Accreditation & Outcomes

View information and student outcomes pertaining to accreditation.

Our media and journalism program has been accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC) since 1997. Our facilities, budget, faculty, course requirements, relationship with alumni and many other factors were reviewed. We were found in compliance with all 12 national standards. Only 25 percent of mass communication programs are accepted.

The Department of Media & Journalism is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. As a nationally-accredited program, student success is closely monitored. Both retention and graduation rates are good indicators of student satisfaction.

Public Accountability: Student Success Rates

Retention

Retention rates show the percentage of students who remain at an institution or in a major after they begin coursework.

1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Entering USD Department USD Department USD Department
 Fall 2016 72.4% 79.4% 64.7%  84.0% 56.7% 71.0% 
 Fall 2017  77.3% 84.2% 67.6% 78.9% 59.9% 73.7%
 Fall 2018 77.9% 81.0% 68.5% 71.4% 57.6% 61.3%
 Fall 2019 80.8% 85.0% 68.8% 75.0%  -  -
 Fall 2020 77.3% 84.0% - - - -

Graduation

Graduation rates reflect a commitment to ensuring that students successfully complete their degrees. The graduation rate is calculated by dividing the number of graduating students by the number of students in a cohort. The media and journalism percentages include journalism and strategic communication majors.

3rd Year  4th Year 5th Year 6th Year
USD  Department  USD Department USD Department USD Department
 Fall 2014  2.8% 3.8% 42.9% 46.2% 56.5% 57.7%  59.6% 61.5%
 Fall 2015  3.5% 8.0%  42.7%  32.0% 57.3% 64.6% 64.0% 64.0%
 Fall 2016  4.1% 6.5%  44.2%  45.2% 54.4% 64.5%  -  -
 Fall 2017 5.0% 3.0% 48.1% 57.6% - - - -
 Fall 2018  6.4% 9.7% - -