Journalism A.S.

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Division: Communications and Media Arts
Academic Dept: Liberal Arts & Humanities
HEGIS: 5008
Curriculum Chair: Prof. Carol Passariello
Tel: 914-606-6119

The Associate of Science Degree in Journalism at Westchester Community College prepares students to transfer to four-year degree programs in journalism. Our program provides them with foundational knowledge and skills in news literacy, communications law and ethics; news writing and reporting; emerging multimedia technology; digital news production; and sound storytelling across multiple-platform news delivery systems. Transfer agreements have been secured with SUNY Purchase, Mercy and Lehman College and proposed with City College, Pace University, New York University, and SUNY Stony Brook.

Westchester Community College’s proximity to the media capital of the world provides unique opportunities for students to study and intern both in Westchester and New York City. Students in the journalism program are required to intern as news staff for student media on campus including the award-winning student newspaper The Viking News, vikingnews.com, WARY 88.1FM, and WCC-TV.

The program features two state-of-the-art, dual platform Communications & Journalism Innovation labs on the main campus and offers multimedia production and postproduction electives at the Center for the Arts in White Plains, and the Peekskill Extension Center.

Students enrolled in the program will acquire a solid basis in the liberal arts, journalism history and theory, news literacy, newsgathering, reporting, editing, ethics, multimedia storytelling, digital news production, and social media literacy. In addition to these core courses, students may choose from a wide range of electives, including courses in entrepreneurship, radio and television announcing, radio and television production, digital video camera operation, nonlinear audio and video editing, website development, management, and analytics.

Core Requirements - Credit Hours: 33

ENG 101 - Composition and Literature I
ENG 102 - Composition and Literature II
Mathematics - Credit Hours 6
Science (1 laboratory course required) - Credit Hours 7
Humanities (Foreign Language) - Credit Hours 3
Behavioral Science (see below) - Credit Hours 3
Social Science (see below) - Credit Hours 3
Communications (see below) - Credit Hours 3
Phys. Ed. (1 health/fitness, 1 sport) - Credit Hours 2

Behavioral Science Electives

Select one course from:

Social Science Electives

Select one course from:

Communications Electives

Select one course from:

Degree Requirements - Credit Hours: 31

COMM 101 - Understanding Mass Media
COMM 103 - Journalism and Democracy
COMM 104 - News Reporting and Writing
COMM 106 - Multimedia Journalism I
COMM 108 - Digital News Production
Required Electives (see below) - Credit Hours 12
Free Electives* - Credit Hours 4

Required Electives

Students must complete12 Required Elective credits and must select at least one course from each of the following 3 areas:

Degree Requirement Note(s)

* To reach the miniumum total of 64 credits

Minimum Total Credit: 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 Journalism 4-Semester Plan .