USM’s New School of Media and Communication Preparing its Students to Meet Needs of Growing Industry

Thu, 09/08/2022 - 10:13am | By: David Tisdale

To enhance its already proven track record of producing outstanding graduates to meet the needs of the mass media industry, The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Communication has changed its name to the School of Media and Communication to reflect revisions to its curriculum and program offerings designed to meet the growing demand for individuals with the skills the school provides its students.

Dr. Ed Simpson, director of the school, says the change in the name and modifications to its programming is inspired by the expectation from many in the industry who forecast growth in its employment by more than 14 percent over the current decade – faster than the average of U.S. occupations – resulting in about 151,000-plus new jobs in the field. Demand for media and communication occupations is expected to arise from the need to create, edit, translate, and disseminate information through a variety of platforms.

“The media industry is hungry for our graduates, and we need to produce more of them,” Dr. Simpson further noted. “We have outstanding faculty and the resources to prepare candidates for these positions that are becoming increasingly available and can lead to rewarding careers in an exciting and ever-evolving industry, and we’re excited about the prospects that these changes will attract even more students to the school.”

Located in the USM College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Media and Communication houses the undergraduate programs of strategic communication, digital journalism, communication studies, and media and entertainment arts, as well as graduate programs in communication and public relations (online). Modifications to the school’s programming include the following:

*Creation of the Strategic Communication program that incorporates public relations, advertising, organizational communication, and media sales.

*Creation of Digital Journalism that includes two tracks: Broadcast Journalism and Multimedia Journalism.

*Adding digital skills to the school’s traditional Communication Studies program.

*Offering the Public Relations Master’s Degree program online.

“This name change is reflective of a much larger initiative in the school to make sure their programs are adapted for the ever-changing landscape in media and communications,” said Dr. Chris Winstead, dean of the USM College of Arts and Sciences. “How we obtain and share information through journalism, digital and social media, strategic communications, and in groups and interpersonal settings continues to change rapidly. The school’s new name and their programs are indicative of the modern experience our students can expect.”

For more information about the USM School of Media and Communication, visit: https://www.usm.edu/media-communication/index.php.