SUNY Cortland adds major in media production

01/03/2020 

SUNY Cortland will offer an undergraduate degree in media production starting in Fall 2020 — a major addition for students interested in careers related to television, film, radio or the digital arts.

The new program prioritizes hands-on training in Cortland’s professional-quality studio space, with 30 credit hours tied to production coursework. Graduates will earn a bachelor of science degree and they will be prepared to work across various media settings.

“The (bachelor of science) degree falls in line with industry standards,” said Paul van der Veur, professor and chair of the Communication and Media Studies Department. “It provides a more robust technical experience, with a heavier emphasis on the science and technology of great media creations.”

SUNY Cortland’s Communication and Media Studies Department, which recently scored high at No. 3 in New York state on Zippia.com’s list of “Best Colleges for Communication Majors,” now offers four undergraduate majors: cinema study, communication studies, media production and new communication media. Within the communication studies program, students also can pursue concentrations in journalism, popular culture or public relations and advertising.

All of those different offerings open up many opportunities in the field, van der Veur said. 

“We cover this broad spectrum going from cinema study, which is analysis based, to communication studies and new communication media, which sit in the middle, and now media production, which has a strong professional orientation,” he said.

SUNY Cortland’s campus also is home to several well-equipped production facilities:

• Studio 112 for Multimedia Production: This networked editing facility offers mixed format editing and post-production capabilities, computer workstations with major software and field cameras available for use. 

• Studio 119 for Audio Production: The 400-square-foot sound studio and control room serves as home to WSUC-FM, SUNY Cortland’s NPR affiliate radio station. Licensed by the Federal Communication Commission and serving the local Cortland community, the station also streams its programming online.

• Studio 26 for Television Production: The 1,000-square-foot, three-camera television studio includes a fully-equipped control room and fiber connection to the local cable system and campus television network.

Additionally, SUNY Cortland since 2016 has hosted the Blackbird Film Festival, an annual spring event that attracts international submissions and provides an outlet for students interested in filmmaking, event planning and strategic communication.

Media production majors will be required to complete a three-credit internship and earn at least one credit through one of SUNY Cortland’s student media clubs: 20CSTV television station, WSUC-FM radio station or The Dragon Chronicle newspaper. 

The new major also should help facilitate a more seamless transfer process for students coming to Cortland with many media production-related credits from two-year community colleges. 

Visit cortland.edu/cms for more information on SUNY Cortland’s Communication and Media Studies Department.