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Katie Lever-Mazzuto, Chair leverk@wcsu.edu Higgins Hall 201H, Midtown campus (203) 837-8872 (203) 837-8032 (fax)
Bill Petkanas, Associate Chair petkanasw@wcsu.edu Higgins Hall 201H, Midtown campus (203) 837-8255 (203) 837-8032 (fax)
Krista Brooks, Department Secretary Higgins Hall 201, Midtown campus (203) 837-9166 (203) 837-8032 (fax)
Faculty
Overview
The Department of Communication & Media Arts employs a variety of resources designed to help students master the ability to participate in and evaluate the communication process. The department’s curriculum provides a balance of theory and practice that can be applied to business and personal relationships, media and other communication environments.
Students who major in communication or media arts prepare for graduate studies or careers directly related to: managing interaction in settings such as social service agencies, small businesses and corporations; media use, creation, performance, analysis and criticism; and related fields that require public speaking, persuasion and application or analysis of interpersonal and public speaking skills.
Mission
The Department of Communication and Media Arts at Western Connecticut State University is committed to teaching the theory, ethics, and skills necessary to expand and deepen students’ participation in a globalized world. Students learn to engage in challenging dialogues across a variety of communicative landscapes.
Each of our degrees and options shares an emphasis on the enhancement of capacities for observation, critical appraisal, and expression. Graduates of the program are positioned to pursue careers in public service, media campaigns, advocating for the underserved, organizational relations, broadcasting, and filmmaking, among many others.
Objectives
To accomplish this mission, the Department of Communication and Media Arts:
Lambda Pi Eta
The department sponsors a chapter of Lambda Pi Eta (LPH), the National Communication Honors Society. As an organization, LPH recognizes, fosters and rewards outstanding scholastic achievement in the field of communication. To qualify, students must be full-time communication majors and have earned 60 credits with at least 12 in communication. They must also have a minimum 3.25 GPA in communication courses and a 3.0 overall GPA. Students must demonstrate commitment to the field. Students may contact the department chair for more information.
Broadcast Education Association
Media Arts students may join the department’s chapter of The Broadcast Education Association. This is the premier international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students, and professionals. The association’s publications, annual convention, web-based programs, and regional district activities provide opportunities for juried production competition and presentation of current scholarly research related to aspects of the electronic media. Advanced students are invited to attend the national convention in April.
Course Restrictions For a complete list of prerequisites, corequisites and other restrictions for all courses, please consult the Course Description section of this catalog.
Learning Outcomes – Communication & Media Arts
Learning Outcomes – Digital Interactive Media Arts
At the completion of this program students will be able to:
Degree Programs in Communication & Media Arts
BA in Communication Communication Studies option
BA in Media Arts Media Production option
BA in Digital Interactive Media Arts Media Production option Art option Computer Science option
Minor Communication Broadcast Journalism
Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Communication Studies (B.A.)
Description: Students who major in communication prepare for graduate studies or careers directly related to: managing interaction in settings such as social service agencies, small businesses and corporations; media use, creation, performance, analysis and criticism; and related fields that require public speaking, persuasion and application or analysis of interpersonal and public speaking skills.
Degree Requirements
All degrees at WCSU require 120 semester hours (SH). This includes major requirements, general education requirements, cognates (where applicable), and free electives. This structure provides room for minors, internships, and study abroad.
Required Courses in the Major: 37 SH.
General Education: All students must complete the General Education curriculum. General Education Requirements include both competency and breadth requirements. In some cases, major courses will satisfy competencies. These are indicated in the parentheses after the course title. For a complete description of the General Education program, follow this link. https://catalogs.wcsu.edu/ugrad2324/academic-programs-degrees/
Cognates: In some programs there are courses outside of the major that are required as pre-requisites or enhancements to the major course work. These courses may satisfy competencies and they will count toward the general education breadth requirement. If cognate courses are required, they are included in the list of courses required in the major.
Electives: All degrees require 120 semester hours. Elective credits are opportunities for minors, internships, study abroad, and just following general interests. We encourage all students to speak with their advisors about great opportunities for their elective courses.
Sample Four Year Plan: BA Communication: Communication Studies Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
*All Bachelor of Arts degrees at WCSU require that students complete a language at or above the elementary II level. Students who have completed three years of a foreign language at a minimum of a C average in high school have met this requirement. However, you must still complete at least one Intercultural Competency course.
Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts: Media Production (B.A.)
Description: Students who major in media arts prepare for graduate studies or careers directly related to: media creation and performance for television, film, radio, audio, social media, graphics, non-profits, small businesses and corporations; analysis and criticism; and related fields that require scriptwriting, filming, interviewing, recording, producing, directing, editing and postproduction skills. Media Arts engages students in hands-on discovery, experimentation, problem-solving, and the development of original works.
Degree Requirements: All degrees at WCSU require 120 semester hours (SH). This includes major requirements, general education requirements, cognates (where applicable), and free electives. This structure provides room for minors, internships, and study abroad.
Required Courses in the Major: 43 SH.
Sample Four Year Plan: BA Media Arts Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
*All Bachelor of Arts degrees at WCSU require that students complete a language at or above the elementary II level. Students who have completed three years of a foreign language at a minimum of a C average in high school have met this requirement. However, they must still complete at least one Intercultural Competency course.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN DIGITAL AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA ARTS (B.A.)
