Welcome to the 911³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏÃâ·Ñ¹Û¿´Èë¿Ú Department of Journalism & Public Relations. We are home to 40 faculty and staff dedicated to excellence in media education. JPR programs are accredited by the ACEJMC and we offer four academic options: a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations, a Minor in Journalism and a Minor in Public Relations.
SPRING 2026
Welcome to the Fall 2026 semester!
Journalism and public relations play critical roles in the democratic process, and we are excited to welcome nearly 500 majors and minors who are learning vital, transferable skills like compelling storytelling, multimedia content creation, critical thinking, research and digital communication skills. This semester, the department itself is also making news! 911³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏÃâ·Ñ¹Û¿´Èë¿Ú will soon benefit from a new scholarship fund made possible by a $1.4 million bequest from Carolyn and Joe Ruszkiewicz, both of whom studied journalism at 911³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏÃâ·Ñ¹Û¿´Èë¿Ú in the early 1970s. We also welcome two new faculty: Samantha Troisi is a public relations specialist with more than a decade of experience leading global campaigns, including for companies in the technology and gaming spaces. Teri Sforza, a watchdog reporter for the Orange County Register, has won numerous awards for her investigations into governments and non-profits.
This semester, the JPR Department will host multiple guest lecturers—including New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist . Keep up with the latest news, events and opportunities by following JPR on social media (, , , , and ).
We encourage students to join a department club, to get involved in student media, to visit office hours and to check in with JPR academic advisors. Most importantly, learn something new each day!
