General Education & Transfer
Associate of Arts • 62 Credit Hours
The Media Studies degree can establish the foundation for a lifetime of continual learning and serve as a framework for a productive professional and personal life.
The Associate of Arts (AA) degree with a concentration in Media Studies will provide the graduate with an educational core that could lead to a bachelor’s degree in a variety of fields dealing with the media, including Broadcast Journalism, Online Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations, Print Journalism, Sports Broadcast Journalism, Video Media Production, and Radio Television Production Management. The AA degree can establish the foundation for a lifetime of continual learning and serve as a framework for a productive professional and personal life. This degree gives emphasis to practical skills in communication and computation that may lead to employment; however, the goal is successful transfer with junior status to an upper division baccalaureate degree program in media-related fields.
The degree requires a minimum of 62 credit hours of general education core transferable courses, including courses in Mass Communication and Culture, Principles of Public Relations, Introduction to Business, Fundamentals of Marketing, and Photography. These courses will provide the student with a broad background to enter a baccalaureate program at the junior level. The AA degree utilizes both on-site as well as distance education courses.
Broadcast & Sound Engineering Technicians
2019 Median Pay
$45,510 per year
Number of Jobs
144,300 in 2018
Job Outlook
2018-2028 8%
Faster than average employment.
For the most current salary information, please refer to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Occupational Outlook Handbook” found online at bls.gov/ooh/.
The college adheres to an open admission policy which means applications with a high school diploma or GED are eligible for admission. Applicants with neither a high school diploma nor GED may be admitted on a conditional basis.
Overall employment of broadcast and sound engineering technicians is projected to grow 8 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations.
Employment of audio and visual equipment technicians is projected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. More audio and video technicians should be needed to set up new, technologically advanced equipment or upgrade and maintain old, complex systems for a variety of organizations.
More companies are increasing their audio and video budgets so they can use video conferencing to reduce travel costs and communicate worldwide with other offices and clients. In addition, an increase in the use of digital signs across a wide variety of industries, such as schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores should lead to higher demand for audio and video equipment technicians.
