Aspiring newscasters and advertising executives need not look any further than the College of Arts and Sciences to put them on the path to a successful career. According to students and faculty, the media studies program is a making a strong start.
"The media studies program so far has met my expectations," said Mark Serrano, a third-year College student and media studies major.
"I don't think there's anything else at the University that would make half as much sense for us to study," said Andrew Miller, a third-year College student and media studies major. "The issues media studies presents are the issues I think about all the time anyway."
Serrano and Miller were among the first group of students accepted into the new media studies major for spring 2001.
Students said they are pleased with the opportunities available to them through the program, including hands-on access to audio, video and CD-based technology in Clemons Library's Robertson Media Center.
The Media Center is largely a result of a $1.2 million gift from Timothy Robertson, a Class of 1977 graduate and Board of Visitors member.
Internships, which "will be at both the local and national levels," and "connections with traditional broadcast television networks, as well as Internet start-ups" will be available to media studies majors, Media Studies Professor Michael Quinn said.
Now, there are not enough resources to offer internships to non-majors.
Students said they are excited about the opportunities and technology now available to them here at the University.
"For example, I am able to go behind the scenes of the Darden Television Studio in my TV Production class ... or work on animation and the Flash program in my Digital Media class," Serrano said.
Students outside the media studies major may compare it to a typical communications major, the two are quite different.
The media studies major, unlike most communications majors, "is dedicated to exploring not only how media are constructed, but the awesome social and aesthetic effects that digital and computer technology are having on the media," Quinn said.
Student interest in the program has been as high as expected, he said.
Course enrollment now is limited because of the small number of faculty. But as the program expands and incorporates more faculty and resources, a wider variety of courses will be available and more students will be able to enroll in them.
As with any new program, "things are a little disorganized," Miller said.
"I'm still uncertain how some things are going to work ... just the same, all of us students in the major are pretty excited," he said.
Applications for the media studies major are due March 9. The process is highly competitive and about 20 students will be accepted, Quinn said.
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