English & Media Communications Program
Tell stories with clarity and purpose
The English & Media Communications Program (EMCO) seeks to give students the power to tell stories with clarity and purpose in creative and commercial fields. Students encounter the best of global storytelling. By studying models from literature, film, journalism and advertising, branding, and business presentations; students learn the features of great stories and how to create the stories they want or need to tell. Students gain control of the English language while acquiring the technical skills and artistic sensibility needed to produce, edit, market, and distribute meaningful content.
You will gain real-world experience in
- The Shavings online student news magazine
- Against the Grain, our annual, literary journal
- The Calumet Mediaworks audio and video production company
Through internships and off-campus outings, you will connect with professional storytellers in the business and creative communities.
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Career
Options
Career Options with this major include, but are not limited to work as:
- Creative Writer
- Multimedia Journalist
- Communication Specialist
- Copywriter and Editor
- Secondary School Teacher
Faculty
Christopher Buczinsky, Ph.D.
Mark Cassello, M.A.
Program
Objectives and requirements
The program consists of two components:
- English & Media Communications Core introduces the creative process behind storytelling, teaches the fundamentals of English grammar and the use of language for rhetorical purposes, the elements of writing style, and the techniques of editing.
- Intermediate Courses in English & Media Communications provide students with foundational knowledge of story genres and forms, writing skills to craft compelling narratives, and technical skills to tell stories on multimedia platforms.
- Advanced Courses in English & Media Communications prepare students for the transition to a career or graduate school through completion of individualized and group projects and supervised internships that evaluate the effectiveness and quality of their work.
At the end of the program, students will:
- Know the nature of narrative, the elements of story, storytelling genres and structures, the story writing process.
- Understand the mechanics of textual, aural, and visual storytelling, the nature of current industry platforms, and the production process.
- Apply knowledge of English words, grammar, syntax, and style to create and edit a variety of literary, journalistic, and business texts.
- Apply the knowledge of multimedia storytelling in informative journalism, fictional entertainment, and strategic business communication.
- Analyze textual, aural, and video stories in a variety of genres to determine and convey meaning.
- Synthesize knowledge of multimedia storytelling in a variety of real-world multimedia journalistic, entertainment, and business storytelling projects.
- Evaluate the quality of multimedia storytelling in a variety of genres, purposes, and media platforms.
- Evaluate the role and application of ethical perspectives in multimedia storytelling.
120 credit hours
The following courses are required for a baccalaureate degree in English & Media Communications
38 hours: General Education
12 hours: English & Media Communications Core
EMCO 210 Introduction to Story
EMCO 320 Introduction to Literary Language: Poetry
EMCO 325 Introduction to Style: Prose
EMCO 410 Editing
21 hours: Intermediate Courses in English & Media Communications
Two of the following three foundation courses in story:
EMCO 215 Genre
EMCO 220 Narrative
EMCO 225 Performance
Two of the following three skills courses in writing:
EMCO 316 Media Storytelling
EMCO 335 Fiction Storytelling
EMCO 340 Business Storytelling
Three of the following six technical courses in media application:
EMCO 317 Digital Marketing and Publishing (cross-listed with ARTS)
EMCO 341 Adobe Visual Design I (cross-listed with ARTS)
EMCO 355 Adobe Visual Design II (cross-listed with ARTS)
EMCO 370 Video Production
EMCO 371 Video Post-production
EMCO 372 Audio Production
13 hours: Advanced Courses in English & Media Communication
EMCO 495 Internship in English & Media Communications (4 hours)
EMCO 496 Topics in English & Media Communications (6 hours)
EMCO 499 Senior Seminar in English & Media CommunicationsÂ
36 hours: Electives
To receive a B.A. in English & Media Communications, students must earn a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in 300- and 400-level EMCO courses. Students majoring in EMCO are also required to complete service hours each semester. See the Program Director for details.
60 credit hours
The following courses are required for a baccalaureate degree in English & Media Communications
38 hours: General Education
12 hours: English & Media Communications Core
EMCO 210 Introduction to Story
EMCO 320 Introduction to Literary Language: Poetry
EMCO 325 Introduction to Style: Prose
EMCO 410 Editing
21 hours: Intermediate Courses in English & Media Communications
One of the following three foundation courses in story:
EMCO 215 Genre
EMCO 220 Narrative
EMCO 225 Performance
One of the following three skills courses in writing:
EMCO 316 Media Storytelling
EMCO 335 Fiction Storytelling
EMCO 340 Business Storytelling
Two of the following six technical courses in media application:
EMCO 317 Digital Marketing and Publishing (cross-listed with ARTS)
EMCO 341 Adobe Visual Design I (cross-listed with ARTS)
EMCO 355 Adobe Visual Design II (cross-listed with ARTS)
EMCO 370 Video Production
EMCO 371 Video Post-production
EMCO 372 Audio Production
To receive an A.A. in English & Media Communications, students must earn a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher in 300- and 400-level EMCO courses. Students majoring in EMCO are also required to complete service hours each semester. See the Program Director for details.
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at Calumet College of St. Joseph!
