Communication and Media, Film - Associate in Arts

The Communication and Media associate degree program offers students a choice of concentrations that prepares students to enter a career in various communication and media disciplines or to transfer to a four-year college where they can further refine and develop their skills, earning a bachelor’s degree. Transfer agreements with local and regional colleges enable students to make a seamless transition into a four-year institution. Program faculty mentor students to help them select, balance, and sequence courses.

Whether creating content for traditional or digital media platforms, enrolled students will acquire the skills to craft and communicate a message. A combination of core course requirements, as well as specialized courses and general electives, provides students with theoretical background and hands-on application. Field placement, a portfolio, and experiential learning are built into the program so graduates are prepared to enter careers with work experience.

In the Film concentration, students learn to imagine, plan, and produce stories and messages for all media. Students will create narrative fiction, documentary, experimental, and animated films, submitting their work to film festivals and learning practices for distribution through streaming platforms and traditional cinema. The ubiquity of social media platforms and the prevalence of content like short-form videos, motion graphics, and podcasts have increased demand for makers who know how to tell a story to any audience – and with a variety of tools. Students will receive robust training in image and sound production, animation, screenwriting, editing, digital literacy, media, and film history. Students will learn to operate state-of-the-art video, audio, and lighting equipment, along with software and tools. From short films to podcasts and branded content for social media, students will learn to produce stories that engage, inform, and entertain.