Communications and Media Arts A.A.

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Division: Arts, Humanities, and Learning Resources
Academic Dept: Communications & Media Arts Curriculum
HEGIS: 5008
Chair: Dr. Eileen Shea
Tel: 914-606-6963

Related Pages: Comm. & Media Arts Dept. Web

The complexities of human communication require that we understand the process and develop our capacities to make ourselves clear to others through effective written and oral expression and to understand the barrage of messages directed at us. As citizens within a democracy and educated people within an information society, we must also have the critical tools to understand, analyze, and use the mass media. In turn, students of communications and media may discover the challenges of preparing for a career within this vast, important and exciting field of human enterprise.

A large percentage of graduates of the Communications and Media Arts curriculum transfer to colleges and universities, both private and within the SUNY system. Others obtain entry-level positions in a wide variety of media/communications and related fields. Special facilities available at Westchester Community College for communications/media arts majors provide opportunities for hands-on experience with state-of-the-art digital equipement. Students can participate in the fully licensed college-owned radio station, WARY-FM, the award- winning student newspaper, The Viking News, and the Student Media Association, which provides digital multimedia projects including a digital yearbook and a student documentary. They can also gain experience in front of and behind the camera in our television studio, where students produce their own programming. Communications and Media Arts internship programs, which give students additional learning opportunities, can be taken for 1-9 credits; however, only three credits can be applied toward the major.

Core Requirements - Credit Hours: 33-36

ENG 101 - Composition and Literature I
ENG 102 - Composition and Literature II
Mathematics - Credit Hours 6-8
Science (lab course required) - Credit Hours 7-8
Humanities - Credit Hours 6
Social Sciences - Credit Hours 3
Behavioral Science - Credit Hours 3
Phys. Ed. (1 health/fitness, 1 sport) - Credit Hours 2

Degree Requirements - Credit Hours: 28-31

COMM 109 - Speech Communication
COMM 101 - Understanding Mass Media
Media Arts and/or Speech Electives (see below) - Credit Hours 12
Additional electives* to reach minimum total - Credit Hours 10-13

Media Arts Electives

Select from:

Speech Electives

Select from:

Degree Requirement Note(s)

* Choose these electives according to career or transfer goals and recommendations of Curriculum Chair. Recommended electives include: Photography; Electronic Pre-Press; Keyboarding; Desktop Publishing; Business Communications; Motion Graphics; Audio; Advertising; Business Organization; Sales; Marketing; Word Processing; Computer Science; Creative and Technical Writing; Computer Graphic Design; Visual and Performing Arts; Modern Languages; Electrical Technology; Digital Video and Recording Engineering. These courses all grant elective credits; they do not grant Communication credit.

Note: All radio and television courses grant Communication credit; Understanding Mass Media, Journalism, and Speech courses grant English and/or Communication credit.

Minimum Total Credits: 64

Advisement Guide: The Advisement Guide provides important information to students about how best to complete this degree, including a semester-by-semester breakdown of how best to complete the required classes. Click here for the Advisement Guide’s 4-Semester Plan .