About the Department
The Journalism and Media Communication department was established in 1968. More than 30 full-time and part-time faculty specialize in communication-related academic research and professional media disciplines. JMC serves more than 425 students in the major, participates in six academic minors, and provides advanced writing courses each year for 3,000 students from across campus. The department is one of 13 units in the College of Liberal Arts, among the largest of eight colleges on the Fort Collins campus. Colorado State University is one of 74 land grant institutions nationally, enrolling more than 32,000 students.
Mission Statement
The department of Journalism and Media Communication focuses on journalistic and other uses and effects of mass and specialized media. To fulfill this role, the department engages in:
Undergraduate teaching, to examine with students the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for traditional and innovative approaches to professional journalistic and related communication responsibilities.
Graduate teaching, to explore with advanced students communication concepts, theories, research methods, and sophisticated application in academic and advanced professional work environments.
Scholarship and creative activity, to help understand the nature, processes, technologies, effects, and problems of communication, modern media, and journalism/communication education.
Interdisciplinary teaching, research, and outreach, especially as related to science, technical, health, and environmental communication.
Service to the university, professional media, and academic organizations, including outreach to the public and media/communication constituencies.
For more information about department organization and evaluation, see the Department Code. More details about the department and its activities can be found on the recent news page; on our Facebook pages for current students and alumni; on our professional LinkedIn networking group; by following us on Twitter; and in our Diversity Plan.
Undergraduate Studies
The department’s undergraduate B.A. in Journalism and Media Communication is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The contemporary curriculum prepares students for careers in a wide variety of media communication disciplines. Students also participate in a structured internship program with professional media organizations or a tailored student media practicum with professional advisers.
The department maintains a strong relationship with the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation. More than 300 students annually work in Student Media to publish a daily newspaper and website, operate a full-time radio station, produce daily television programming, publish a quarterly magazine, and create video programs for clients.
In addition to the major, JMC offers academic minors in Technical and Science Communication and Media Studies. The department also advises for the Information Science and Technology and Music, Stage, and Sports Production interdisciplinary minors. In addition, the department participates with the Political Science department in offering a Political Economy certificate program and contributes to the Film Studies interdisciplinary minor.
Graduate Studies
Approximately 50 master’s students participate in our M.S. in Public Communication and Technology. The department’s Ph.D. in Public Communication and Technology focuses on the role of information in the public’s understanding of contemporary issues and the impact of communication technology in people’s lives. Both programs offer significant financial and tuition support through graduate teaching and graduate research assistantships.
On average, five doctoral students are admitted each year. They complete advanced coursework and seminars in communication theory, research methods, and technology-related topics, as well as a complementary discipline outside the department. Students demonstrate their proficiency by completing comprehensive written qualifying exams and by conducting a rigorous independent research project that is presented and defended in a dissertation.
Colorado State University and the JMC department are committed to addressing practical, everyday problems in society in support of the university’s mission as Colorado’s 21st-century land grant institution. Researchers in the JMC department and across campus are national leaders examining public problems involving science, technology, the environment, health, and other applied human sciences. Our faculty members specialize in research relating to how corporations, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and media can share vital information on these and other topics with various audiences.