Communication in Technology Bachelor of Science SUNY Cobleskill’s Newest Degree

A Bachelor of Science in Communication in Technology degree will be offered at SUNY Cobleskill beginning in this fall.  The new program becomes the 22nd bachelor’s degree program at SUNY Cobleskill and the college’s third Bachelor of Science.  Since Governor David Patterson signed off and the degree was registered with the State Education Department late last week, a few students have already enrolled or shown interest in the program.

The new Communication in Technology program will help address a growing need for technical writers, graphic designers, and marketing and public relations workers in New York’s Tech Valley region.  The bachelor’s program is designed to give students a broad background in the communications field.  Within that, students can specialize in one of three areas including graphic design, production, and writing and communicating through interactive media.

Associate Professor Erik Hage said the region has a growing demand for employees who are trained to handle Web design, graphic design, writing and other technical assignments.  Hage was instrumental in creating the new program and sheparding it through to approval, a process that took nearly four years. 

“People in this field are being expected to do more; journalists are expected to film and know how to use a camera, and we are preparing students with those skills,” said Susan Zimmermann, chair of the college’s Department of Humanities, Communication and Graphic Design. “They will receive a combined applied and theoretical experience.”

An Associate in Science in Communication at the college has been very popular, and even has a waiting list.  This new program gives those students the opportunity to remain at SUNY Cobleskill to receive their bachelor’s in communications, as well as attract a broad array of students who choose to enroll directly in a bachelor’s degree program.  The program is expected to draw as many as 25 students in the first year.

Professors have already lined up internship opportunities in the Capital Region with media outlets ranging from television and print media to some larger institutions where public relations know-how is a must.  Internship opportunities are not only appealing to prospective students, but give the new program and its graduates a competitive edge.

For more information on the Bachelor of Science in Communication in Technology at SUNY Cobleskill, contact the Office of Admissions at 518-255-5525.