CIT FAQ

• Is a foreign language course required in this degree?
  No, foreign language courses are optional in both tracks.
• Will this degree help me if I plan to go to graduate school?
  Yes, some of our students have gone on to Journalism and Mass Communication Graduate Programs; others are in law school; others are pursuing graduate media studies degrees.
• What associate degree should I get before entering the CIT program?
  Any AS degree will work, but we recommend General Studies. Even if you do not plan to receive an associate’s degree, we recommend that you follow the curriculum outlined in the General Studies degree for your freshman and sophomore years. Always see an advisor to help you stay on track with the program. Remember that there are FOUR prerequisite courses that you need to take before beginning junior level work in the CIT program: JOURNALISM 1135, JOURNALISM 2131, COMM 1110, and ITEC 2215. You should easily be able to work these in as AREA F electives if you are following the General Studies curriculum for freshman and sophomore years.
• How do I declare CIT as my major?
  As you finish your sophomore year, make an appointment to see Dr. Amy Berke (CIT Coordinator; amy.berke@maconstate.edu) or Dr. Robert Kelly (Chair, Division of Humanities; robert.kelly@maconstate.edu) for an advising session to see if you are ready to begin the program. You will then formally declare your major with the Registrar’s office and send a letter requesting admission to the program to Dr. Kelly. See Admission Policy on this site. Instructions for composing the letter are found on this website.
• Will I gain any practical experience in this program of study?
  Absolutely! Whether you are planning to go to graduate school or to go directly into the workforce, this degree will work for you. You will receive hands-on newspaper writing, video editing and production, website creation, print and online layout and design, and other IT training. For example, our state-of-the-art CIT classroom houses the latest Mac computers designed for video editing and production, and MSC-TV’s production studio will provide students with a myriad of opportunities to learn television production techniques outside the traditional classroom. CIT students are typically involved with a number of campus activities such as reporting and writing for the campus newspaper, The Matrix, working on closed circuit televised programming through MSC-TV, and editing or working on the campus literary magazine, The Fall Line Review. Some of our current and former CIT students have even been tapped to write for our college publication, MSC Today. Finally, local internship opportunities give students further real world experience in the Middle Georgia job market.
• Why are there so many IT courses?
  Our primary goal, in accordance with the mission of our college, is for you to get a job after graduating. Employers will expect you to have these skills.
• How long will it take for me to get my bachelor’s degree after completing the associate program or my freshman and sophomore years?
  At least 2 years: there are 20 upper division courses for a total of 60 semester hours. Students who take 4 courses a semester can finish in five semesters, for example. Most students taking courses at this rate will need to take at least one summer semester.
• Is it possible to finish in 1-1 ½ years instead of 2?
  No, it’s not possible because of the prerequisites and class scheduling.
• Will I have one-on-one contact with my professors?
  Yes! It is one of the features of the program.
• Do I need to be a good writer to be successful in the program?
  Yes, you should be better than average. You should enjoy reading and writing.
• Will my advisor make internship contacts for me?
  Yes, at least to some extent. It is usually up to the student, however, to make the contact.
• How big are the classes?
  Generally, classes are around 20 students.
• Are there courses I should take before starting the CIT curriculum?
  Yes, Communications 1110, Journalism 1135, Journalism 2131, and ITEC 2215.
• Will I be permitted to design my own curriculum?
  Not exactly. There are set sources we would like to see you take, but we do allow a lot of flexibility and substitutions.
• Is the CIT degree offered at the Warner Robins Campus?
  There are IT courses offered at WRC, as well as a number of online IT courses, but most of the CIT courses are offered at the MSC campus.
• Can I get this degree online?
  Some of the IT courses can be taken online, but because of the nature of the curriculum, very few CIT courses are offered online.
• Can I get this degree by taking only night classes?
  No. We try to schedule as many evening and afternoon classes as possible, but we simply cannot offer all courses in the same timeframe.
• Is financial aid available?
  Yes, but you must go through the financial aid office located upstairs in the Student Life Center.
• Are there scholarships available?
  Yes, there are many under-utilized scholarships available. You can find out more about them in the Development Office located in the Administrative Building. We remind students through the CIT listserv of any scholarship and/ or internship opportunities that we know about throughout the year.
• What kinds of jobs can I get with the CIT degree?
  Some of the jobs appropriate for this degree include (but are not limited to) journalism (print and broadcast), professional and technical writing, website design, advertising, public relations, marketing, layout and design, editing, and video production.

Senior Project

Senior Project Philosophy

The practice of senior projects has its origins in small programs with studio and cross-curricular emphases. For a long time, art and film students have used such a capstone course to demonstrate what they learned over four years. Senior projects are opportunities for CIT students to design their own projects in consulatation with a faculty member of their choosing. Traditionally, a senior project is creative in its conception and medium and also demonstrates intellectual rigor in terms of research and writing. The Communications and Information Technology Program sees the project as “a bridge between the humanities curriculum and the information technology course work” (MSC Catalog).

English/ Humanities 4483

Students will complete work on their senior projects during spring semester of their graduation year. Seniors take English 4483 (New Media Track) or Humanities 4483 (Cross Cultural Track) as the course in which the projects are monitored and completed. The CIT Coordinator generally teaches this course and offers a timeline for completing stages of the project, as well as information about research methods and MLA documentation. Further, students select a Senior Project Advisor to work with them individually on their projects. The Senior Project Advisor is the primary resource for students who need help developing a topic, constructing a reading list, finding research sources, and providing advice about other aspects of the project.

