Michigan Technological University will award the Certificate in Media to students who have at least 21 semester hours in courses listed on this proposal and have earned a 2.50 GPA in the certificate program courses. The certificate will be noted on the student's transcript.
Proposal Background
The Certificate in Media was developed to meet the needs of students in technical
communication who wish to develop expertise in media. In addition, the certificate can
provide students from other programs an opportunity to supplement their studies with an area
of interest in media.
The Scientific and Technical Communication Program in the Humanities Department is restructuring its degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees as we move from quarters to semesters. The Bachelor of Arts degree will give students the option of developing one or more area(s) of expertise in technical communication (media or writing). To recognize their concentrated study in the area of media, we propose to issue a certificate in media.
Several colleges offer certificates in technical communication, and the degree requirements tend to require from 15-21 semester hours for completion (Michael Keene, Education in Scientific and Technical Communication: Academic Programs that Work, Society for Technical Communication, 1997, page 128). The proposed Certificate in Media is more specialized than such degrees, but it requires approximately the same number of hours.
Objective
The objective of the certificate program is to give students a clear outline of which courses are
required to develop a suitable level of expertise in media and to assure prospective employers
that students have mastered the skills necessary to work in entry-level positions in media
development.
Significance
Michigan Tech already has nationally recognized Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
programs in technical communication, and we expect to be among the first scientific and
technical communication programs to offer certificates for special emphasis within technical
communication.
As communication media develop rapidly, a niche in the job market is opening up for people who can be media experts, especially in areas of CD ROM development and World Wide Web development. We believe we are perfectly positioned to begin to fill that niche. Many of our majors already focus on this area, but they compete for jobs with students from programs that more explicitly support media studies. We believe the certificate will reflect their studies and enhance employability.
The Certificate in Media will provide an added incentive for high school students who are considering college studies in communication to come to Michigan Tech. We believe this certificate will aid in our recruitment efforts.
Besides these advantages, the certificate will:
Costs and Revenues
The certificate uses courses and equipment already in place in the Humanities Department.
We expect no added costs.
Non-degree students who take the program would generate additional revenue.
Course Requirements
Students will be required to take 21 semester hours in media for the certificate. Nine of these
hours may be used to meet the Media requirement in the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of
Science degrees in Scientific and Technical Communication. See "Curriculum" below for more
details.
Administration
The certificate will be administered by the Scientific and Technical Communication Committee
in the Humanities Department and by the Director and the Advisor of Scientific and Technical
Communication. If the committee believes changes are necessary, it will recommend changes
to the Humanities Undergraduate Steering Committee, the Humanities Department, the
University Senate, and Provost, as necessary.
Enrollment
Media is one of our majors' most popular areas of interest. We expect many of our majors to
sign up for this certificate. Similarly, students in other majors have shown interest, and we
expect the certificate to be popular with them as well. However, we do not plan to increase
our course offerings at this time unless we have faculty to cover such courses.
Fit with other Programs
The Certificate in Media will supplement studies for majors in scientific and technical
communication. It is a natural extension, indeed a recognition, of an area that has already
developed within our program.
Curriculum
Students must take 21 credits in media for the certificate. Nine of these credits may be used
to meet requirements in the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees in Scientific and
Technical Communication. Students must maintain a minimum 2.50 average on a 4.0 scale
in these courses, and students must earn at least a C in the class in order for it to count
toward the certificate.
Production (15 credits required)
HU2631 Fundamentals of Photography
HU2645 Graphic and Information Design for Communicators
HU2650 Introduction to Web-Page Design and Maintenance
HU3630 Publications and Information Management
HU3634 Television Production I
HU3635 Television Production II
HU3642 Introduction to Multimedia Development
HU4642 Special Topics in Advanced Media Development
(HU4642 may also count as a non-production course)
Non-Production (6 credits required)
HU3151 The Rhetoric of Everyday Texts
HU3324 Special Topics in Visual Media
HU3701 Philosophy of Technology
HU3850 Cultural Studies
HU3860 Popular Culture
HU3920 Special Topics in Linguistics: Language and Technology
HU4703 Issues in Communication Ethics
HU4820 Modes of Communication
Adopted by Senate: May 10, 2000
Approved by President: May 30, 2000