Admission to the Program

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication has made small class size a priority in our undergraduate program. This gives students greater access to their professors and a better learning environment within which to learn and practice skills.

To meet this priority, the School limits admission to 100 students in each of the fall and spring semesters. Those 100 are selected from an average applicant base of 200-250 through a comprehensive admissions process that is overseen by a six-member faculty/staff committee.

To be eligible to apply for the School, you must meet the following requirements:

• Completion of Journalism 201: Introduction to Mass Communication by the end of the current semester
• Completion of at least 40 credits by the end of the current semester EXCLUDING advanced placement (AP) or retroactive language credits.
• (for transfer students) Completion of at least one academic semester at UW-Madison by the end of the current semester
• A minimum UW GPA of 2.0

The Undergraduate Admissions Committee reviews each application carefully and bases its decisions on the following factors:

• Academics: While professional in nature, the School is still an academic program and needs to see evidence of academic success before admitting a student. Overall grades as well as work done in courses specifically relevant to journalism are considered.
• Communications Experience: This experience can be gained through campus outlets, volunteer efforts or internships. It does not have to be through a communications organization in order to be relevant – previous applicants have served on special events committees for their sororities, written newsletters for community organizations or helped market a friend’s baseball lessons.
• Writing Ability: While there is no expectation of Pulitzer-worthy prose, the School does expect to see evidence of strong basic writing skills such as spelling, grammar and sentence structure.
• Personal Intent: Through a one-page personal statement, students may express their career goals, attitudes about the industry and general desire to pursue a journalism education.

For more information about admission to our program:

• Application Components
• Important Dates
• Frequently Asked Questions