Professional Values and Competencies

The agency that accredits professionally focused journalism programs, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, has established a list of "professional values and competencies" that students who major in accredited programs are expected to master. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communications has embraced those values and competencies in its courses. They are:

• Apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press, in a global context, and for the country in which the institution that invites ACEJMC is located
• Demonstrate an understanding of the multicultural history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications
• Demonstrate culturally proficient communication that empowers those traditionally disenfranchised in society, especially as grounded in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and ability, domestically and globally, across communication and media contexts
• Present images and information effectively and creatively, using appropriate tools and technologies
• Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve
• Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity
• Apply critical thinking skills in conducting research and evaluating information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work
• Effectively and correctly apply basic numerical and statistical concepts
• Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness
• Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work