As a field, Digital and Interactive Media Arts (DIMA) is a way of conceptualizing emerging practices of personal, commercial, and artistic expression in a variety of high tech channels. In this new terrain, traditional foundations in design and aesthetics form the ground of expression, but they are joined with the more recent fields of computer programming and video production computer animation, game design and interactive web design.
Careers that rely on competence in designing Digital and Interactive Media Arts are as varied as the fields they draw upon. Where some students may require a proficiency in the use and application of DIMA technologies and principles in the creation of artistic artifacts (fine arts, television, film, games), others may be involved in the creation of new technologies and their use as communication tools (advertising, public relations, and all web-based organizational communication).
This program seeks to ground students in the basics of aesthetics, programming, sound, and video production and design. By taking a project-based learning approach, students will come to understand and apply the full creative development process from idea to presentation. Students will touch all aspects of the creative processes in digital and interactive media arts, and then specialize in one of two options: Media Production and Programming.
Goals
Our primary goals in this degree are to create an environment in which students:
BA Digital and Interactive Media Arts: Media Production
Description: Students who major in DIMA prepare for graduate studies or careers directly related to digital media creation and oversight for small businesses, non-profits, public and governmental organizations, and private sector corporations of all kinds.
Required Courses in the Major: 48-50 SH.
Sample Four Year Plan: BA DIMA: Media Production Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
*All Bachelor of Arts degrees at WCSU require that students complete a language at or above the elementary II level. Students who have completed three years of a foreign language at a minimum of C average in high school have met this requirement. However, they must still complete at least one Intercultural Competency course.
BA Digital and Interactive Media Arts: Art
Sample Four Year Plan: BA DIMA: ART Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
* All Bachelor of Arts degrees at WCSU require that students complete a language at or above the elementary II level. Students who have completed three years of a foreign language at a minimum of C average in high school have met this requirement. However, they must still complete at least one Intercultural Competency course.
BA Digital and Interactive Media Arts: Computer Science
Required Courses in the Major: 49-53 SH.
Sample Four Year Plan: BA DIMA: Computer Science Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
**Several course choices in this major can be 3 or 4 SH. Remember that your total must be 120 to graduate.
Good Academic Standing in the Major
Communication & Media Arts majors must earn a C (in some cases a B-) or better in classes that count in the major. Students must repeat a required course in the major until they earn the necessary minimum grade. Students may repeat major electives if they don’t earn the minimum grade, or when possible and desirable, select another major elective in its place. The major elective earning a C- or less may then be used as a free elective. Students do not earn additional credit for retaking a class. Courses retaken may not be eligible for financial aid or count towards Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid, athletics, etc.
Students must be in “Good Academic Standing” to change their major to Communication or Media Arts. This means, they must have at least a 2.0 GPA, a 2.5 in classes that will count towards their major.
Communication & Media Arts majors must remain in good academic standing in the major or be placed on “Probation in the Major.”
Good Academic Standing in Communication & Media Arts includes each of the following:
Probation in the major means students are at risk of being disqualified from eligibility to earn a degree in Communication or Media Arts. After being placed on probation in the major, students have one semester to address the area that placed them on probation. If students are not able to meet the requirement within one semester, they are subject to suspension from the major. Students who are suspended from the major will be required to change their major. If they do not actively change their major, they will be changed to “Focus Undeclared” status.
The status “Probation in the Major” and “Suspension in the Major” will not appear on the student’s transcript. Students will be notified of the change of status by the department. Students on probation in the major must meet with their advisor to discuss a plan for successful completion of the degree. Students are ultimately responsible for maintaining their GPA and successfully completing their academic work. The advisor may discuss changes in life, study habits, or attitude to improve performance. Advisors may also recommend a decreased course load or utilizing campus resources to address personal, emotional, academic or life situations which are make it difficult to perform well in school. Once the requirements for Good Academic Standing in Communication & Media Arts are met, students may reapply to change their major to Communication or Media Arts.
Minor in Communication
Please consult your advisor for all program requirements.
Eighteen semester hours (18 SH) in communication which must include at least 12 semester hours above the 100 level. Only courses with a C grade or better will count.
Minor in Broadcast Journalism
Required Courses (9 SH): WRT 270W News Writing COM 146 Basic Video Production 3 SH COM 243 Broadcast Writing 3 SH
Three credits (3 SH) selected from the following list in consultation with an advisor: COM 246 Intermediate Video Production (prereq. COM 146) 3 SH COM 247 Live News & election Coverage 3 SH COM 252 Video Performance Techniques 3 SH COM 270 Fundamentals of Radio Broadcasting 3 SH COM 336 Postproduction (prereq. COM 246 and COM 235) 3 SH COM 394 Special Topics in Media Production (see advisor) 3 SH WRT 270W News Writing 3 SH
6 Credits (6 SH) from the following list: WRT 279 Sports Writing 3 SH WRT 333W Editorial Environment 3 SH WRT 335W Fact-Based Opinion Writing 3 SH WRT 338W Writing About Specialized Subjects 3 SH WRT 375 Book, Performance, & Restaurant Reviewing 3 SH WRT 490 Internship/Practicum in Writing 3 SH
Sample Four-Year Degree Sequences can be found here.
Notes:
