umass amherst? is this a respected school? i'm looking at the journalism program.?

Question

I looking to enter umass amherst this fall and i'm like 2 days away from registering. is this school well respected as a journalism school? it's a state school and it's not expensive but is a degree from here gonna amount to much? thanks

Answer 1

UMass Amherst is the best public school in MA. It is better than most other public universities -- though not quite as good as the best public universities (Berkeley, Michigan, UNC, Virginia, etc).

They have a very good Journalism School and you can get an excellent education there. Your degree will be respected.

Answer 2

Communications is one of the most popular majors at UMass-Amherst so it is a decent program.

Princeton Review often writes articles about what students say at colleges. I found a part of one for you:

It's all about "finding out where you fit in" at the large University of Massachusetts—Amherst, where students say the experience is "all what you make of it: If you want to party, there is one available to you almost every night. However, it is not difficult to get your work done and be successful." A pre-law student notes, "[You] can just slide by, [but] academics are challenging if [you] wants to get all A's or [are] taking honors courses." Academics are especially demanding in the engineering program, the hard sciences, the sports management program ("one of the oldest and best in the country"), and at the Isenberg School of Management. As at many big schools, "It is easy to not go to class because they are so large, although many teachers now use PRS [a handheld wireless interactive remote unit] which quizzes you and is a method of [taking] attendance during each class." Unlike many major research institutions, UMass—Amherst has a surprising number of professors who "show a passion for teaching. I have yet to see a professor who just teaches for money," a sports management major reports. By all accounts, "More than half of the professors are awesome." Students agree that "UMass—Amherst has countless opportunities for one to get involved and improve his or her leadership and responsibilities."

Answer 3

It's not Princeton, Harvard, or Yale. It's also not East Podunk State Teacher's College.

It's as reputable as most other large state universities. It won't get you a job just because you have the degree (some of the Ivy schools have that sort of power) but it also won't limit you in your job search.

In all likelihood, a degree from UMass will amount to much more than the college degree you have right now or the one that 60+% of the population doesn't have. ☺