Advising

Last day for major advising for Spring 2022 will be May 27. Major advising will resume in the Fall 2022 semester.

For any questions, contact the department at journalism@sjsu.edu.

• Make an Appointment with a Major Advisor
• Make an Appointment with a GE Advisor

Students looking to apply for graduation can now do so online, please refer to the Applying for Graduation PPT and Online Graduation Application Tutorial [pdf].

Students looking for help with planning their schedule for next semester can be assisted by a Major Advisor (who will only advise on Major-requirements) and a GE Advisor at the H&A Student Success Center (who will advise on all GE/University requirements).

For inquiries regarding Substitution Forms, Excess Units Petitions, returning student paperwork, MCOM 111 internships, MCOM 180 independent study paperwork - please contact journalism@sjsu.edu.

All media professional fields place a high priority on meeting deadlines. Advertising, journalism and public relations students are taught to follow and respect this expectation in JMC School classes. Unlike other programs on campus, late requests in the JMC School to add or drop a class will not be approved by the school director unless there are unique circumstances with support documentation. Requests to drop classes late in a semester due to poor grades are not approved.

Students who put off getting advising, delay in declaring or changing a major, or delay in taking required courses in a timely manner can create serious problems for themselves, and possibly jeopardize their graduation. "Undeclared" majors should see an SJSU department academic adviser immediately, and prioritize developing a plan to meet admission as soon as possible. Each of our media fields are highly competitive, so students should always strive to do their best, and keep their grades as high as possible at all times.

• When should I see an advisor?

  • Freshman year is the ideal time to start these very important conversations.

    While you focus on successfully completing your university general education requirements, new students should also take full advantage of campus events and other learning opportunities to discover possible career choices. Along the way to talk about this with the academic advisor or our JMC School faculty.

    Transfer students with a declared JMC School major should have done their career research.

    See the academic advisor as soon as possible and discuss a specific plan for completing the degree program on schedule.

• How often should I see my advisor?

  • Freshman year is the ideal time to start these very important conversations.

    While you focus on successfully completing your university general education requirements, new students should also take full advantage of campus events and other learning opportunities to discover possible career choices. Along the way to talk about this with the academic advisor or our JMC School faculty.

    Transfer students with a declared JMC School major should have done their career research.

    See the academic advisor as soon as possible and discuss a specific plan for completing the degree program on schedule.

• What should I bring for my appointment?

  • Students should bring to those advising sessions important forms and information including:

    1. A copy of all transcripts
    2. Fully updated Major or Minor forms
    3. (Graduates) Fill out the Courses Completed form (Do not wait to fill out those forms during the advising appointment. That slows down your session. Other students may be waiting. Be as prepared as possible for academic advising).
    4. Bring all questions you have, and always be prepared to talk about your specific career goals in the media. Do some online research in advance and identify specific job titles and companies that interest you. That helps the advisor understand your thinking and strategic planning for your future.
    5. Avoid indecision about your future goals. You are at the university now, and its time to move from generic ideas onto a path for career success. Each student has the responsibility of figuring that out. Our JMC School academic advisor and each faculty member can help you talk it through. Go visit them during office hours as soon as possible.
• Where do I get GE advising?

  • The Student Success Center is located in Clark Hall 244. Call them at (408) 924-5095 to make an appointment.

• What do I need to know about internships?
  • 1. There is a 180-hour internship required of all majors in the school. This equals to 4.5 weeks of full-time work or a minimum of 15 hours per week for 12 weeks.
    2. Internships must be approved by your academic adviser and the school internship supervisor.
    3. Students must work in an off-campus organization and have a qualified professional (in the student’s major) supervise their work.
    4. Internships require weekly activity reports, a final letter from the employer, and completion of a questionnaire about the internship. 
    5. The internship is normally done during the summer between the junior and senior years and must be completed before the last semester of the senior year.
    6. Students may not accept an internship before completing the course prerequisites, gaining approval from the major adviser, and turning in an approved agreement with the host agency.
    7. The internship requirement may be waived for students who can document comparable professional experience prior to the senior year. Students who intern without formal enrollment in the MCOM111 Internship course will not be permitted to register for retroactive credit.

     

    UPDATE RE: COVID-19 - We understand it's hard to find an internship during this time. You can now take any JMC elective to count for your MCOM 111 internship requirement. For any questions, feel free to contact the Internship coordinator or journalism@sjsu.edu. For more information about internships, visit the Internships page.

• Can I transfer any community college credit?
  • 1. A maximum of 12 units from community college course work that was completed in California may be transferred to school majors. Courses that are accepted include those equivalent to department lower division offerings as required for a given program or sequence.
    2. Other community college courses in mass communications subjects may be included. A maximum of three units from this category may be transferred for general elective requirements in the major.
• What is the graduation application process? How do I apply for graduation?

  • Students are eligible to apply for graduation once they've earned 85 units. There are 2 different processes depending on when you are planning to graduate.

    If you are planning to graduate Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or Summer 2022 - follow the "paper" process as usual

    If you are planning to graduate Fall 2022 or later - follow the "online" process

    For a better explanation of each process, please read this powerpoint: Apply for Graduation - What You Need To Know (JMC)

• What are the requirements for graduation?

