Broadcasting and Mass Communication BA

This Oswego program — which has produced national and international broadcasting stars — incorporates practical experience as you learn about broadcast production, media history, communication, regulations and, the social/economic impact of the media, and management and sales techniques.

Overview

Discover media creation and production, and the interrelated nature of media industries, while building writing, production and distribution skills. Areas of study include audio and video production, broadcast journalism, copywriting and media management with offerings covering social media and integrated media design. The program prepares students for a range of media careers, from YouTuber, vlogger or podcaster to network news and entertainment posts.

Ample hands-on practice in robust campus facilities — on air or in the control room — are hallmarks of Oswego’s broadcasting program that have launched countless successful careers. Hewitt Hall, under construction, is slated to become home to broadcasting in fall 2025 and will house state-of-the-art labs and a digital-first newsroom, in a warm, inviting new space.

Gain first-hand experience with student-run media such as WNYO-radio and WTOP-TV. Pursue a co-op or an internship within government, not-for-profits, regional media — such as on-campus National Public Radio affiliate, WRVO — or national networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, MTV and ESPN.

Each year, the Hollywood POV program is a chance to explore LA’s media capital with insights from alumni involved in entertainment and news. You can also help organize the annual Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, a high-profile event that draws prominent industry figures to the campus for insightful discussion of media-related topics.

Curriculum

Bachelor of Arts

Broadcasting & Mass Communication in 60 seconds

Top-notch Equipment and Studios

In Oswego’s broadcasting and mass communication program, students learn by doing. Our facilities include a  digital television studio, multimedia laboratories, radio studios and multitrack recording facilities.

Outcomes

  • Ability to analyze and evaluate the role of media and its impacts on society
  • Choose to act in ways consistent with the codes of ethics of the communications field
  • Learn to identify the components of media systems and explain how they function within the communications industry
  • Demonstrate the effective use of media tools to create communication messages

Career Opportunities

  • Director
  • Media buyer
  • Media researcher
  • News anchor
  • Press secretary
  • Producer
  • Reporter
  • Video editor

It’s one of the reasons I became a broadcasting major…I learned so much so quickly and I’m still learning so much because 90% of it is hands-on. Many of my classes don’t require a textbook or homework. It’s going into the studio and doing the work in class.

I had no idea what direction I wanted to go career-wise when I came to college. I was going blind. I took all those editing classes and it was everything. I loved those classes because it was a hands-on experience.

In most classes, the field work starts in the first week. You learn as much practical skill as you do content. From cameras, to lighting, to post production, I’ve had the chance to work with it all in my courses and have become somewhat proficient.

In my broadcasting classes, all of the faculty teaching me have real-world experience which is really great because when I am in the classroom, it feels like I am in a real-world environment similar to what the workplace will be like.

I’m a part of WNYO and WTOP and both clubs have offered me professional hands-on experience! It really helps, especially if you’ve never touched equipment before in your life, which was the case for me.

Program Resources

The Oswego Guarantee

  • No increase in room & board 
  • Timely course offerings
  • High touch connections to alumni 
  • Small student to faculty ratio
Full Details

Travel to Hollywood

Our Hollywood POV program takes you to entertainment capital of the world to explore the many career paths in the media production industry. You’ll tour studios and soundstages, watch productions take shape and network with industry movers and shakers — many of them SUNY Oswego alumni!

Internships

Learn what it's like to work in a professional setting while still in school.

Where our students have interned

  • The American Film Institute
  • Dr. Phil
  • Jim Henson Productions
  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien
  • The Late Show with David Letterman
  • The View

Co-Ops

Apply for this full-time, paid integrated learning experience that allows you to gain hands on experience in a professional environment.

Lakeside Media

Apply to join this video production company, staffed by Oswego students and led by experienced faculty directors.

Study Abroad

Take classes and participate in internships while immersing yourself in all that region has to offer.

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