Public Accountability

To accredit is to ensure basic standards of excellence.

Accreditation is a system of voluntary self-assessment and external review of educational institutions. It provides an assurance of quality to students, parents, and the public. 

The WASC Senior College and University Commission (“the Commission”) is an institutional accrediting agency serving a diverse membership of public and private higher education institutions throughout California, Hawaii, and the Pacific as well as a limited number of institutions outside of the U.S. Through its work of peer review, based on standards agreed to by the membership, the Commission encourages continuous institutional improvement and assures the membership and its constituencies, including the public, that accrediting institutions are fulfilling their missions in service to their students and the public good. 

The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as certifying institutional eligibility for federal funding in a number of programs, including student access to federal financial aid.

San José State University (SJSU) is one of more than one hundred institutions regionally accredited by WSCUC. Our advertising, journalism, and public relations undergraduate programs and mass communications graduate program are reviewed annually as part of SJSU’s annual review. This is to ensure the SJSU and all its programs, including the School of Journalism and Mass Communications (JMC), continues to meet its mission to provide the best possible educational experience.

Additionally, our journalism undergraduate program is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, or ACEJMC. This agency is responsible for the evaluation of professional journalism and mass communications programs. ACEJMC accredits programs at colleges and universities in the United States, Puerto Rico and outside the country. Programs requesting a review by ACEJMC are evaluated every six years and, after the evaluative process, receive one of three determinations: accredited/reaccredited, provisional or denial.

The SJSU JMC’s journalism program is one of more than one hundred programs nationally accredited by ACEJMC. Our journalism undergraduate program is reviewed every six years. This is to ensure the JMC School continues to meet its mission to provide the best possible media educational experience.

A comprehensive self-study is conducted after which a team composed of mass media academics and industry professionals visit the campus to confirm self-study findings and make recommendations. The next ACEJMC full program review team will visit San José State University in 2022. More information online.

Data updated every October to the best of our ability and based on data received from SJSU Institution Research.

Full Time Equivalent Students by Major

Academic Program: Journalism (CY 2021/22)

*Data based on students who were following the old curriculum.

Total Fall 2021 Spring 2022 CY Avg
UG Grad Total UG Grad Total

Advertising

186

 

186

 

 

 

93

Journalism

127

 

127

 

 

 

63.5

Mass Communications

 

40

40

 

 

 

20

Public Relations

118

 

118

 

 

 

59

Total

431

40

471

 

 

 

235.5

Traditional Approach, Overall Student Tracking by Cohort

Academic Program: Journalism

Fall 2015 First-Time Freshmen Cohort

*Data based on students who were following the old curriculum.

  Cohort Size Retention Rate Graduation Rate

Entering - Fall 2015

25

 

 

Year 1 (2015-2016)

 

80%

0%

Year 2 (2016-2017

 

72%

0%

Year 3 (2017-2018)

 

72%

4%

Year 4 (2018-2019)

 

68%

28%

Year 5 (2019-2020)

 

68%

60%

Year 6 (2020-2021)

 

 

 

Fall 2015 Undergrad Transfers Cohort

*Data based on students who were following the old curriculum.

  Cohort Size Retention Rate Graduation Rate

Entering - Fall 2015

22

 

 

Year 1 (2015-2016)

 

86%

 

Year 2 (2016-2017

 

82%

9%

Year 3 (2017-2018)

 

77%

59%

Year 4 (2018-2019)

 

73%

64%

Year 5 (2019-2020)

 

73%

68%

Year 6 (2020-2021)

 

 

 

Enrollment

Academic Program: Journalism

*Note: As of Fall 2019, only the Journalism major is accredited by ACEJMC. Therefore, enrollment statistics beginning Fall 2019 only reflect the Journalism program.

**Note: As of Fall 2019, SJSU Institutional Research no longer reports the Applied/Admitted/Enrolled numbers for Spring semesters.

Fall 2017

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

336

69%

12%

18%

New Undergraduate Transfer

220

71%

25%

35%

First-time Graduate

20

65%

25%

38%

Total

576

70%

17%

25%

Fall 2018

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

364

69%

12%

18%

New Undergraduate Transfer

188

71%

25%

35%

First-time Graduate

19

65%

25%

38%

Total

571

70%

17%

 25%

*Fall 2019

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

185

83%

11%

13%

New Undergraduate Transfer

97

74%

23%

31%

First-time Graduate

31

55%

39%

71%

Total

313

78%

17%

 22%

Fall 2020

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

204

82%

8%

10%

New Undergraduate Transfer

79

75%

16%

22%

First-time Graduate

37

84%

49%

58%

Total

320

70%

17%

 25%

Spring 2018

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

 

 

 

 

New Undergraduate Transfer

41

15%

10%

67%

Total

41

15%

10%

 67%

Spring 2019

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

1

 

 

 

New Undergraduate Transfer

53

55%

25%

45%

Total

54

54%

24%

 45%

**Spring 2020

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

New Undergraduate Transfer

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total

 

 

 

  

Spring 2021

Headcount Applied Indicator Admit Rate Enroll Rate Show Rate

First-time Freshman

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

New Undergraduate Transfer

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total

 

 

 

  

Admit Rate (Adm/App), Enrollment Rate (Enr/App), Show Rate (Enr/Adm)

Academic Program: Journalism

*Note: As of Fall 2019, only the Journalism major is accredited by ACEJMC. Therefore, enrollment statistics beginning Fall 2019 only reflect the Journalism program.

