfaction of the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
• Satisfaction of the Service Learning requirement (See www.fgcu.edu/connect).
• Satisfaction of the residency requirement: thirty of the last sixty credits must be completed at FGCU.
• Completion of the summer course enrollment requirement.
• Submit an online Application for Graduation via Gulfline by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.

Transfer Notes and Acceptable Substitutes

For All Majors: Students are strongly recommended to select required lower division electives that will enhance their General Education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.

Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search

Note: The Journalism subjects (prefixes) include JOU, MMC, RTV and VIC.

Getting Started With the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**).  For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.

*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition).  See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expectations, aligning curricula with expectations, and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will be able to:

1. Develop and present high-quality journalistic material in a variety of formats, including text, audio, video, still photography and Internet-based technologies—and in a combination of these formats.
2. Apply ethical and legal journalistic principles to the practice of journalism.

Assessment of Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills

These skills are assessed through projects completed in JOU 4950 (Senior Capstone: Journalism); and through papers, exams, presentations and projects completed in MMC 4211 (Media Law and Ethics).

Communication Skills
Graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a strong ability to report, write, produce and edit journalistic material on deadline
2. Employ the conventions of standard grammar, spelling, punctuation and AP style.

Assessment of Communication Skills

Communication skills are assessed through news stories and assignments and projects completed in MMC 3125 (News Reporting and Writing). Conventions of grammar, spelling and punctuation are assessed by the grammar exam in MMC 3020 (Grammar).

Critical Thinking Skills
Graduates will be able to:

1. Comprehend, interpret and critique media coverage of local, national and international issues.
2. Identify assumptions and underlying relationships.
3. Synthesize information, and draw reasoned inferences.

Critical thinking skills are assessed through presentations, essays or exams completed in MMC 2604 (News Literacy).

Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking skills are assessed through presentations and essays completed in MMC 2604 (News Literacy).

Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, scholarships, loans, and student employment.