Diederich College Of CommunicationEdit
The Diederich College of Communication is the communications college of Marquette University, a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It offers undergraduate programs in journalism and mass communication, advertising and public relations, and digital media, along with graduate options that prepare students for leadership roles in media, corporate communications, public affairs, and civic life. Grounded in the broader Marquette tradition of faith-informed, service-oriented education, the college blends hands-on practice with core principles of ethics, law, and professional responsibility.
Named for the Diederich family after a substantial philanthropic gift, the college carries a mission of professional preparation balanced with a commitment to the ethical dimensions of communication. It maintains close links to Milwaukee’s media landscape and to national networks, offering students opportunities for internships, newsroom experiences, and collaborative projects with industry partners. The college holds accreditation by the ACEJMC, signaling adherence to widely recognized standards of journalism and mass communication education, while continuing to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment.
History
The college emerged from Marquette University’s longstanding emphasis on communication within a Catholic, Jesuit framework and evolved through a series of programmatic expansions. A pivotal moment in its recent history was the renaming in honor of the Diederich family, whose gift supported facilities, faculty expansion, and the introduction of updated curricula meant to align training with current newsroom practices. This history reflects a pattern common to professional schools in private universities: private philanthropy helps fund new labs, industry partnerships, and experiential learning opportunities that bridge classroom theory with real-world practice. The college’s development has also paralleled broader shifts in journalism education, including emphasis on data journalism, digital storytelling, and strategic communication in corporate and political contexts. Marquette University sits within Milwaukee’s media ecosystem, and the college has cultivated ties to Milwaukee-area media outlets as well as national partners. The programmatic orientation is reinforced by ongoing engagement with professional associations such as ACEJMC and related ethics and standards bodies.
Programs and Curriculum
The Diederich College of Communication delivers a range of undergraduate majors designed to prepare graduates for the jobs they will pursue after graduation. Students study fundamentals of storytelling, reporting, audience analysis, and media production, paired with coursework in Ethics, Media law, and professional practice. The curriculum emphasizes practical skill-building—such as data-driven storytelling, multimedia production, and campaign planning—alongside training in critical thinking and civic responsibility. In addition to traditional journalism and mass communication tracks, the college offers focus areas in advertising and public relations, with opportunities to explore digital media platforms and analytics. The college also supports graduate study and continuing education for professionals seeking advanced training in areas like strategic communication and media leadership. Internship programs and student-run media outlets provide real-world experience, while collaboration with local and national partners helps students build resumes and portfolios. Internships and hands-on projects are integrated with academic coursework to reinforce the bridge between classroom learning and newsroom or agency practice.
Industry Ties and Career Preparation
A hallmark of the college is its emphasis on career readiness through close engagement with industry. Faculty often bring professional experience to the classroom, and students benefit from internships, practicums, and mentoring relationships with alumni and media professionals. Partnerships with local newsrooms, advertising agencies, public relations firms, and corporate communications departments give students opportunities to apply theory to real campaigns, track audience metrics, and develop ethical decision-making skills under supervision. The college’s career services office coordinates job fairs, graduate-openings communications, and portfolio reviews, while alumni networks help with mentorship and placement in competitive markets. The combination of practical training, ethical grounding, and industry connections is intended to produce graduates who can compete in a fast-paced, information-rich economy. Career services and Internships programs are central to this approach, along with experiences in Journaism-adjacent fields and lab-based production work.
Debates and Controversies
Like many professional schools in contemporary higher education, the Diederich College of Communication navigates debates over culture, curriculum, and the role of media in public life. Proponents argue that the college’s emphasis on professional standards, empirical reporting, and ethics equips students to serve the public interest while meeting employer expectations in a competitive economy. Critics, however, contend that some campus culture initiatives can tilt toward a collectivist or identity-focused agenda that may complicate newsroom neutrality or limit open debate. From this perspective, the central task is to balance inclusive practices with a rigorous commitment to objective reporting, verification, and fair-minded discourse. Supporters counter that inclusive practices and diverse teams improve coverage by avoiding blind spots and by reflecting the varied experiences of audiences, especially in a society with significant differences between black and white communities and other demographic groups. They also argue that strong standards of ethics, transparency, and accountability are compatible with, and strengthened by, such inclusion.
Woke criticisms—that is, claims that campuses have adopted policies or practices primarily to satisfy ideological aims—are addressed here by citing the enduring primacy of newsroom accuracy, transparency, and accountability. The argument from this vantage point is that professionalism in journalism and strategic communication depends on rigorous training, evidence-based reporting, and adherence to widely accepted codes of ethics, rather than a pivot toward activism at the expense of rigorous standards. In practice, the college asserts it fosters free inquiry and robust debate, while encouraging students to engage with a spectrum of perspectives and to distinguish between advocacy and objective reporting. The aim is to prepare graduates who can navigate a polarized media environment while maintaining credibility, accountability, and public trust. The validity of these debates remains a central feature of the college’s ongoing mission to adapt to a changing media landscape without sacrificing core professional principles. Academic freedom Free speech Diversity and inclusion Journalism Public relations Advertising Digital media
Facilities and Resources
The college offers modern facilities to support hands-on learning, including television and radio production spaces, newsroom simulation environments, multimedia labs, and editing suites. A robust library and digital resources support research in journalism ethics, media history, audience studies, and strategic communication. Faculty bring industry experience alongside scholarly research, and students have access to internships, capstone projects, and collaborative studios with partners in Milwaukee and beyond. The blend of facilities, faculty expertise, and industry connections is designed to prepare students for both traditional newsroom careers and new media roles where data, storytelling, and audience engagement intersect. Journalism Digital media Broadcasting Media studies