Feb. 3. Central Piedmont Community College is launching a new associate degree program in Broadcasting and Production Technology starting August 2015, pending state approval. Students completing the program will be prepared for a wide range of media/communication jobs in the Charlotte region.
“An expert in the Charlotte media environment once told me, virtually all companies are now media companies,” explained Anasa Sinegal, director of CPCC’s Digital Media, Journalism and Communication Division. “An associates of applied sciences degree in Broadcasting and Production Technology (BPT) will provide CPCC graduates with a multi-platform media education.
“Mecklenburg County has a variety of outlets ranging from social and digital film media makers to print and broadcast news and entertainment-based companies. Moreover, every organization – from a craft brewery to a community non-profit – is finding that to stay connected, a multimedia strategy is a necessity,” Sinegal added.
Students in the two-year BPT program will take a number of their classes at WTVI PBS Charlotte, which already serves as a learning lab for CPCC journalism students. The station will provide a number of access points for BPT students to complete work-based learning.
The program’s curriculum will include courses in film and video production and editing, newswriting, broadcast sales, social media marketing and entrepreneurship.
U.S. Department of Labor data suggests there will be a 9-percent national increase in media industry growth through 2018, with 2-percent growth in North Carolina. There are more than 32,000 media/communication jobs in the Charlotte region. Median salaries for audio/video technicians, reporters and camera operators in the Charlotte area run between $34,000 and $36,000 annually.
More info: Anasa.Sinegal@cpcc.edu.