About RTF
The Department of Radio-Television-Film at The University of Texas at Austin offers a broad range of courses in the media arts leading to the Bachelor of Science, Master of Fine Arts, Master's and Ph.D. degrees. Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 programs in the country, it is one of the few departments offering degrees in both practical and theoretical areas -- i.e., in both media production and media studies.
There are currently approximately 900 undergraduate students, 160 total graduate students in the Department. There are 28 full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty, with approximately 25 part-time adjunct faculty hired each semester.
In 1921, a radio station was established to conduct experimental work in radio communication, and by the 1930s what was probably the first television broadcast in Texas originated on this campus. This spawned an interest in an academic program in broadcasting. The first degree program in broadcasting began in 1939.
In 1965 the School of Journalism, the Department of Speech, and a newly formed Department of Radio-Television-Film became the three departments officially organized as the School of Communication. Construction of a three-building communication complex began in 1968, and the three Departments of Journalism, Radio-Television-Film and Speech Communication moved into new facilities in 1974.
In 1979, the School of Communication became the College of Communication. At official ceremonies in April 1982, the three buildings comprising the communication complex were named the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center in honor of Mr. Jones, founder of the Houston Endowment, donor of the College's first and largest endowment.
To provide quality education in media studies and the creation of media to undergraduate and graduate students, while also creating an environment that supports all creative work and scholarly research. A particular goal of all the work of the department is to explore and promote issues of social justice as they relate to communication.