Chair’s Special Message

Welcome to the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media!

We offer an education in 21st Century multiplatform communication skills built upon a solid base of critical thinking. Students can expect to learn content creation for the web, mobile, TV, streaming platforms, augmented and virtual reality and social media while honing their multimedia storytelling skills in writing, video, photography, podcasting, data visualization and more. Located within the vibrant news and media mecca of South Florida, the department offers internships and experiential learning opportunities with high-profile media companies like NBC Universal, Univision, the E.W. Scripps Network and The Miami Herald. Our students have won more than 40 national and regional media awards in the last year, and our publication, The South Florida Media Network, was named The Best College News Website in 2020 by Editor & Publisher Magazine. We have recently upgraded our newsroom and broadcast facilities, and students may work in augmented and virtual reality in our new Immersive Studio for Altered Reality (ISTAR). With enthusiastic Academic Advisors, Career Specialists, and a dedicated, award-winning faculty, we are confident you will succeed in any venture you may choose. But your connection to FIU does not end when you graduate. The Department and the university offer many networking and professional development opportunities for our alumni.

We have four undergraduate majors: Digital Journalism, Digital Broadcasting, Digital and Interactive Media and Digital TV and Multimedia Production. The Spanish-Language Master’s program is a one-of-a-kind graduate degree designed for bilingual students interested in pursuing careers in Hispanic media in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Students may select one of two concentrations: Multimedia Journalism or Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Undergraduate students who wish to earn a graduate degree immediately may enroll in our 4+1 Program, where students earn both an undergraduate and a Master’s degree in five years.

You will be hearing from me over the next year, letting you know about the exciting opportunities we have planned. Look for messages from me and the department via your FIU e-mail, but also through our Instagram site @FIU_scj. Our department website has many resources that will help you. Find internship and job opportunities on Handshake, FIU’s internship database. You will also find resources available to make your academic journey a success, including information about advising and student groups like The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Visit the FIU Scholarships site, where you can find multiple scholarship opportunities.

I look forward to working closely with you as you transition into a new path.

Sincerely,

Susan Jacobson, Ph.D.
Interim Chair
Associate Professor
Co-Director, Steven Cruz Institute for Media, Science + Technology