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Undergraduate Admissions

-- ADMISSION POLICY --

Admission to the University is sufficient for admission to the College of Communications and Information Studies as a premajor for students who have completed less than 45 semester hours. An application must be filed with the college in order for a student to be considered for admission as a premajor or major. However, admission as a premajor does not guarantee admission as a major in one of the degree programs in the College of Communications and Information Studies. In general, admission as a major depends upon the qualifications and preparation of the applicant, as well as the availability of resources for maintaining quality instruction. Additionally, depending on the timing of admission into the major program, students may not have access to major classes until subsequent semesters.

Upper-division admission into a degree program is necessary in order to be granted a baccalaureate degree from the College of Communications and Information Studies.

-- Admission to Degree Programs --

In order to be admitted to any of the four undergraduate majors (communication, integrated strategic communication, journalism, and telecommunications) offered by the College of Communications and Information Studies, an applicant must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Enrollment in the University of Kentucky (Students are considered for acceptance by the college only after acceptance by the University.);
  2. Completion of 45 semester hours of course work;
  3. Minimum of 2.6 cumulative grade-point average;
  4. Completion of premajor requirements of the program to which application is made. Students must attain a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 on all premajor courses*;
  5. Completion of the University Studies Program requirements I (Math), II (Foreign Language), III (Inference), IV (Written Communication) and VII (Social Sciences), plus six more hours from VI (Natural Sciences) and/or VIII (Humanities);
  6. Submission of an application form.


  7. *For the journalism premajor requirements, the student's grade in JOU 204 counts double in figuring the premajor grade-point average.

Students meeting these requirements will be designated as majors or as students with upper-division standing in the program to which admission is granted. Any student not meeting one or more of these requirements may be granted pre-major status.

In the admission considerations, when personal, academic, professional, or intellectual circumstances tend to discount lower academic scores, admission may be granted if there is other persuasive evidence of both the capability and motivation to undertake successfully a program in the College of Communications and Information Studies.

Annually, the College of Communications and Information Studies faculty will review the minimum standards required for admission to the college. Any change in requirements will be implemented at the beginning of the academic year (fall semester) and will be in effect for the entire academic year. If the standards are to be changed, the Dean of the College of Communications and Information Studies will submit the proposed change by February 1 to the University Senate Council for approval, with prior circulation to the University deans and directors.

-- Admissions Process --

Application for admission to the College of Communications and Information Studies, whether premajor or major, must be received no later than April 1 for the summer session, August 1 for the fall semester, and October 1 for the spring semester. Normally such application will be made prior to the satisfactory completion of 60 semester hours of college-level courses. Subsequent transfer between majors will be permitted only upon application to and acceptance by the academic unit offering that major.

Each applicant bears the responsibility to see that the application contains all the requested materials.

Automatic acceptance: Assuming all else is in order, applicants with a 2.6 or above undergraduate grade-point average will be accepted. Once accepted, each student will be assigned a major advisor by the appropriate department office.

Admission based upon departmental review: Students who do not meet one or more of the requirements for admission, but who feel that this is due to extenuating personal, academic, professional, or intellectual circumstances, must describe these circumstances in detail in a separate letter of appeal. These circumstances will be considered by the Admissions Committee of the appropriate program. The applicant will be informed in writing of the committee's decision, which also will be forwarded to the college's Office of Undergraduate Studies.

-- Enrollment in Upper Division Courses --

Enrollment in College of Communications and Information Studies courses numbered 300-599 will be limited in order of priority to:

  1. majors and minors in College of Communications and Information Studies degree programs;
  2. non-College of Communications and Information Studies students who are registered for specific programs requiring College of Communications and Information Studies courses;
  3. other students or categories of students with the express permission of the department offering the course (departments may choose to declare certain courses as open enrollment courses).
-- Academic Advising --

Premajor (freshman and sophomore) advising in the College of Communications and Information Studies is under the jurisdiction of the Office of Student Services, 105 Grehan Building. Premajor advisors are Cathy Hunt, Director of Student Services, and Ashley Clark, Associate Director of Student Services.

During advance registration periods, the college will advise premajors through individual advising sessions with college and department staff. Between advance registration periods, including registration at the beginning of each term, one faculty or staff member from each academic unit will be available to advise premajors.

When students are admitted to the upper-division of the college, they are assigned a faculty advisor from their major program.

For more information about Academic Advising, visit the "Contact" section of this website.


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