Deans Welcome

We live in a time of dizzying change in the communications industry — and of great opportunity for people with the intelligence, skills, creativity and moxie to thrive in this evolving media landscape.

At the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication, we pride ourselves on preparing our students for whatever the professional world throws at them. We are fully embracing the multiplatform, multimedia ecosystem. We are progressing with mobile creation and delivery. And we are acknowledging the essential role of marketing, promotion and social media in finding and attracting an audience.

Our undergraduate students master the essential communications toolkit of excellent research, writing and speaking by launching into their JMC coursework and extracurricular activities from Day One. Our graduate students prepare to boost their careers to the next level by polishing their leadership skills and adding increased business acumen to their professional portfolios. We push all of our students out of their comfort zones to build their confidence, creativity and strategic thinking with challenging projects for real-world non-profit clients and businesses.

About Us

Our location in Des Moines, Iowa — the state capital, a thriving media center and the epicenter of the American political universe every four years with the Iowa Caucuses — also provides our students with a wealth of opportunities.

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Our faculty all have extensive professional experience, have a host of professional connections and strive to stay not just on the cutting edge of their industries but ahead of them. And they take very seriously their role as their students’ “mentors for life.”

The result? A slew of national awards for student work, undergraduate internship rates in the high 90 percents every year and a post-graduate “accomplishment” rate to match. Our graduate students use their degrees to build their professional networks and advance or change their careers. We are very proud of our little “nirvana” of journalism and mass communication education in the heartland!

I recently conducted focus groups with current students to get their feedback. Here’s what one told me about his Drake experience:

“We look out for each other — we’re family.”

So, welcome to the SJMC family!

Catherine Staub
Dean and professor
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Drake University
515-271-2295
catherine.staub@drake.edu