Journalism FAQ

How do I apply to the Journalism program?

How difficult is it to get in?

Where are classes held?

Could I combine this program with studies in a subject area other than journalism?

Who decides if I get into the program, UTSC or Centennial College?

Can I do this program part-time?

Can I get both a degree from the U of T and a diploma or certificate from Centennial?

How do I know when I should start taking courses at Centennial?

How do I register in courses at Centennial College?

Do classes at Centennial start and end on the same dates as at UTSC, and are exams held in the same period?

What about adding and dropping courses?

What about OSAP or other financial aid?

Will I be graded any differently in Centennial College Courses?

Are there any other special rules for Centennial College courses?

Can I petition in relation to a course at Centennial?

How are complaints of a non-academic nature dealt with?

 

How do I apply to the Journalism program?

Entry to the program may be gained directly from high school or after the completion of one year of university study (or equivalent qualifications).

For non-UTSC Students (including graduating high school students and students from other divisions of U of T):

  1. Complete the appropriate application for admission. If you are uncertain about which application to use, see our Admissions website. Your application is processed initially at the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) which then sends your application details to U of T. After you apply, you will receive an acknowledgement of your application from OUAC, and also from U of T directly, that will include an Application Guide with instructions about documents to be submitted directly to U of T.
  2. Receive the outcome of your application from U of T directly.

UTSC students:

  1. Declare program on ACORN https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/registrar/unlimited-and-limited-programs

Students already holding a University Degree:

  1. Apply to the 2-year fast-track Diploma program in Journalism at Centennial College.

 

How difficult is it to get in?

The enrolment limit is 35 students, so it is competitive. Prepare your application carefully.

 

Where are classes held?

The academic courses are taken on the UTSC campus at 1265 Military Trail. The practical journalism classes are held at Centennial College's School of Communications, Media and Design in East York.

 

Could I combine this program with studies in a subject area other than journalism?

Yes, we recommend that students choose a minor in another discipline to satisfy the academic requirements of the program. You can minor in nearly any subject area. For example, you could be a journalism student minoring in Media Studies, English, History, Political Science, French, Sociology or Biology.

 

Who decides if I get into the program, UTSC or Centennial College?

 Applications are reviewed by UTSC.

 

Can I do this program part-time?

The academic courses at UTSC may be completed on a part-time basis. However, students must be full-time when doing the professional journalism courses at Centennial.

 

Can I get both a degree from the U of T and a diploma or certificate from Centennial?

By completing the general degree requirements outlined in the UTSC Calendar--including one of these collaborative programs--you can qualify for an honours degree from the University of Toronto. In some cases, this will also qualify you for a Centennial diploma or certificate, but in others, additional work at Centennial will be required. Students who complete the specialist program in Journalism may opt to receive the degree alone. However, by completing the Centennial course Journalism Career Management and the Field Placement, you can also qualify for the Journalism Diploma from Centennial. Although these additional courses at Centennial are not part of the degree, you are encouraged to consider taking them for the benefits that these experiences offer, as well as for the additional formal qualification of the Centennial Diploma.

 

How do I know when I should start taking courses at Centennial?

You should consult the UTSC Program Director about this. It is important that you take the UTSC courses for the program as soon as you are eligible to do so, so that you will be ready to begin your work at Centennial at the appropriate time. If you do not prepare appropriately, your access to Centennial courses may be affected, possibly delaying your graduation.

 

How do I register in courses at Centennial College?

You must choose all of your degree credit courses (including those taken at Centennial College, all of which are listed in the UTSC Calendar) using the U of T course registration system (ROSI). All joint program courses are limited enrolment and restricted to students registered in the particular program. Tuition and incidental fees will be payable to the University in the normal way. In each session in which you are taking one or more courses at Centennial, the College charges a program fee relating to the use of materials, the amount of which varies by program (Journalism: approximately $20: New Media Studies: approximately $30: Environmental Science & Technology, and Industrial Microbiology: approximately $60; Paramedicine: approximately $90 for the first session and approximately $60 for the remaining three sessions). The University will collect this program fee from you at the same time as your tuition and incidental fees and will transmit it to Centennial on your behalf.

If you are in Journalism or New Media Studies and wish to take the additional Centennial courses that are required for the Diploma or Certificate, you must register with and pay tuition fees for them directly to Centennial College. Contact your Centennial College program advisor for instructions on how to enroll in the additional diploma or certificate courses. You will be required to submit your U of T transcript to the Registrar's Office at Centennial in order to finalize your admission and enrolment in these courses. Tuition and ancillary fees will be payable directly to Centennial College.

 

Do classes at Centennial start and end on the same dates as at UTSC, and are exams held in the same period?

Not necessarily. There can be important differences between start and end dates, reading weeks, and exam arrangements, and these vary somewhat by program. Please contact the Centennial College Program Supervisor for details.

 

What about adding and dropping courses?

The standard add and drop dates for UTSC (as published in the UTSC calendar) will also apply to your Centennial courses. Instructors in Centennial courses will follow the standard practice in UTSC courses and return at least one item of graded term work to you prior to the drop date. The standard UTSC fee refund schedules will also apply to Centennial courses. Once you have dropped a course on ROSI, you should also confirm this with the Centennial College Program Supervisor via email.

