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 2018 77.9% 81.0% 68.5% 71.4% 57.6% 61.3%
Fall 2019 80.8% 85.7% 68.8% 77.1% 58.2% 65.7%
Fall 2020 77.4% 84.0% 68.6% 72.0% 57.0% 60.0%
Fall 2021
81.8% 77.3% 72.0% 77.3% - -
Fall 2022
80.1% 91.7%  - - - -

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 2016  4.3% 6.5% 42.7% 45.2% 52.7% 64.5% 54.6%  64.5%
Fall 2017 4.6% 3.0% 48.1%  57.6%  59.5% 66.7% 61.4% 66.7%
Fall 2018 7.2%  9.7% 49.5%  45.2%  59.9% 58.1% -  -
Fall 2019 8.3% 5.7% 49.2% 57.1% - - - -
Fall 2020 8.0%  12.0% - -