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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Program Highlights
Have a Flexible Career
As an English & Media Communications major, you’ll have many careers to choose from in business, media, and education. Recent graduates are working in television production, marketing communications, creative writing and publishing, and teaching.
Elevate Your Voice
Our program enhances your existing storytelling and media skills. We learn about you and your interests. Then, we find on- and off-campus opportunities to build the confidence and skills you need to produce the type of content you want to make. Our students create social media content, run YouTube channels, host podcasts, and publish their poems and stories.Â
Join a Growing Industry
For every television program, there are about 300 people behind the camera. You can be one of them. Dozens of major productions are happening in nearby Chicago such as, The Bear, The Chi, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and others. Chicago is home to more than 15 major production sound stages that need beginner and experienced crew on set.
Faculty
Mark Cassello, M.A.
Career
Options
Career Options with this major include but are not limited to:
- Editors – $75,020
- Writers and Authors – $73,690
- Public Relations Specialists – $66,750
- High School Teachers – $65,220
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists – $57,500
In addition, students may pursue Business Management to prepare for graduate school.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our English & Media Communications program combines the skill of storytelling with modern media. You’ll learn to tell stories through film, TV, journalism, and marketing. It’s all about creating and sharing great stories.
Our program emphasizes storytelling as a universal form of communication. We believe that learning how to tell effective stories is an in-demand skill that can be used in almost any career you choose.
You also get easy access to the tools you need to create. Some colleges are so big, students can’t get their hands on the digital cameras, microphones, software, and other gear needed to make their content.
At CCSJ, we have dedicated labs and available equipment accessible to our majors. One example is Studio B, an audio production and graphic design lab on the second floor that students can access anytime the building is open.
You’ll take courses that teach you how to write well, so you can create content for social media, film/tv, digital news, business marketing, poetry and novels. You’ll also take technical courses in the Adobe Creative Cloud, which will teach you photo, video, and audio editing along with graphic design and more. You’ll also get to do hands-on projects and internships.
Graduates can work in film and TV production, journalism, marketing, public relations, publishing, digital media, advertising, and teaching. Jobs include English teachers, screenwriters, journalists, content strategists, social media managers, and marketing specialists. Starting salaries are usually between $40,000-$50,000 a year, and experienced professionals can make $60,000-$90,000 or more. High-level positions like creative directors can earn over $100,000 a year.
Yes! Our career services can help you connect with local media companies, production studios, marketing agencies, and publishing houses that offer internships and real-world experiences. These help you apply what you’ve learned, make professional connections, and gain valuable experience.
You can work on The Shavings and WaveTV, our digital news platforms. You can also join the English & Creative Writing club, which creates Against the Grain, our annual literary magazine with student writing, poetry, and art. These activities give you practical experience and a chance to show off your creative work. We also have fun activities and trips, like travel to writing and film conferences.
Program
Objectives and requirements
The program consists of three 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
30 hours: Intermediate Courses in English & Media Communications
Two foundation courses in story: (6 hours)
- EMCO 215 Genre
- EMCO 220 Narrative
Three skills courses in writing: (9 hours)
- EMCO 316 Media Storytelling
- EMCO 335 Fiction Storytelling
- EMCO 340 Business Storytelling
Three of the following courses in media application: (9 hours)
- EMCO 341 Design Thinking
- EMCO 343 Visual Design with Adobe Illustrator
- EMCO 355 Publication Layout with Adobe InDesign
- EMCO 370 Video Production with Adobe Premiere Pro
- EMCO 371 Video Post-production with Adobe After Effects
- EMCO 372 Audio Production with Adobe Audition
Two experiential courses in media production: (6 hours)
- EMCO 240 Performance and Stagecraft (up to 6 hours) and/or
- EMCO 395 Calumet Mediaworks Practicum (up to 6 hours)
10 hours: Advanced Courses in English & Media Communications
- EMCO 495 Internship (4 hours)
- EMCO 496 Topics in English & Media Communications
- EMCO 499 Senior Seminar
30 hours: Electives
To receive a B.A. in English & Media Communications, students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in 300- and 400-level EMCO courses.