The Career
Communications Skills are important for success in the workplace, no matter what career you pursue. NCCC's Communications and
Media Arts (CMA) curriculum provides the opportunity to develop an understanding of the communication process. The CMA degree
program enables you to either transfer to a four-year institution or to seek immediate employment in related fields where communications
skills are an asset.
Through careful selection of courses with an academic advisor, a CMA student can pursue a career in various media industries such as video and
audio production, journalism, public relations, or advertising and marketing. Besides these traditional media careers, the CMA student can use the
program as a stepping stone to other communication-intensive careers such as teaching and law.
The NCCC Approach
A student who graduates from the CMA program should be able to use the knowledge and skills he/she has acquired in a variety of career opportunities.
Graduates have obtained traditional media-related positions such as radio announcer, television anchor, radio/TV news reporter, radio/TV producer director,
account executive, videographer, journalist, and public relations specialist. Graduates have also used their skills in pursuing careers in sales, teaching,
marketing, law, and customer service.
CMA alumni are working locally and nationally in a wide variety of careers. Radio stations such as WHTT-FM, WHLD-AM, WJYE-FM,
WKSE-FM, WGR-AM, WBEE-FM (Rochester, NY), WRNO-FM (New Orleans), and National Public Radio (Washington, DC) have employed
CMA graduates as announcers and reporters. CMA graduates are working in television production at WKBW-TV, WIBV-TV, WGRZ-TV,
WUTV-TV, WNED-TV, Adelphia Cable Communications, Empire Sports Network, and Lockport Community Cable TV, and nationally in
Tampa, Florida and at the Fox Television Network in Los Angeles. In journalism and public relations, CMA graduates have pursued careers
with the U.S. Golf Association, Associated Press Wire Service, the Niagara Gazette, the Daily Record (Rochester), the Buffalo Sabres, and
General Motors Corporation.
Although some graduates begin their career immediately after obtaining their Associate degree in Communications and Media Arts, most
graduates choose to continue their education at a four-year institution and embark on their career after completing their Baccalaureate requirements.
Facilities
Opportunities exist both on- and off-campus for students to gain practical experience in their chosen field. The student-run radio station,
WNCB, provides staff members with real life experience in station operations such as programming, management, production, sales, news,
and announcing. An audio production facility enables students to produce professional quality tapes for classroom assignments.
The campus television facility features a professional multi-camera TV studio where students acquire skills associated with the production
of newscasts and interview-format programs. Additionally, the College maintains a separate area for the editing of programs videotaped
on location. Known as "video field production." students use cameras and lighting equipment to tape segments on location before returning
to the editing lab for final assembly. Students are encouraged to hone their skills outside of class by becoming involved in extracurricular
activities such as the Videomaker's Club, and the College's monthly cable TV show, "N-Triple-Scene." Numerous hands-on opportunities
await the eager student who wishes to take control of his/her future in this exciting field.
Students who wish to develop their writing and editing skills are encouraged to get involved with The Spirit, the campus newspaper. The
Spirit gives students experience in writing, reporting, editing, and layout/design.
The CMA Macintosh Computer Classroom is equipped with Macintosh computers, scanners and printers. The classroom provides students
with hands-on experience in layout and design. This facility is used for teaching classes and is open for students to use for completing projects
and assignments. Students may also use Windows-based computers in the college's Computer Access Lab (B-114) for preparing class assignments.
Alumni stress the value of internships and co-operative education experiences to develop skills. Internships are available at most local radio
and television stations as well as other media industries such as advertsing agencies, newspapers, and public relations departments of local companies.
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