Grounded in the liberal arts, the Department of Media, Culture and Communication (MCC) at New York University (NYU) trains its students in the critical thinking skills they need to fully appreciate the fields of study on which they choose to focus their degree. As juniors and seniors, undergraduates must complete three courses within two of the following fields: globalization and cultural production, images and screen studies, interaction and social processes, persuasion and politics, or technology and study. They can gain practical media experience at NYU's on-campus television and radio stations. Four of the department's undergraduates decided to apply their insights on the social and political effects of digital media's social networking platforms to announce in April 2010 that they were going to create their own social networking website that would cherish its users privacy. The event caught the attention of the New York Times. NYU's location makes it possible for students to intern with a national or international media corporation. Students should complete at least one of the 200 internships available before graduation. MCC undergrads can take advantage of NYU's study-abroad program by taking media, culture and communications courses in Prague, Shanghai or Paris. No minimum formulas are required to gain admission to NYU. Good grades and SAT or ACT scores should complement the essays and letters of recommendations that every application requires. Students should also demonstrate their substantial involvement in extracurricular activities that demonstrate their leadership qualities.
Department of Media, Culture and Communication
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development
New York University
239 Greene Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10003
212-998-4500
steinhardt.nyu.edu
In the Department of Language, Literature and Communication (LL&C) at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, undergraduates can earn one of the three following communications degrees: Communication, Communication with a Concentration in Graphic Design and Electronic Media, Arts and Communication. Students can also pursue a fourth degree, Information Technology with Communication as the Second Discipline, which is in cooperation with the School of Science. Two of the four possible tracks in the general communication degree are media-specific: the Human-Computer Interaction track and the Media and Culture Track. All degrees give students the opportunity to take classes in theory and production, either in the LL&C or in the Arts Department. Students can also earn the Communications Design Certificate, which will prepare students for graduate work in graphic design. LL&C coordinates more than 100 internships, either in nearby Albany or in New York City. Applicants are individually judged without any required high school GPA minimum or SAT and ACT score, but applicants should have four years of English and mathematics through pre-calculus, as well as three years of science and social studies courses.
Department of Language, Literature, and Communication
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 Eighth St.
Troy, NY
518-276-6000
rpi.edu
The flexibility of the Parsons New School for Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts' (BFA) two programs in Communication Design and Design and Technology enable undergraduates to focus on the kind of spatial and environmental graphics they want to pursue while they study the social and cultural ramifications of modern media communication. While the curriculum trains students in media studies and communication theory, the coursework students complete to illustrate their learning is often creative. Classes at Parsons follow a philosophy of project-based learning. Those projects often draw from Parsons' partnerships with international companies with offices in Manhattan, such as Apple and the Human Rights Watch. While the school does not require a minimum in any applicant's high school GPA or SAT and ACT score, Parsons is highly selective about who it admits. Because success at Parsons requires the ability to creatively demonstrate your understanding of key concepts, all applicants must complete a six-part Parsons Challenge. Students can create half of the challenge with any form of visual media, the other half with short written statements no longer than 150 words. Applicants for the Design and Technology BFA must also submit a portfolio of eight to 12 pieces of visual work in any medium. Expertise in digital technology is not a prerequisite for admission.
School of Art, Media and Technology
Parsons The New School for Design
66 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
212-229-8989
newschool.edu/parsons