Telecommunication
The Department of Telecommunication consistently ranks among the top five in the United States and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
About This Major
- College: Journalism and Communications
- Degree: Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication
- Hours for the Degree: 124
- Specializations: Telecommunication Management, Telecommunication News, Telecommunication Production
- Minor: No
- Combined-Degree Program: Yes
- Website: www.jou.ufl.edu/academic/telecom
Overview
Students select from one of three specializations. The management specialization prepares students to enter the profession through positions in research, sales, and marketing and promotion. The news specialization prepares students for careers as reporters and anchors, or as producers who are responsible for news programs behind-the-scenes. The production specialization prepares students for careers in program creation, writing and the creative applications of video and audio technology.
Students can also use the communication skills they acquire to pursue graduate degrees. Students majoring in telecommunication participate in the university's six broadcast stations, other on-campus facilities such as the Gator Network and elective internships throughout the world.
Entry into the broadcast news sequence is limited to students in the Department of Telecommunication who have placed in a competitive entrance exam. Contact the department office to determine when the exam is given.
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Critical Tracking and Recommended Semester Plan
Equivalent critical tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students
Semester 1
- 2.8 GPA on all work at all institutions
Semester 2
- 3.0 GPA on all work at all institutions for semesters 2-4
- 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking coursework for semesters 2-4
- Complete 2 of 7 critical-tracking courses: AMH 2010, AMH 2020, an approved English elective, POS 2041, POS 2112 or INR 2001 or CPO 2001, RTV 2100,
RTV 3007
Semester 3
- Complete 2 additional courses
Semester 4
- Complete 1 additional course
Semester 5
- Complete all critical-tracking courses
Recommended semester plan
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.
| Semester 1 | Credits |
| AMH 2010 United States to 1877 (GE-H) | 3 |
| ENC 1101 Expository and Argumentative Writing (GE-C) * | 3 |
| POS 2112 American State and Local Government (GE-S) or CPO 2001 Comparative Politics or INR 2001 Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| Mathematics (GE-M) * | 3 |
| Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or B)) * | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 2 | Credits |
| AMH 2020 United States Since 1877 (GE-H) | 3 |
| POS 2041 American Federal Government (GE-S) | 3 |
| English elective * | 3 |
| Mathematics (GE-M) * | 3 |
| Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or B)) * | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 3 | Credits |
| RTV 3007 Introduction to Telecommunication * | 3 |
| English elective * | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 6 |
| Foreign language * or quantitative option | 3-5 |
| Total | 15-17 |
| Semester 4 | Credits |
| ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics or ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (GE-S) | 4 |
| RTV 2100 Writing for Electronic Media * | 3 |
| SPC 2608 Introduction to Public Speaking or ORI 2000 Oral Performance of Literature 1 * | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Foreign language * or quantitative option *** | 3-5 |
| Total | 16-18 |
* Grade of C or better required.
Specialization: Telecommunication - Management
Specialization: Telecommunication - News
Specialization: Telecommunication - Production
Telecommunication - Management
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| ADV 3008 Principles of Advertising | 3 |
| RTV 3200 Fundamentals of Production | 3 |
| Business outside concentration | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 6 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| RTV 3405 Television and American Society | 3 |
| RTV 4500 Telecommunication Programming | 3 |
| PSY 2012 General Psychology or SYG 2000 Principles of Sociology (GE-S) | 3 |
| Management professional elective ** | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
For semesters 7-8, students must complete two professional courses.
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| RTV 4506 Telecommunication Research | 3 |
| RTV 4700 Telecommunication Law and Regulation | 3 |
| Business outside concentration | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 6 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| RTV 4800 Telecommunication Planning and Operations | 3 |
| RTV 4931 Ethics and Problems in Telecommunication | 3 |
| Business outside concentration | 3 |
| Electives outside college ** | 6 |
| Total | 15 |
* Students may need additional hours of electives to meet the 124 hours to graduate
Any professional work beyond 44 hours must be added to the 124 hours required for graduation, unless a student has earned 80 credit hours of non-college work.
Only three hours of professional internship credit can count toward graduation, regardless of the department granting the credit.
** Take one management professional elective:
ADV 3502 Advertising Sales (3)
ADV 4300 Media Planning (3)
RTV 3101 Advanced Writing for Electronic Media (3)
RTV 4420 New Media Systems (3)
Telecommunication - News
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| RTV 3303 Electronic News Writing and Reporting 1 * | 3 |
| RTV 3405 Television and American Society | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 6 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| PSY 2012 General Psychology or SYG 2000 Principles of Sociology (GE-S) | 3 |
| RTV 3280 Writing and Reporting for Interactive Media | 3 |
| RTV 3305 Investigative Reporting for Broadcast Journalists | 3 |
| RTV 4301 Electronic News and Reporting 2 * | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
For semesters 7-8, students must complete two professional courses.
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| MMC 4200 Law of Mass Communication | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 6 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Reporting professional elective ** or Producing professional elective ** | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| RTV 4931 Ethics and Problems in Telecommunication | 3 |
| Elective outside college *** | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Professional elective ** | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
* Only a grade of C or higher is acceptable.
** Take two reporting professional electives:
RTV 3284 Advanced Online News (3)
RTV 3304 Advanced Radio Reporting (3)
RTV 4302 Advanced TV Reporting (3)
Or take two producing professional electives:
RTV 3401 Electronic News Producing and Management (3)
RTV 4340 Special News Projects (can be repeated once) (3)
*** Students may need additional hours of electives to meet the 124 hours to graduate.
Only three hours of professional internship credit can count toward graduation, regardless of the department granting the credit.
Telecommunication - Production
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| RTV 3101 Advanced Writing for Electronic Media or RTV 3405 Television and American Society | 3 |
| RTV 3200 Fundamentals of Production | 3 |
| PSY 2012 General Psychology or SYG 2000 Principles of Sociology (GE-S) | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| RTV 3320 Electronic Field Production * | 3 |
| RTV 3405 Television and American Society or RTV 3101 Advanced Writing for Electronic Media | 3 |
| Electives outside college | 6 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
For semesters 7-8, students must complete two professional courses.
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| RTV 4500 Telecommunication Programming | 3 |
| RTV 4929C Senior Advanced Workshop in Telecommunication Production | 3 |
| Elective outside college | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Production professional elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| RTV 4700 Telecommunication Law and Regulation | 3 |
| RTV 4929C Senior Advanced Workshop in Telecommunication Production or Production professional elective | 3 |
| RTV 4931 Ethics and Problems in Telecommunication | 3 |
| Elective outside college ** | 3 |
| Outside concentration | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
* Grade of C or better required
** Students may need additional hours of electives to meet the 124 hours to graduate.