School of Journalism and Mass Communication (University of Wisconsin–Madison)
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The School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) is an academic unit of the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. Established as a journalism department in 1912 and reorganized as the School of Journalism in 1927, it offers undergraduate and graduate programs in journalism, strategic communication, and mass communication research. The school is part of the university’s College of Letters and Science and is located in Vilas Communication Hall.[1]. The school began offering a doctorate in mass communication in 1953 and awarded its first PhD in the same year.[2]
Former names | Department of Journalism, School of Journalism |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1927 |
| Director | Kathleen Bartzen Culver |
| Address | Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave. , , Wisconsin , United States 43°04′21.5″N 89°23′59.3″W |
| Website | www |
 | |
Guido Stempel, Donald Shaw, Richard Perloff, and Pamela Shoemaker attended the school's PhD program.
History
Journalism
In 1904, Willard Grosvenor Bleyer developed and offered the first journalism course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[3] The university established journalism as a department in 1912 and reformulated it as the School of Journalism in 1927.[4]
Radio-television news and advertising
The school was among the first to introduce education in electronic editing and the offset press. It offered radio news programs before World War II, and in 1970 a radio-television news sequence was established.[4]
Advertising and public relations education at UW–Madison developed alongside journalism studies and expanded into formal academic tracks by the mid-20th century.[4]
These programs continued to be integrated with the school’s broader training in journalism.
Mass communication
In 1970, the school was rebranded as the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The school moved to its first permanent location in 1972, with the opening of Vilas Communication Hall.[4]
Graduate program
In 1949, Ralph O. Nafziger served as the school's director. Among the first such PhD programs in the nation, it granted its first degree in 1953. By 1973, the school graduated more PhDs in mass communication than any other school.[4]
Academic programs
Undergraduate
Bachelor's degrees
The school grants two degrees for undergraduate students: Journalism Bachelor of Arts (JBA) and Journalism Bachelor of Science (JBS). Students may choose either reporting or strategic communications as their major track. Those who choose to double-track take courses sequentially.[5]
Graduate
The school grants two master's degrees and one doctoral degree. The research master focuses on developing tools in mass communication research.
The PhD in Mass Communications is jointly administered with the Department of Life Sciences Communication. This is different from the PhD in Communication Arts offered by the Department of Communication Arts. The doctoral program focuses on research areas including political communication, media law, and media history.
Reputation and Rankings
According to the 2017 Center for World University Rankings, UW-Madison ranked 4th in subject rankings for communication.[6]
In the 2010 Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs by the National Research Council, the school's doctoral program was evaluated among more than 80 PhD communication programs nationwide.[7] The assessment provided a range of high and low possible ranks for each indicator, with the school receiving the following ranges:
- S-Rank: Ranks 1-6 (based on criteria scholars identified as most important)
- Research: Ranks 1-6 (derived from faculty publications, citation rates, grants, and awards)
A 2010 study based on faculty hiring patterns identified the program as a primary source for faculty placement in the field.[8] In a national survey, 221 faculty members and 49 chairs of communication departments were asked to name the top 3 US communication programs, and UW-Madison's program was ranked first.[9]
Notable alumni
See also List of University of Wisconsin–Madison people.
- Anthony Shadid, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
- Louis P. Lochner, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
- Neal Ulevich, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer.
- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
- Paul Ingrassia, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) is an academic unit of the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. Established as a journalism department in 1912 and reorganized as the School of Journalism in 1927, it offers undergraduate and graduate programs in journalism, strategic communication, and mass communication research. The school is part of the university’s College of Letters and Science and is located in Vilas Communication Hall.[1]