Academic Advising
Welcome to advising in the Journalism Department!
Your advisors are here to help guide and encourage you to make the most of your time here at UMass. You have so many options as a journalism student on this campus, and our job is to help you find them.
If are a current UMass student and want to declare the journalism major, please schedule an appointment with your to-be advisor. John Ciampa advises students with last names A-K, and Beth Wallace advises students L-Z. Students may make an appointment via this link.
We encourage you to meet with your advisor at least once a semester to make sure you’re on the right track. Here is a sample of what your advisors can help you with:
- Course registration and choosing classes based on your interests and requirements
- Navigating SPIRE and going over what you still need for Gen Eds and college requirements
- How to get involved in campus media
- Any problems you might be experiencing that impact your coursework (stress, mental health, illness)
- Referrals to various resources on campus
- Brainstorm interests for your required minor and/or secondary majors
We encourage our students to do internships to gain field experience, and we're proud that approximately 80% of our students graduate having completed at least one internship. If. you're a major interested in applying for internships, your first stop should be our internship guide, which includes information on finding, applying for and registering your internship for credit.
We meet with prospective Journalism students, too, so if you’re in high school and thinking about majoring in journalism, visit this page for more info and to set up a tour.