The School of Mass Communications, founded in 1971, is one of the largest units of the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. We offer a professional undergraduate and graduate education — not just training — in an environment that values the strong foundation of liberal arts and sciences so necessary for professional communicators.

We are one of only about 100 select journalism and mass communication programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The School was re-accredited in 2012 for a six-year term.

ACEJMC notes that about 400 colleges and universities have such programs, while another 1,000 offer some kind of training. According to ACEJMC, “Accreditation is a system of voluntary self-assessment and external review of educational institutions and of professional programs offered by those institutions. Accreditation provides an assurance of quality to students, parents and the public. In the accrediting process, the performance of educational units is measured against national standards.”

Whether our students choose concentrations in journalism, advertising or public relations, they share a common core of course work in the liberal arts and sciences as well as in mass communications before they begin their major focus.

While in the School they complete internships and been involved in course-related activities in which they produce materials for real audiences: our student-produced television show, VCU InSight; our student-staffed Capital News Service; and the campaigns our advertising and public relations students plan and often implement for real clients. Many also work with campus student media.

Our students graduate ready to go to work or to pursue graduate studies.