ACU Box 27892
Abilene, TX 79699
Academic Year Represented
2025
Mission Statement
Our mission is to engage students in critical and creative thinking in the classroom, in the laboratory and through mentoring relationships, leading them to become exceptional, ethical and agile communicators in a rapidly changing media environment, embracing technology, valuing global diversity and embodying Christ-centered service.
Technology/Equipment/Facilities
Facilities occupied by or essential to the operation of the unit are three floors of the south wing of the Don H. Morris Center, including three Mac-based teaching labs, a large lecture classroom, the JMC Reading Room, JMC Student Media News Lab, the Morris+Mitchell student-run ad/PR Agency, KACU-FM studios, ACUTV Orr Studios and offices for faculty and staff. All labs include the full range of the Adobe Creative Suite.
Undergraduate Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism Bachelor of Science in Journalism Bachelor of Science in Advertising and Public Relations Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Bachelor of Science in Journalism/Multimedia with Teacher Certification
Graduate Degrees Offered
None.
Majors
Journalism Advertising and Public Relations Multimedia Convergence/Multimedia with Teacher Certification
Tracks within Majors
Multimedia Track: Film Multimedia Track: Media Ministry
Internships Accepted for Credit
All students are required to complete an internship outside the unit to complete credit in JMC 495 JMC Internship, a 1 credit hour course.
Internships Facilitated
All students are required to complete two semesters on the staff of a co-curricular entity for complete credit for JMC 321 Student Media Lab, a zero-credit course.
Experiential and/or Immersion Programs for Credit
Each student serves two semesters on the staff of a student-run co-curricular entity, either student news media, an NPR-affiliated radio station, an advertising and public relations agency, a video production agency or a live broadcast production company. Student service is tracked through a zero-credit course called JMC 321.
Online Options
None.
Study-Abroad Options
Many students participate in the university's semester-long programs in Oxford, England, and Leipzig, Germany, and receive general education credit. Faculty members for the unit teach during those semester-long programs. In addition, the unit at least once every four years offers a course in England and/or Germany that is typically exclusive to majors in the department.
Graduate Programs
None.
Department Budget
$973,853
Amount Spent per Student
$7,491
Undergrad Student Fees
$0
Undergraduate Student Fees Exclusive of Housing and Meal Plan
$0
Undergraduate Student Fees for Housing and Meal Plan
$13,600
Undergrad In-State Tuition
$45,800
Undergrad Out-of-State Tuition
$45,800
Average Undergraduate Financial Aid
$40,885
Average Undergraduate Student Debt
$24,400
Graduate Student Fees
$0
Graduate In-State Tuition
$0
Graduate Out-of-State Tuition
$0
Average Graduate Financial Aid
$0
Average Graduate Student Debt
$0
Total Accredited Unit Enrollment
130
Undergraduate Enrollment
130
Graduate Enrollment
0
Number of In-State Students
107
Percentage of In-State Students
82
Number of International Students
3
Percentage of International Students
2
Male
39
Female
88
Not Specified
0
White
82
Black
13
Asian
2
Hispanic/Latino
26
Pacific Islands or Native Hawaiian
6
Native American or Native Alaskan
5
Other
0
Average Size of Skill Based Classes
13
Average Size of Non-Skill Based Classes
38
First Year Student (Freshman) Retention Rate at University
76
Four Year Completion Rate
56
Six Year Completion Rate
71
Full-Time Employment within Six Months of Graduation
21
Full-Time Employment Within Field of Study
17
Part-Time Employment Within Field of Study
0
Full-Time Employment Not In Field of Study
10
Part-Time Employment Not In Field of Study
0
Attending a Graduate Program
4
Unemployed
0
Unknown Status
2
Full-Time Faculty
7
Part-Time Faculty
8
Faculty with Tenure
4
Faculty on Tenure Track
1
Untenured Part-Time Faculty
8
Untenured Full-Time Faculty
2
Percentage of Faculty within Scholarship or Research Field
100
Male
4
Female
3
Unspecified
0
White
7
Black
0
Asian
0
Hispanic/Latino
0
Pacific Island or Native Hawaiian
0
Native American or Native Alaskan
0
Other
0
Faculty-to-Student Ratio for All Classes
20
Faculty-to-Student Ratio for Skill Classes
13