A Note about Program Requirements

The requirements listed below are for students entering into this program in Spring 2016. Students who entered the program during a prior semester will find their specific requirements listed in the Catalog under which they entered. Archived Catalogs are accessible through the dropdown menu above.

Program Description

The Associate of Science Degree in Journalism at Westchester Community College prepares students to transfer to four-year degree programs in journalism. Students enrolled in the program 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. Students may also choose from a wide range of electives, including courses in communications, entrepreneurship, radio and television announcing, radio and television production, digital video camera operation, digital audio and video editing, website development, management, and data-analytics.

Our program provides students opportunities to apply journalistic techniques in storytelling using emerging multimedia technology across multiple-platform news delivery systems.The main campus in Valhalla features two state-of-the-art, cross-platform Communications & Journalism Innovation labs with the latest audio-visual equipment for full multimedia production.

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 gain valuable experience and internship credits 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.

General Education Requirements - 25 Credits

Students are required to fulfill a certain number of credits within the specific categories shown below. Where specific courses are not listed within these categories, courses must be selected from the list of SUNY General Education Courses .

Degree Requirements - 36 Credits

• COMM 101 - Understanding Mass Media
• COMM 103 - Journalism and Democracy
• COMM 104 - News Reporting and Writing
• COMM 106 - Multimedia Journalism 1
• COMM 118 - Broadcast Journalism
• Communications Elective (3 credits, see below)
• Management Elective (3 credits, see below)
• Visual Arts Elective (3 credits, see below)
• Additional Elective from either Communications, Management, or Visual Arts (3 credits, see below)
• SUNY General Education Courses  (6 credits, select any SUNY Gen Ed Courses)
• Free Electives (3 credits, any college courses)

Minimum Total Credit - 61

Educational Plan: The Educational Plan is an advisement tool that provides important information to students about how to complete this degree. Click here to Download the Educational Plan .