Elmira College Launches Program that Explores Media Studies
Elmira, NY (07/20/2022) — Elmira College is introducing a program that brings a professional focus to a broad set of liberal arts pursuits. The Media Studies, Communications, and Design program can be taken as a major or minor. Courses in the program focus on the production and analysis of different types of media, from print to streaming, legacy to start-up, social media, podcasting, and more. Students will learn to analyze and engage with content, looking at how it was produced and distributed across multiple platforms. These techniques and skills are important to advertising, broadcasting, graphic design, internal and external communications, marketing, publishing, telecommunications, and more.
"Employers increasingly demand communications skills beyond writing and speaking," says Dr. Matt Seybold, Associate Professor of American Literature & Mark Twain Studies, who will serve as the major's founding director. "Our students will be prepared to deliver projects in many popular mediums of the present day. But, as importantly, they will understand how to evaluate the production, distribution, consumption, and reception of content, so that they can expand and adapt their skills to our rapidly changing media environment. Some of our incoming students will likely go on to design messaging in augmented reality or in the metaverse."
The Media Studies, Communications, and Design program takes a cross-disciplinary approach and complements other fields of study including Art, Business Administration, English, Fashion Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, History, Medical Humanities, Sociology, Sustainability, or Women's & Gender Studies.
"This program is rooted in Elmira College's broader commitment to flexibility and an interdisciplinary education," said Seybold. "I expect many students will pair Media Studies with dual majors or minors. By doing so, they take advantage of both Elmira College's strong foundation in the liberal arts and develop professional skills which are in constant demand."
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