Journalism Registration Central
Welcome to your one-stop hub for all things registration for the Fall 2026 semester. To check when your individual registration date is, navigate to the “Manage Classes” tab in SPIRE under “Enrollment Appointments.” Whether you’re looking to fulfill your gen-ed requirements, planning next semester’s schedule or want to learn more about the classes UMass Journalism offers, you’ll find everything you need here.
Registration dates:
Seniors: April 6 - 10 (M - F)
Juniors: April 13 - 17 (M - F)
Sophomores: April 21 - 24 (T - F)
Freshmen: April 27 (M)
Core Resources
Get familiar with the classes offered for Spring 2026 and the requirements for the Journalism major.
Upcoming classes — Take a look at every journalism class that will be available this spring here. PR concentration students can look at all PR-specific classes here.
Online Journalism Courses — Explore online options for the winter and spring semesters.
New Classes — Read about the department’s two newest courses.
Concentration Paths
Depending on your journalism concentration, here are your requirements for your respective concentration:
General Journalism — Understand the ins and outs of working in a newsroom, multimedia skills.
Sports Concentration — Gain hands-on experience in sports reporting through writing and multimedia storytelling.
PR Concentration — Build skills in strategic communication, media relations and storytelling for organizations.
Course Planning Tools
Keep these tools handy to build the perfect schedule, avoid conflicts and keep your degree plan on track.
Gen Ed Classes — Still missing a gen ed? Explore the options to fulfill your requirements.
Gen Ed Requirements — Review the remaining general education requirements required for your degree.
Schedule Builder — Map out your classes in SPIRE to keep your day running smoothly and avoid those awkward gaps.
Academic Requirements Report — Check your ARR to know what requirements you’ve completed and what classes you still need to take.
Registration Tips
- Check when your enrollment appointment is as soon as possible and ensure you’re free to register at that time. This will allow you to get into the classes you want to take.
- Meet with your advisor a few days before your registration to review your progress and get an idea of what your schedule needs to look like for the upcoming semester.
- Keep an eye out on add/drop deadlines to avoid any unwanted consequences of switching out classes in your schedule.
- Prioritize your mental health. Create a schedule that supports both academic prowess and personal well-being.
Advising and Academic Planning
Need help? We’re here to assist.
Navigate — Schedule a meeting with your advisor.
Journalism Advisors — Read more about the UMass Journalism Advisors. John Ciampa ([email protected]) advises students with last names beginning with A-K. Beth Wallace ([email protected]) advises students with last names starting with L-Z.
Peer Advisors — If you can’t schedule a meeting with your advisor quickly, Peer Advisors have drop-in hours all week and can help with many of the same issues that Journalism Advisors can, especially if you’re a first or second year student. For more complicated issues, you should still reach out to your staff advisor. Learn who this year’s peer advisors are and some of the things they can help students with.