School of Liberal Arts and Education
Department of Mass Communications,
Creative and Performing Arts, and Speech
The Department of Mass Communications, Creative and Performing Arts & Speech is an academic Department in the School of Liberal Arts and Education at Medgar Evers College. It provides a wide range of interdisciplinary courses in the visual, sound and performance media (art, music, speech, radio, video, photography, TV, film, journalism, dance, acting and theater crafts.) New, global innovative material and pedagogies are used to prepare the learner for quality futuristic experiences. New technologies are an integral part of the learners’ experience. The curriculum offered is structured to allow the students to select or follow a course of study in a particular subject area or diversify.
In addition to the course offerings, the Department has planned enrichment activities for learners in laboratories, internships, gallery visits, exhibitions, workshops, seminars, and performances. A pamphlet of these activities is made available for students in the Department of Mass Communications, Creative and Performing Arts and Speech. The Department produces its own collaborative performances. Furthermore, it provides a forum for national and international visits, exchanges and performances. The fundamental concepts and terminology of the Department’s offerings also provide education in, and sensitivity to, the cultures of a variety of peoples. Other opportunities for learner development are provided through networking, membership in associations and professional groups and societies, as well as with community based organizations. Additional and revised courses are being developed to further these goals.
Currently, the Department offers an AA in Liberal Arts degree. After successfully completing the course of study leading to this degree, our students usually make one of the following choices: (1) pursue a BA degree in a department at Medgar Evers College that gives a degree in a related area, i.e. business; public administration; education; psychology; (2) transfer to another college; (3) enter the CUNY BA program; or (4) enter the workforce. In fall 2005, the Department will, hopefully, offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Industry and Entertainment Studies. We seek to prepare our students for the new digital world that is being created by the converging of all the subjects that are taught in our department with technology. We are convinced that while it is important that traditional skills and disciplines should not be overlooked, it is imperative that we make sure that our students are prepared for the merging of these disciplines and technologies. We want our graduates to experience success; therefore, they must keep up with and even stay ahead of recent technological advances.
Departmental Academic Criteria
Students must meet all proficiencies required by the City University of New York. A minimum of 60 credits is required for the AA in Liberal Arts. Of these, 15 must be in the MCCPAS departmental courses and taken under advisement. A syllabus is provided for each course. The student is required to adhere strictly to the flexible guidelines and requirements. The student must demonstrate computer proficiency before being awarded the AA in Liberal Arts Degree. In this department, a student is advised to elect at least one year of a spoken language, other than his or her native language, in which the learner has not developed proficiency. The majority of the teachers in our Department are teacher/practitioners. Research is required in all of our courses. Writing, reading, and speaking are a vital part of our curriculum.