**Note: As of Fall 2019, SJSU Institutional Research no longer reports the Applied/Admitted/Enrolled numbers for Spring semesters.

Fall 2017

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

336

233

41

New Undergraduate Transfer

220

156

54

First-time Graduate

20

13

5

Total

576

402

100

Fall 2018

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

364

266

61

New Undergraduate Transfer

188

119

51

First-time Graduate

19

9

6

Total

571

394

118

*Fall 2019

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

185

154

20

New Undergraduate Transfer

97

72

22

First-time Graduate

31

17

12

Total

313

243

54

Fall 2020

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

204

168

17

New Undergraduate Transfer

79

59

13

First-time Graduate

37

31

18

Total

320

258

48

Spring 2018

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

41

6

4

New Undergraduate Transfer

37

31

18

Total

78

37

22

Spring 2019

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

53

29

13

New Undergraduate Transfer

37

31

18

Total

90

60

31

**Spring 2020

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

N/A

N/A

N/A

New Undergraduate Transfer

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total

 

 

 

Spring 2021

Headcount Applied Indicator Admitted Indicator Enrolled Indicator

First-time Freshman

N/A

N/A

N/A

New Undergraduate Transfer

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total

 

 

 

Journalism Enrollment by Gender and Ethnicity

Academic Program: Journalism

*Note: As of Fall 2019, only the Journalism major is accredited by ACEJMC. Therefore, enrollment statistics beginning Fall 2019 only reflect the Journalism program.

Total Fall 2017 Fall 2018
UG Grad Total UG Grad Total

M

AmInd

1

 

1

 

 

0

Black

3

1

4

10

 

10

Asian

43

1

44

36

 

36

PacIsl

 

 

0

 

 

0

Hisp

60

1

61

62

2

64

White

31

1

32

29

1

30

Foreign

9

1

10

6

 

6

Other

19

1

20

21

1

22

Total

166

6

172

164

4

168

F

AmInd

2

 

2

1

 

1

Black

22

1

23

18

 

18

Asian

64

 

64

55

 

55

PacIsl

1

 

1

1

 

1

Hisp

95

2

97

89

1

90

White

47

5

52

38

1

39

Foreign

17

5

22

19

6

25

Other

27

1

28

29

1

30

Total

275

14

289

250

9

259

Total

441

20

461

414

13

427
Total Fall 2019 Fall 2020
UG Grad Total UG Grad Total

M

AmInd

 

 

0

 

 

0

Black

3

 

3

3

 

3

Asian

11

 

11

11

 

11

PacIsl

 

 

0

 

 

0

Hisp

24

 

24

19

5

24

White

16

2

18

10

4

14

Foreign

 

 

0

1

 

1

Other

8

1

9

5

 

5

Total

62

3

65

48

 

48

F

AmInd

 

 

0

1

 

1

Black

6

 

6

8

 

8

Asian

12

2

14

11

2

13

PacIsl

1

 

1

1

1

2

Hisp

48

6

54

46

11

57

White

15

2

17

14

1

15

Foreign

5

7

12

4

4

8

Other

7

 

7

6

2

8

Total

94

17

111

91

21

112

Total

156

20

176

139

21

160

Total by Gender

*Note: As of Fall 2019, only the Journalism major is accredited by ACEJMC. Therefore, enrollment statistics beginning Fall 2019 only reflect the Journalism program.

Total Fall 2017 Fall 2018
UG Grad Total UG Grad Total

M

166

6

172

164

4

168

F

275

14

289

250

9

259

Total

441

20

461

414

13

427
Total Fall 2019 Fall 2020
UG Grad Total UG Grad Total

M

62

3

65

48

9

57

F

94

17

111

91

21

112

Total

156

20

176

139

30

 169

Total by Ethnicity

*Note: As of Fall 2019, only the Journalism major is accredited by ACEJMC. Therefore, enrollment statistics beginning Fall 2019 only reflect the Journalism program.

Total Fall 2017 Fall 2018
UG Grad Total UG Grad Total

AmInd

3

 

3

108

 

108

Black

25

2

27

1

 

1

Asian

107

1

108

158

1

159

PacIsl

1

 

1

84

 

84

Hisp

155

3

158

32

3

35

White

78

6

84

48

2

50

Foreign

26

6

32

461

6

467

Other

46

2

48

463

2

465

Total

441

20

461

1355

14

1369
Total Fall 2019 Fall 2020
UG Grad Total UG Grad Total

AmInd

 

 

0

1

 

1

Black

9

 

9

11

 

11

Asian

23

2

25

22

2

24

PacIsl

1

 

1

1

1

2

Hisp

72

6

78

65

16

81

White

31

4

35

24

5

29

Foreign

5

7

12

4

4

8

Other

15

1

16

11

1

12

Total

156

20

176

139

29

168