School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Make media that matters

We tell stories that change the world.

Why Iowa?

As a SJMC graduate, you'll become part of an alumni network that numbers in the thousands and spans media industries in the United States and around the globe.

Study Here

students in front of green screen on camera for DITV

Build a foundation

We prepare students for careers in both traditional and new communication and media fields. Our courses integrate professional skills, especially the skills of writing and storytelling, with a theoretical foundation in the role of media in a global society.

Build a foundation

Expand your horizons

SJMC graduate degrees emphasize individualized inquiry in a lively intellectual environment where students and faculty work together as a community of learners.

Expand your horizons

Learn from experts

Our faculty bring their world-class research and professional experience into their classrooms, studios, and labs, giving students the unparalleled opportunity to learn right from the source of the latest innovations in knowledge and practice.

Learn from experts

See yourself here

Discover your voice as a storyteller in Iowa City, a UNESCO City of Literature and one of America's most vibrant college towns.

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Script Your Experience

We support experiential education unique to the journalism, strategic communication, and media industries.

Experiential Learning

Write your story

Build knowledge. Produce content. Create work that matters. You're going places, and it all starts here.

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156

YEARS OF THE DAILY IOWAN

The award-winning student newspaper serving the UI community since 1868

100

Years of success

Celebrating the school's centennial in 2024

# 1

Public university for writing

2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings

70+

Scholarships

SJMC awards over $225,000 annually

News

A portrait of University of Iowa professor David Dowling.

Meet four CLAS researchers exploring how people understand themselves and the world

Friday, October 2, 2026

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Faculty across the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including SJMC professor David Dowling, discuss the questions driving their research, what brought them to higher education, and the interests that shape their lives beyond their work.

Travis Vogan and Brett Johnson Recognized with Named Professorships

Friday, September 25, 2026

Professors Thomas Oates and Travis Vogan edited a collection of essays by sports scholars. The volume is organized into three parts: Imagining Belonging, Athletes and Resistance, and Political Activism.

Students Pursue Internships Around the Country

Friday, September 18, 2026

SJMC Students had valuable internship opportunities – from Washington, DC to New York City and back to Madison, Wisconsin and throughout Iowa – where they gained real-world professional experience.

Tracy Meginnis Turns a Passion for Words into Opportunity

Monday, September 14, 2026

Through the Certificate in Writing and student publications, Tracy Meginnis helps students develop their voices, leadership skills, and professional goals.

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Events

AI Is Not Your Friend: Cautions and Vents about Its Uses and Abuses in the Creation of Scholarly Publications

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 3:00pm to 4:00pm

111 Church Street

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, Walter Biggins, editor-in-chief at University of Pennsylvania Press, will offer his perspective as both a longtime acquiring editor and as a writer on how the advent of AI affects the present and possible futures of scholarly publishing. In particular, he will discuss how the emerging technology creates concerns and unresolved tensions — ethical, legal, and otherwise — in publishing around intellectual property...

Study Hall

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 10:00am to 12:00pm

University of Iowa Museum of Natural History

The Museum of Natural History welcomes students each week for a study session in our galleries. We'll provide the snacks, cushions, and ambiance. You bring your planners, textbooks, or assignments. Together, we'll stay ahead of our goals this semester.

Who Votes, Who Does Not, And Why?

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Virtual

Join the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council for Who Votes, Who Does Not, and Why?, a discussion featuring Caroline Tolbert, Professor in the University of Iowa Department of Political Science. This program explores patterns in voter participation, barriers to voting, and the factors that influence civic engagement in the United States.