Starting this fall, Mount Saint Mary College will offer two new majors that were formerly Media Studies concentrations: Journalism and Digital Media Production.
The New York State Education Department recently designated these courses of study as distinct majors, under which students will earn bachelor’s degrees in their specific disciplines.
The Journalism major prepares students for careers in writing for print, digital, and broadcast media. This major emphasizes the critical thinking, writing, technical, and communication skills necessary for success in the media production professions. Throughout their course of study, Mount Journalism students develop investigative skills and the ability to write for both traditional and digital media. By graduation, students will be ready to work in a variety of professions, including journalism, corporate communications, publishing, radio, television, digital media, and other electronic communications.
The Digital Media Production major focuses on digital production skills, including video and audio production, writing for television, film, and radio, and creative strategies for internet distribution. The major also emphasizes the writing, thinking, and speaking skills necessary for success in many media professions. The major offers students opportunities to collaborate with faculty on projects for local media and national distribution outlets. In addition, Mount students have interned with WABC TV Sports, the New York Mets, CBS 48 Hours, and more.
Both new majors are overseen by the Communication, Art, and Digital Media program, which encompasses the study of journalism, video production, advertising, public relations, art, design, and film studies at the college. Housed in the Mount’s Division of Arts and Letters, the program will prepare students for both traditional and emerging professions.
Dean Goldberg, associate professor of Communications Art and Film Studies, will become the director of the program on July 1. Goldberg will also be promoted to professor on that date.
“During the last few years, the digital platform has reinvented the methodologies and skills needed to be successful in the areas of advertising, journalism, and production, as well as art and fine art,” Goldberg explained. He added that in light of this, Media courses at the Mount fuse traditional writing, critical thinking, and creative competencies with state-of-the-art strategies, technologies, and techniques to keep Mount students’ skills on the cutting edge.
Some of the courses offered in the Communication, Art, and Digital Media program include: Graphic Design Principles, Design and Visual Media, 3D animation, Writing for Advertising, Radio News and Feature Reporting, Backpack Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, Intro to Sports Media, and Intro to Audio Production.
“We’ve been planning for this change for the last few years,” said Regina Pappalardo, associate professor of Journalism. “With our new major status, and the integration of many of our classes that use similar graphic, audio, and video skills, it was the perfect time for us to form this new program.”
Goldberg noted that there are already plans in place for the Communication, Art, and Digital Media program to collaborate with other divisions and schools within the college, including the School of Business and the Division of Mathematics and Information Technology.