On the front page, on the home page, on camera, or behind the microphone… these are just a few of the places you’ll find University of St. Francis Communication & Media Arts (CMMA) majors.
Communication & Media Arts is a broad field that touches on every aspect of human social behavior. Along with traditional communication theory, media writing, and broadcast/print production, you will learn about new and emerging electronic media. Digital media, wikis, video sharing, podcasts, blogs and social media are altering the way we communicate. In CMMA you will explore the fast-changing fields of advertising, public relations, journalism and broadcasting.
Students are encouraged to “jump in with both feet” from the moment they step on campus by:
- Writing articles or taking photos for the USF Encounter student news magazine
- Filling air shifts on USF’s radio station, WCSF 88.7 FM
- Creating graphics for a television or video production
- Producing on-location video news stories
- Designing websites for the community and completing real world projects
- Developing storytelling techniques for social media
Concentrations
Advertising & Marketing
CMMA 293 Applied Public Relations 3
CMMA 475 Nonprofit Advertising & Communication 3
MKTG 175 Principles of Marketing 3
MKTG 275 Advertising & Promotion 3
Audio
CMMA 236 Radio II 3
CMMA 135 Announcing & Performance 3
DARA (MUSC) 101 Digital Audio Recording Arts I 3
DARA (MUSC) 103 Live Sound Production 3
Journalism & Public Communication
CMMA 214 Writing Across the Media II 3
CMMA 301 Public Relations Case Studies & Practices 3
CMMA 313 Writing Across the Media III 3
CMMA 475 Nonprofit Advertising & Communication 3
Media Studies
CMMA 100 Media Literacy 3
CMMA 303 Gender & Communication 3
CMMA 403 Myth and Communication 3
ENGL 400 Critical Theory (or approved Critical Theory course) 3
Video
CMMA 330 Special Effects 3
CMMA 337 Video Editing 3
CMMA 338 Documentary 3
CMMA 340 Video II 3
Visual Communication
CMMA 222 Digital Photography Editing
CMMA 337 Video Editing
CMMA 351 Multimedia Arts II 3
CMMA 451 Multimedia Arts Seminar 3
Minor
- Communication & Media Arts
Accreditations
The University of St. Francis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Testimonial
“I’m writing this email from my desk at my new, full time job. This week, I started at […], a boutique, association management firm in […]. Yesterday, I wrote a press release for the […] (our biggest client) and thought of you. My boss said it was “outstanding.” I have you to thank for that!
My official title is Program Assistant. Basically, I’m working as the assistant to the Director of Meetings and Special Events, so I love it. I am so excited to have gotten a job in Communication, especially one that involves planning special events.
I want to thank you for everything over the years at St. Francis. You and the other professors in the MCOM/CMMA department fully prepared me for this field.”
–Elizabeth H.
What Can You Do With This Degree?
What can’t you do with a CMMA degree?
Sarah worked in internal communications at Caterpillar. Dave markets a nonprofit. We have alumni at CBS and Fox in Chicago. We have an alumnus who works in visual effects in Hollywood.
Consistently, our graduates tell us they got their first job out of college because they had a broad set of skills that helped them comprehend fast-paced, competitive industry environments better than other job candidates.
More than anything, you will graduate with the ability to tell compelling stories. And every organization – corporations, nonprofits, big, small and in-between – needs help in telling its story.
Grow Through Real-World Experience
Students are encouraged to combine practical experience with their college curriculum. Therefore, internships are a significant part of USF’s Communication and Media Arts program.
Employers say they look for students who have an internship on their resume, so the CMMA staff recommends them for ultimate student success. Students can get additional experience working for the Encounter student newspaper, the USF TV studio or the WCSF 88.7 radio station. In addition, the Multimedia Lab holds state-of the-art equipment that allows students to gain experience with multimedia software. The lab features 26-inch iMacs, outfitted with the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Avid video editing software, and other resources.
