Graduate Education at AEJMC Schools: A Benchmark Study

Abstract

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Board of Directors charged the Standing Committee on Teaching to devise a set of metrics for assessing doctoral programs in journalism and mass communication. This directive was made with the strict proviso that the goal would be to offer suggestions for improvement—that is, how we can better prepare future faculty who may one day teach in journalism or mass communication programs. Exploring what schools are currently doing was a first step. The survey reported here covered the three primary areas important for tenure-track faculty—research, teaching, and service. It builds on the Task Force on the Status and Future of Doctoral Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.1 The article includes suggestions for metrics and student-learning outcomes.