College of Arts & Sciences Contemporary Media and Journalism

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Overview

Our goals are to:
  1. provide students with the necessary skills to compete for entry-level positions;
  2. offer principles and strategy courses that enhance the students prospects for later career progression to management and leadership;
  3. develop student understanding of the role of mass media in society.
Nationally-Accredited Program 

Our mass communication programs are accredited (and have been since 1997) by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). This means that outside reviewers came to Vermillion to review our facilities, budget, faculty, course requirements, relationship with alumni, and many other factors. We were found in complete compliance with all 12 national standards. Only 25 percent of mass communication programs are accepted!

Facilities

The Department is housed in the state-of-the-art Al Neuharth Media Center. The facilities include classrooms, offices, computer labs, TV and radio studios, and a lecture hall. The facility is also home to The U's student newspaper, the Volante. In addition, the local offices of the Freedom Forum - the largest philanthropic media organization in the nation - and the offices and production studios of South Dakota Public Broadcasting are located in the Center. This extraordinary partnership of media entities ensures the most comprehensive media program in the region, and it puts The U's CMJ grads on par with grads from the nation's most prestigious journalism schools.

Scholarships

We offer a variety of scholarships, representing the diversity of specialization areas within the department. Generally reserved for majors accepted into the department, scholarships are available for journalism, electronic media, advertising, and public relations. Scholarship qualifications vary depending on the field of study, and applications and criteria are available by contacting us.    

Get Active!

A number of student media activities and organizations offer fellowship, fun and practical experience:

  • KAOR-FM 91.1 - broadcast radio station
  • KYOT-TV- cable channel 21
  • American Advertising Federation (AAF), Student Chapter
  • Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
  • U Imagine - advertising/public relations agency
  • The Volante- weekly student newspaper
Practicum/Internships

All juniors and seniors are required to take two credit hours of practicum or internship. Practicums include work in one of the department's media organizations. Students may choose to arrange internships with newspapers, TV or radio stations, ad agencies or other organizations.

Want to know more?

See our News page to find out what's going on in CMJ!

Alumni

What have you been doing since you graduated from our program? We'd love to hear from you!