Hands-on Experience
The College offers unique and extensive hands-on experience for all students from any major and any skill level. Led by industry professionals, you will be engaged in real-world settings producing news, digital and sports content for the North Central Florida community, designing campaigns and strategies for regional and national brands, or conducting research on the application of communications theories in diverse industries and environments.
In addition to counting toward your University degree, these opportunities allow you to gain experience, expand your expertise, and create portfolios that are employer ready. Our immersion experiences include:
The Agency
Description: The Agency is a Gen Z-focused strategic communications firm, where students work alongside professionals to create real-world campaigns. Students can work as strategists, creatives, developers, researchers, producers and media coordinators.
Sports
Description: CJC offers students one of the most extensive, hands-on sports experiences. Students can write articles for our online and broadcast properties, work behind the scenes producing UF sports events and do play-by-play announcing at one of the premier athletic programs in the country.
www.jou.ufl.edu/sports-at-cjc-immersion
Live Gator Sports Play by Play Registration Form
Innovation News Center
Description: This 14,000 square foot space is the center of the College’s news, weather, and sports operations. Students learn how to report and broadcast for multiple platforms in English and Spanish in a setting modeled after an authentic newsroom.
Multimedia Properties (WUFT, WRUF, etc.)
Description: The Multimedia Properties is home to the college’s seven broadcast stations. It houses the college’s Meteorologist in Training program and our award-winning Florida Public Radio Emergency Network. The Division of Media Properties provides engineering and technical production support to the University Athletic Association Gator Vision in partnership with ESPN.
jou.ufl.edu/immersion/mediaproperties/
Atlas Lab
Description: The Atlas Lab is a state-of-the-art facility fueled by sophisticated, AI-driven digital media analysis tools for students, faculty and staff to develop an expertise in analyzing digital media dynamics, behavior and conversations.
Knight Talks
Description: Knight Talks is a student-produced talk show, discovering unique stories of CJC alumni, faculty and staff broadcast on WUFT-TV.
Public Interest Communications
Description: The Center for Public Interest Communications works with organizations around the world using evidence-based communication strategies to effect social change internally and externally.
realgoodcenter.jou.ufl.edu/about
Stem Translational Communications Center
Description: The Stem Translational Communications Center focuses on improving the messaging of scientific research from organizations founded in science, technology, engineering, and medicine. This can lead to enhanced individual, family, group, and policy-level decision-making.
Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project
Description: The Brechner Freedom of Information Project promotes the ability for journalists and other members of the public to acquire public records and other information necessary for democratic self-governance. Students gain skills in a variety of research methods, such as surveys, content analysis, legal analysis, and secondary data analysis, while working in a collaborative environment with master’s, doctoral and law students, with the goal of conference presentation and publication in academic journals and public-facing sources. The program is open to all UF undergraduate students.
Web link: www.brechner.org/FOI
Immersion Registration
Please review the Fall 2024 experience guide here.
The default for all immersion experiences is one credit. Also, while TVNP and audio experiences are all on a first-come, first-served basis, returning students will be prioritized for WUFT experiences and film festival.
Summer 2025
All available summer experiences are listed on this form: https://forms.gle/tv5FFeWuiqH5Z6KL8
Fall 2025
This Fall, we offer a section of all our immersion experiences. The public course schedule has them listed. For clarity, they are split into a few different Google forms:
- Sports@CJC / MPMT Experiences: Click here
- Live Sports Production
- WRUF/ESPN Gainesville Social Media Team
- Intro to Orange & Blue Sports Network
- Orange & Blue Sports Network
- MPMT Audio Immersion Experiences: Click here
- GHQ 95.3
- WUFT Classic
- INC Audio
- Orange & Blue Film Festival: Click here (note: Zoom interviews will take place in late April and/or in the month of May)
- TV News Production Experiences: Click here
- TVNP1
- TVNP2
- Automated TVNP
- Production Media Immersion Experiences: Click here
- The Agency
- WUFT Media Productions