McKinley Building
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20016
Academic Year Represented
2021
Mission Statement
AU SOC engages in the most pressing issues of our time through teaching, scholarship, and professional experiences in communication and media in Washington and beyond.
Technology/Equipment/Facilities
The major technical spaces in McKinley include a 2,300-square-foot Media Innovation Lab, an instructional space and production studio featuring an Audio/Podcast control booth, a video control booth, 4 HD cameras, a Sony MVS 3,000 HD video switcher and a separate, Chroma key wall flash studio. Students have access to more than 80 professional camera kits.
Undergraduate Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Journalism Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Public Relations & Strategic Communication
Graduate Degrees Offered
Master of Arts in Communication: Journalism and Public Affairs Master of Arts in Strategic Communication
Majors
BA in Journalism BA in Journalism: Broadcast BA in Public Relations & Strategic Communication
Tracks within Majors
Internships Accepted for Credit
To receive academic credit, the student’s internship must be related to a communication field and appropriate to the student’s academic program. The work must be more substantive than administrative. This is monitored by the faculty supervisor through an internship registration form as well as regular check-ins from the Career Center. Information about the internships for credit programs can be found on this page: https://www.american.edu/soc/advising/internships-credit.cfm.
Internships Facilitated
Students work with the AU Career Center to find internships for credit, or find the sites through networks or faculty recommendations. Internships for 1-3 credits are supervised by faculty members who meet regularly with students and communicate with site supervisors for feedback. Students earn bylines, production credits, and professional recognition for their work. Students intern with world-class partners such as USA Today, Voice of America, Edelman, APCO Worldwide and Smithsonian.
Experiential and/or Immersion Programs for Credit
In addition to internships, PC students work with real-life clients in the capstone PC Portfolio class, including Sony, Discovery Networks and Goodwill Industries. Graduate journalism students work in professional newsrooms in funded fellowships, including The Washington Post, ESPN and USA TODAY and through a practicum class in investigative reporting at The Washington Post.
Online Options
Election Class, Presidential Primaries Class, Virginia Governor's Race (launched Fall 2021), and Z-Suite. Other experiential learning opportunities were provided, including a creative bootcamp with United Entertainment Group, in which teams were given 24 hours to complete an RFP for a major lifestyle brand (Speedofit). The winning team was awarded $5,000 and a shadow day at UEG in New York.
Study-Abroad Options
Study abroad opportunities are offered through the university.
Graduate Programs
Master of Arts in Strategic Communication Master of Arts in Journalism and Public Affairs Master of Arts in Journalism and Digital Storytelling
Department Budget
$16,814,480
Amount Spent per Student
$1,258
Undergrad Student Fees
$7,851
Undergraduate Student Fees Exclusive of Housing and Meal Plan
$396
Undergraduate Student Fees for Housing and Meal Plan
$7,455
Undergrad In-State Tuition
$26,955
Undergrad Out-of-State Tuition
$26,955
Average Undergraduate Financial Aid
$12,904
Average Undergraduate Student Debt
$34,455
Graduate Student Fees
$1,469
Graduate In-State Tuition
$1,812
Graduate Out-of-State Tuition
$1,812
Average Graduate Financial Aid
$2,500
Average Graduate Student Debt
Total Accredited Unit Enrollment
1275
Undergraduate Enrollment
958
Graduate Enrollment
317
Number of In-State Students
421
Percentage of In-State Students
33
Number of International Students
135
Percentage of International Students
11
Male
319
Female
956
Not Specified
White
664
Black
144
Asian
53
Hispanic/Latino
132
Pacific Islands or Native Hawaiian
1
Native American or Native Alaskan
1
Other
280
Average Size of Skill Based Classes
22
Average Size of Non-Skill Based Classes
22
First Year Student (Freshman) Retention Rate at University
92
Four Year Completion Rate
77
Six Year Completion Rate
78
Full-Time Employment within Six Months of Graduation
658
Full-Time Employment Within Field of Study
Part-Time Employment Within Field of Study
Full-Time Employment Not In Field of Study
Part-Time Employment Not In Field of Study
Attending a Graduate Program
51
Unemployed
43
Unknown Status
22
Full-Time Faculty
32
Part-Time Faculty
58
Faculty with Tenure
8
Faculty on Tenure Track
5
Untenured Part-Time Faculty
58
Untenured Full-Time Faculty
24
Percentage of Faculty within Scholarship or Research Field
100
Male
47
Female
41
Unspecified
2
White
67
Black
5
Asian
8
Hispanic/Latino
4
Pacific Island or Native Hawaiian
Native American or Native Alaskan
Other
6
Faculty-to-Student Ratio for All Classes
11
Faculty-to-Student Ratio for Skill Classes
11