  • B.S Journalism Graduation Requirements

    B.S. Advertising Graduation Requirements

    B.S. Public Relations Graduation Requirements

    M.S. Mass Communications Graduation Requirements

• When is the best time to apply for graduation?

  • You should try to apply the semester before you graduate but you can also apply early during the same semester.

• How do I sign up for excess units?

  • The Excess Units Petition is only available 3 weeks before the semester starts. Check the Registrar's Enrollment Limit and Waitlist page to see when the petition will be available and where to access the petition. The student should read the instructions for the petition carefully. Then fill it out and turn it in with supporting documents in an email to journalism@sjsu.edu

• How do I know what classes to take?

  • Required coursework for each major can be found here: Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations, and Mass Communications.

• Where can I find descriptions of the classes in my major?

  • Course descriptions in our department.

• It seems like there's a form required for everything. Where do I find them?

  • Whether you’re applying for graduation or changing your major it requires a form. You’ll find them all on the Registrar's website. Forms unique to our department are on this page in the Resources section below.

• How do I go about getting back into SJSU after being disqualified?

  • Start on the Reinstatement page and fill out the paperwork, print it out and come by for a signature.

• I thought I was done with my GE coursework, but then I heard about upper division GE requirements.

  • It’s true. Besides 100w, there are three additional classes that comprise the upper division GE requirement.

• Is a "D" considered a passing grade?

  • In some instances it is but there are exceptions. For instance, in 100W you must earn at least a “C” in order to pass. There are other exceptions too. Check with your major or GE advisor for details.

• How do I sign up for upper division classes if I have less than 60 units?

  • There's a form for that. 

• How do I sign up for upper division classes if I am unable to take the WST because of the current COVID-19 quarantine?

  • To prevent any barriers to students’ progress and to allow students to enroll in 100W and SJSU Studies courses for Summer 2020 and Fall 2020, we have created an alternative process for Directed Self Placement (DSP). Students who have not yet taken the WST should complete the online DSP and then register for the appropriate writing course. Once you have completed the Directed Self Placement (DSP) you will be able to sign up for Area R, S, V and 100W.

• How do I sign up for MCOM 180 (Independent Study)?

  • MCOM 180 are Independent Study projects that are supervised by any JMC Faculty member the student feels comfortable working with. In order to register for MCOM 180, the student needs to complete an MCOM 180 form in order to be given an Add Code.

    For students who want to do an MCOM 180, they will need to obtain the MCOM 180 form from the Major Advisor (Dona Nichols) or the get a hard-copy of the form from the JMC Main Office (DBH 105).

    It is the student’s responsibility to find a JMC Faculty member who is willing to be their MCOM 180 advisor, have them sign the hard-copy MCOM 180 form, and return the form to JMC Main Office (DBH 105) to receive an Add Code.

• Who is my major/minor advisor?

  • Public Relations

    Matt Cabot
    Associate Professor, Public Relations; Internship Coordinator; Public Relations Coordinator; CHHS International Studies Coordinator
    408-924-3273
    matt.cabot@sjsu.edu
    DBH 212

    Shaun J. Fletcher
    Assistant Professor, Public Relations
    408-924-3393
    shaun.fletcher@sjsu.edu
    DBH 129

    Journalism

    Richard Craig
    Professor, Journalism; Spartan Daily Advisor
    408-924-3287
    profcraig@profcraig.com
    DBH 108

    Diane Guerrazzi
    Professor, Journalism and Mass Communication
    408-924-3272
    diane.guerrazzi@sjsu.edu
    DBH 218

    Advertising

    Creative Concentration

    John Delacruz
    Associate Professor, Advertising; Adobe Education Leader; Creative and Communications Director for CommUniverCity
    408-924-3261
    john.delacruz@sjsu.edu
    DBH 210

    Management and Marketing Communication Concentration

    Timothy Hendrick
    Associate Professor, Advertising
    408-924-3275 / 408-779-4100
    timothy.hendrick@sjsu.edu
    DBH 201

    PR, Advertising, and Journalism

    Dona Nichols
    Lecturer, Mass Communications - Diversity in Media; Undergraduate Advisor
    408-504-1917
    dona.nichols@sjsu.edu
    DBH 104

    Phylis West Johnson, Ph.D.
    Director and Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications; Founder of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications Immersive Storytelling Lab
    408-924-5997
    phylis.west@sjsu.edu
    DBH 103

• How do I change my major or add a minor?

  • If you have earned LESS THAN 90 UNITS:

    1. Make an appointment with a JMC Advisor via the JMC Advising Appointment form.

    If you have earned 90 UNITS OR MORE:

    1. Since you have over 90 units, your first step will be meeting with an advisor from the HASSC. They'll talk with you about why you want to add the minor, the impact adding the minor will have on your progress toward graduation, and ensure that the addition of the minor will not push you significantly beyond 150 units. The goal here isn't to dissuade you, but rather ensure you have all the information necessary before you make this change/addition.
       
       If you don't see our advisors' availability through Spartan Connect - then please submit an intake form request, and an advisor will reply within 48 hours to help you get scheduled.
    2. If after that conversation you would like to proceed with the addition, you can schedule an advising appointment with an advisor from the JMC department of your desired new minor. The advisor will go over minor requirements, help you with roadmapping, and start the Major/Minor Action Form via Docusign. Be sure to put in the Reason for Appointment: "already met with advisor at HASCC"