Department Fact Sheet
The Department of Mass Communications at SIUE is a professionally accredited program within the College of Arts and Sciences. This page summarizes our programs, accreditation status, assessment data, and department-level facts at a glance.
Programs Offered
Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications
- Advertising & Strategic Media track
- Journalism track
- Media Production track
- Minor in Mass Communications (21 credit hours)
- Accelerated Combined Bachelor's + Master's option (5 years total)
Graduate
- Master of Science in Media Studies
- Traditional program — approximately 2 years; exit requirements met through thesis, project, or comprehensive exams
- Accelerated program — 5 years total for combined undergraduate and graduate degree; comprehensive exams are encouraged to stay on schedule
- Graduate Certificate in Digital Media Literacy (stackable)
Professional Development
- Film and TV Workforce Training Program — an 80-hour paid training experience in film and television production skills
Accreditation
The Department of Mass Communications is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). Fewer than one in four programs nationwide hold this accreditation.
| Accrediting body | ACEJMC |
| Current status | Accredited |
| Most recent review | 2024 |
| Next scheduled review | 2030 |
Our Student Learning Outcomes and assessment framework are detailed on the ACEJMC Accreditation page.
Assessment Highlights
The department assesses student learning through the Senior Exit Exam, the Senior Portfolio, and internship supervisor evaluations.
Senior Exit Exam — entry vs. exit cohort analysis. Students are tested on entry (MC-201) and again at exit (MC-481). Across 12 assessed areas, students showed statistically significant improvement in 10 of 12, with the largest gains in:
| Area | Entry | Exit |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics | 1.80 | 3.75 |
| Media & Communication History | 2.23 | 4.08 |
| Tools & Technology | 1.59 | 3.00 |
| Writing & Communication | 2.39 | 3.81 |
Internship evaluations. Across six years of data (2017–2022), 88% of Mass Communications interns were rated “Excellent” by their supervisors, and 97% were rated “Excellent” or “Good.”
Senior Portfolio. Every graduating student completes a professional portfolio evaluated by multiple faculty reviewers. Portfolio quality has been maintained at an above-B level across six years of data (2017–2022).
Department at a Glance
| Full-time faculty | 13 (10 tenure-line, 3 instructors) |
| Technical staff | 2 production engineers |
| Scholarships & awards | 27 |
| Professional tracks | 3 (Advertising & Strategic Media, Journalism, Media Production) |
| Facility investment since 2018 | $500,000+ |
| Location | Dunham Hall, SIUE Edwardsville campus |
SIUE Baccalaureate Objectives Crosswalk
The Mass Communications curriculum addresses all seven SIUE Objectives for the Baccalaureate Degree. The full list of Student Learning Outcomes is on the ACEJMC Accreditation page.
| SIUE Objective | Mass Comm SLOs |
|---|---|
| Analytic, Problem Solving, Decision Making | 7, 8 |
| Oral and Written Communication | 4, 5, 9 |
| Foundation in Liberal Arts and Sciences | 1, 2, 7 |
| Value of Diversity | 3 |
| Scientific Literacy | 7, 8, 10 |
| Ethics | 6 |
| Preparation in an Academic Discipline | 1, 2, 4, 10 |
Facilities
The department maintains professional-grade production facilities in Dunham Hall, including a multi-camera HD television studio, an audio production lab, a multimedia lab, a video editing lab, and a large inventory of field equipment. The department has invested over $500,000 in renovations and equipment since 2018.
View the full Facilities directory for equipment lists, lab descriptions, and production engineer contact.
Contact
Department of Mass Communications
Dunham Hall 1031, Box 1775
Edwardsville, IL 62026
Phone: (618) 650-2230
Department Chair: Dr. Suman Mishra — smishra@siue.edu
