| Advisor | |
|---|---|
| Cristina Azocar | cazocar@sfsu.edu |
| Ana Lourdes Cárdenas | lourdescardenas@sfsu.edu |
| Josh Davis | joshdavis@sfsu.edu |
| Jesse Garnier | jgarnier@sfsu.edu |
| Rachele Kanigel | kanigel@sfsu.edu |
| Kim Komenich | komenich@sfsu.edu |
| Laura Moorhead | lauralm@sfsu.edu |
| Venise Wagner | vwagner@sfsu.edu |
Journalism majors and minors are strongly encouraged to consult with a faculty advisor every academic year, or even every semester. Journalism majors and minors can choose a faculty advisor from the list of full-time faculty. Professor Kim Komenich advises all photojournalism students, and Professor Lourdes Cardenas advises Bilingual Spanish Journalism majors. Freshman and sophomores may choose their own advisors; upper-division students will be assigned an advisor in their junior year.
Journalism Department advising is required for upper-division students. Seniors must receive mandatory advising in the fall semester, and juniors in the spring semester. You will receive a notice from the department, generally by email, notifying you of the window to schedule an advising appointment. Advising sessions are not punitive. In fact, students often find it very helpful to meet with an advisor to plan out their academic path. Failure to receive mandatory advising could put at risk your early priority registration for classes next semester.
Your visits with an advisor need not be restricted to the curriculum. Advisors can talk with you about internships, scholarships, membership in professional associations and other opportunities, and can review your resume, cover letters and job search strategies. This is how you begin to plan your future career.
Undergraduate Advising
Majors in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts (LCA) should consult with two advisors each semester:
- an advisor in the major and
- a general education and university requirements advisor in the Undergraduate Advising Center
Students who are completing a minor or an additional major should see an advisor in those programs as well.
Graduate Advising
Graduate advising is done by the Division of Graduate Studies. Visit their Advising section to find out more.
Internships
You should strive to complete at least one, and ideally two, internships by the time you enter the workforce. You can earn credit for internships by registering, with instructor permission, for JOUR 409: Directed Study in Journalism. You must be enrolled in JOUR 409 during the term of your internship, and you can receive up to three credit units during Fall or Spring semesters. Internships are expected to provide opportunities and challenges equivalent to a semester serving on our student publications. Providers must have received department approval prior to the start of the internship; supervisors are required to submit an acceptance form, a midterm review, and a final evaluation for each intern. The internships are expected to involve actual work in journalism: Writing, reporting, producing multimedia, managing social media, research, making photos, or fact-checking. Getting coffee for the boss does not count. This experience is intended to be meaningful and purposeful, one that brings you closer to your career goal.
View the course descriptions on the SF State bulletin for additional information.
Mentoring Program
Having a mentor or coach in the same profession is essential when learning how to navigate the ins and outs of getting your work out there. For seniors completing their Capstone projects, we have a volunteer mentoring program in which we encourage you to participate. We have a great resource of names and contacts we can use to find the perfect match for you.