Overview
Jeremy Sarachan, Chair
Todd Sodano, Interim Chair, Fall 2018
With thousands of successful graduates, the media and communication major at St. John Fisher College dates back to 1972 when it was created as communication/journalism. The major in media and communication, which leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree, offers small classes and a tight–knit community. Students work with faculty in small seminar and lab classes, engage with faculty in research, and are mentored into the media professions. The College's proximity to downtown Rochester, NY allows student participation in internships, service-learning initiatives, and networking opportunities.
Majors and minors within the department provide focus in these areas:
Media Management – Students study public relations and advertising to prepare for careers as PR professionals, corporate communicators, advertising strategists, and copywriters for a range of companies from Fortune 500s to startups. As an alternative, some students choose our B.S. in media management, which combines public relations, advertising, media economics, and marketing.
Video and Film Production – Students study video production to create narratives, documentaries, and news/entertainment programming with the goal of pursuing a career with production companies and television stations or to prepare for further study in film and television.
Interactive Media and Design – Students study design for the web, interactive media, and print to prepare for work in public relations and advertising firms or smaller startup companies. Students with further interests in video game design or data visualization often consider the major in interactive media.
Journalism – Students study journalism and nonfiction storytelling for a variety of genres (news, features, sports) and platforms (print, video and the web), developing skills as writers, researchers, photographers, designers, and videographers.
Communication and Media Studies – Students study topics in media law, group dynamics, visual communications, media and politics, film and television analysis, and television history that prepare them for a variety of professions or to pursue graduate work in communication, law, or business.
Our Internship program places students throughout the greater Rochester area, with students finding summer opportunities in New York City and beyond. Interns work at public relations and marketing firms, Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, online and print journalism publications, television stations and production houses, and web design companies.
On campus, we offer activities for students to develop their knowledge and portfolios.
- Through Cardinal Television (CTV), student produce both television programs and longer film projects. Students have 24-hour access to the Gladys Brooks Media Arts Lab with Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Photoshop, Premier Pro). They also use professional video and sound equipment, and a state-of-the-art high definition television studio.
- By joining Cardinal Media, students write news, feature, and sports stories; create images and video; sell and design ads; and design our monthly print magazine and news website.
- The PRIMA Group, our student-run integrated public relations firm, offers a full range of PR campaign planning, marketing research, advertising, creative development, and more, for on-and-off-campus clients.
- Our chapter of PRSSA, the Public Relations Student Society of America, offers students career exploration, seminars, and networking opportunities with industry professionals.
Transfer students are welcome.