The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Communication has received a vote to fully reaccredit the program by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC).
The department is one of only 112 programs in the country and Puerto Rico that are accredited by ACEJMC. During the voting, the council cited as strengths of the program an “outstanding department head, passionate students, and dedicated faculty.”
“Accreditation assures our students that we meet certain standards in their professional educations,” said Dr. Betsy Alderman, Professor and Head. “We must meet nine standards that cover everything from curriculum to student services to equipment and facilities.”
The department has been fully accredited by ACEJMC since 1996. The vote means the department will be accredited for another six years.
“We are very pleased that the high quality of our communication program has been recognized by the accrediting agency. Communication continues to be one of our most popular majors because of the outstanding academic program and the success of our alumni,” said Dr. Jeff Elwell, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Communication has become one of most popular majors at UTC, with enrollment growing by 30 percent since 2011.
“Accreditation helps assure students they are being prepared to work professionally in many, many different fields. Our graduates do everything from traditional journalism to working in public relations, marketing and advertising to owning investment brokerages,” Alderman said. “UTC’s communication degree is very, very versatile.”
