Published on September 3, 2015 by Mary Wimberley  
JMC students in lab

Samford University’s nationally ranked Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) will award partial scholarships to as many as 12 freshmen who enroll in the fall of 2016. Application deadline is April 1, 2016. Each scholarship is worth up to $2,000 per year.

Scholarships will be awarded based on ACT scores, high school grades, volunteer work, school or community leadership, and participation in media-related clubs. The scholarship can be renewed each year that the student maintains a 3.5 or better GPA and is involved with Samford student media.

“The scholarships can provide $8,000 in financial assistance during a student’s time at Samford,” said Samford JMC chair Dr. Bernie Ankney. “This can help students receive an outstanding education in journalism and mass communication at a reasonable cost. Samford offers one of the best journalism and mass communication programs at a private university in the United States.”

Samford offers majors in print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising. The JMC department also houses an interdisciplinary film production minor, a sports media minor and courses in social media, church media and photojournalism. Samford JMC students regularly win awards for their work, and graduate to be highly competitive in the job market.

“Samford journalism and mass communication graduates work for some of the top magazines, newspapers, television stations and public relations and advertising firms in the nation,” Ankney said. “This scholarship can be a great step toward a bright and rewarding future in journalism and mass communication careers.”

For more information and a scholarship application, call Ankney at (205) 726-2948 or email him at rnankney@samford.edu. Applications are also available online.

Samford’s JMC department is ranked number 43 nationally by the College Factual website. The site, which provides rankings and other customized information to help students find the college most likely to lead to their future success, also revealed that Samford’s journalism program is:

  • A top-25 “major value” in journalism education nationally.
  • The top journalism program in Alabama.
  • One of the top journalism programs among U.S. private universities.
  • One of the top journalism programs in the South.
 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.