New applicants to the Division of Journalism in the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC) will now need a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale for admission beginning this fall, up from the current 2.5 GPA.
The, new, tougher admissions requirement is to make sure that students are more prepared to meet the rigors of the program, and to ensure that students are successful upon graduation. SJGC Dean Michelle Ferrier, told the FAMUan student newspaper, “we will be particularly looking at new applicants English courses, as determinant for success in our programs.”
The J-School will also be revising its student recruitment targets to bring in more competitive students who are able to grasp, fully, the programs material, and are proficient in basic writing skills.
“We will aggressively strive to get the best and brightest in all demographics to improve our diversity,” said William Jiles, was division director.
The doubled downed focus on advanced writing classes will help better prepare students to successfully pass their mandatory senior capstone presentations, and the workplace.
The tougher requirements by the J-School, follows the College of Pharmacy’s announcement that it would begin stricter enforcement of its admission standards requiring that students have a 2.75 or higher GPA in science courses for admission. In 2017, nearly 19 percent of the students admitted did not meet the requirement. By 2018 that number was reduced to about 6 percent.