 

 What about OSAP or other financial aid?

The UTSC Financial Aid Office (S303) will administer all financial aid matters. You should not apply for financial aid at Centennial College.

 

Will I be graded any differently in Centennial College Courses?

Your instructor in courses at Centennial will inform you of your grades on in-course assignments and tests as appropriate, and your final grade will be available from UTSC on ROSI following the usual procedures. As is the case with all UTSC courses, you will be graded on the basis of an evaluation scheme that will be provided in writing at the start of the course. As at UTSC, in the unusual case that an instructor wishes to vary some aspect of the method of evaluation after the grading scheme has been announced, this may be done if a majority of students in the course consent.

Your grades in Centennial courses will appear on your student record as a percentage along with the corresponding letter grade as specified in the UTSC calendar--just as all for all other courses. They will receive the standard UTSC grade point value and be counted toward your GPA in the same way as your other courses. However, to receive the necessary program credit for most courses taught at Centennial you must receive a grade of at least 60% in the course. You should consult the program description in the UTSC calendar to see how this applies in each program. Although a grade of 50-59% in a Centennial course may not be sufficient for program purposes, it can be used for elective credit towards a UTSC degree (with another program or programs) should you leave the joint program. If your grade is less than 60% in a course in which this standard is required for the program, you may repeat the course, and both attempts will appear on your UTSC student record. However, if your grade is 50-59% on the first attempt, the second attempt (presumably over 60%) will not be factored into your GPA. This is standard practice for courses with multiple attempts over 50%. If you wish to request a copy of a final examination or to request a check of your grade in a Centennial course, you must follow the procedures described for UTSC courses in the UTSC calendar. If you wish to appeal a grade in a Centennial course, or wish to file a complaint about the conduct of an instructor in a Centennial course, you should not follow the procedure in the UTSC calendar; rather, in these matters you must follow the procedures laid out in the Centennial College Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedures. Students in UTSC/Centennial College collaborative programs may obtain a copy of the student guide to resolving disputes under this policy from the Registrar's Office on the Centennial campus at which they are taking courses. The information contained in your student record and your student file will be available to officials of both institutions. Note that your official transcript will be available only at UTSC.

 

Are there any other special rules for Centennial College courses?

In addition to the standard UTSC regulations for Academic Standing (outlined in the UTSC calendar), if, on your first attempt at a Centennial course for which this standard is required, you receive a grade of less than 60%, you will be placed on probationary status within the program. (This is not the same as the probationary academic status outlined in the UTSC Calendar.) You are still eligible to continue in your program courses and electives while on program probation, but if you receive a grade of less than 60% on your second attempt at the Centennial course for which this standard is required, you will be ineligible to remain in the program. If you become ineligible to continue in the joint program, but are still eligible to continue your studies at UTSC under the regulations for Academic Standing, you may pursue degree studies at UTSC with any alternate program or programs that you are qualified to enter.

 

Can I petition in relation to a course at Centennial?

As in your UTSC courses, you should seek special consideration only when there are circumstances which are not only beyond your control but which you could not reasonably have anticipated or overcome and which have seriously affected your studies. Extensions or other special consideration for term tests or term work are at the discretion of your instructor. If you are making a request such as for a deferred final examination or late withdrawal from the course after the final drop date, you must follow the petition procedure outlined in the UTSC calendar. Such requests should not be taken up directly at Centennial. To appeal denial of a petition, you must follow the appeals procedures described in the UTSC calendar, as for other courses.

 

 How are complaints of a non-academic nature dealt with?

Staff members of each institution (UTSC or Centennial) are governed by the non-academic policies of their home institution whenever they are on the premises of that institution or are carrying out an activity or business that is related to that institution. Students of each institution are in general governed by the non-academic policies of their home institution. However, students in the joint programs, although registered at the University, also enjoy all of the rights and privileges of Centennial students. Accordingly, when they are on the premises of the University, they are governed by the non-academic policies of the University, and when they are on the premises of Centennial College, they are governed by the non-academic policies of the College. Students or staff who have concerns or complaints about the conduct of any person in the context of participation in a joint program should seek assistance from one of the offices listed below, depending on the nature and circumstances of the complaint. This office will assist the complainant in determining which institution has jurisdiction over the complaint, depending on the affiliation of the respondent as specified below. The office will also ensure that the complainant has access to the relevant policy, and to the relevant office in the appropriate institution.

  1. Where the complaint is made against an employee of Centennial College, that complaint is dealt with under the Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedures of the College.
  2. Where the complaint is made against an employee of the University of Toronto, that complaint is dealt with under the relevant non-academic policy of the University.
  3. Where the complaint is made against a student enrolled in a joint program while that student is on the premises of the College, or against a Centennial College student, that complaint is dealt with under the Dispute Resolution Policies and Procedures of the College.
  4. Where the complaint is made against a student enrolled in a joint program while that student is on the premises of the University, or against a student of the University who is in another program, that complaint is dealt with under the relevant non-academic policy of the University.