General Timeline for Working on and Completing Project

For specific due dates for the current academic year, see “Senior Project Guidelines” below. Generally, however, in his or her senior year of the CIT program, the student should:

• in late August or early September of fall semester, submit to Dr. Berke your first two choices for the CIT professor who will serve as your Senior Project Advisor. Dr. Berke will respond to all requests.
• by late September of fall semester, working with your Senior Project Advisor, decide on a topic for the senior project
• by early November of fall semester, submit a proposal to the CIT Coordinator (Dr. Berke) for review and acceptance by a panel of CIT faculty (see “Guidelines for Completing the Senior Project” below)
• by end of fall semester, receive feedback from Senior Project Advisor about project proposal and modify the proposal as necessary
• by beginning of spring semester, sign up for ENGL or HUMN 4483 The Senior Project Course
• follow course guidelines for completing various stages of the project according to due dates in spring semester senior project course
• plan to present the finalized project to the Humanities faculty and campus visitors by mid-April of spring semester

Choosing a Topic

“What should I do for a senior project?” This question is best explored through individual student interests. The point is for students to come up with ideas and not for instructors to dictate projects or project ideas. Students should start thinking very early on about what they might do for a project, periodically meeting with a CIT faculty member to discuss ideas. Students should write down ideas, revisit the ideas, talk with fellow CIT students, and talk with recent graduates. This process should begin in earnest no later than the end of the third year. By the end of September of the senior year, students should begin the paper work for their project, which includes starting a graduation audit at the Registrar’s Office, arranging for a project advisor, writing a proposal, and conducting some preliminary research. For complete guidelines, students should see below “Guidelines for the Senior Project.” There students will find a calendar of due dates and some forms to download. Students should visit this site early in their studies, especially at the beginning of their senior years.

Since CIT is a hybrid curriculum with two overlapping tracks, there is wide opportunity to choose from topics and applications. Instead of providing a specific list of topics to choose from, which would immediately limit choices, we expect students to come up with their own ideas. In the past, students have explored the structure and cultural consequences of machine translation in web design; analyzed how the definition of “newsworthy” has been affected by for-profit cable news networks; explored how a global cultural economy is established by “flows” of movement of capital, information, images, ideas, technology and people; and examined the impact of the digital age on the radio broadcast industry. Ideally, each student should do something significantly different from other students. Students should also avoid repeating what another student did the previous year. This is a highly creative process and global modifications of the project in the early stages is not an unhealthy part of the process. Students may also choose to revisit a project or paper they completed in a previous CIT course. If you already have done significant work on a project in a previous class, you may want to build on those ideas in the Senior Project.

Major Components of the Project

There are three components of the project: the research paper, the creation of a technology component, and the oral presentation of the student’s work.

The Paper

Students will write an extended research paper that explores the topic in depth. All projects should have a theoretical basis (communication theory, feminist theory, gender theory, media theory, etc.) and should demonstrate good scholarly practices in research and writing using MLA documentation. The number of sources and the exact length of the paper will be arranged with the Project Advisor, but twenty pages with twelve or more sources is average. Finally, the students at the end of spring semester will orally present their work to Humanities faculty, other students, and visitors from the campus at large. As one can see, the project allows students to showcase skills that eventually will be important in the workplace: the ability to think, research, write, communicate and apply specific technology skills. Students can arrange to film their senior project presentations and use the edited footage as part of their professional portfolio.

The Technology Project

In terms of demonstrating technology skills, students should design a technology component that augments, illustrates, or complements in some way the research conducted. Ideally we want students with strong digital skills to apply them as a major element in their project, but not every student has to be able to do high tech applications on his or her own. Both selected IT and CIT faculty are able to help with putting together Web sites, creating and editing a short film, and other applications. The Senior Project Advisor will help students in identifying faculty with particular technology skills.

The Oral Presentation

Finally, all students will make an oral presentation near the end of spring semester on a day when all senior projects will be presented. Students should plan to speak extemporaneously following a clear organizational pattern. Students may choose to read very brief sections or quotations from their papers but should not read for extended periods. In the oral presentation, the student should communicate the theoretical framework of the project, cover the research conducted, and showcase the technology project, explaining its connection to the topic researched. The presentation is not an opportunity to be grilled in public, but for students to explain — with enthusiasm we hope — the project. We will ask some questions afterwards, but the aim is to celebrate your achievement as a soon-to-be graduate.

Senior Project Guidelines: 2008-2009

Fall semester in the academic year that the student plans to graduate, the student begins work on the Senior Project and continues work through the entire academic year. The Senior Project is completed during spring semester of the year that the student plans to graduate. Students should know that we offer senior projects classes only in the spring; this means that no student should plan on a fall or summer senior project.

STEPS TO FOLLOW:

1. SELECT A SENIOR PROJECT ADVISOR DURING FALL SEMESTER

During fall semester of the academic year that the student plans to graduate, students will be paired with Senior Project Advisors per their requests.

Students should meet with their advisors by the last day of September 2008. The project advisor helps the student formulate a topic and works closely with the student during the course of the academic year to assist the student in preparing the senior project proposal and the resulting paper and to help students compile reading lists/ research sources, define the scope of the technical component of the project, and prepare the oral presentation of the project.

Normally, the Project Advisor teaches in the CIT program, but if a student wants to work with someone else, the student can contact Dr. Robert Kelly, Chair of the Humanities Division, to seek permission to make other arrangements.

2. PREPARE AND SUBMIT SENIOR PROJECT PROPOSAL DURING FALL SEMESTER

Each student must submit a Senior Project Proposal package by 7 November 2008 (4:30pm at the latest).The proposal should be submitted in hard copy to Dr. Amy Berke in the Humanities Division AND TO YOUR SENIOR PROJECT ADVISOR according to the following guidelines:

The proposal will have four parts and should be assembled in the following order, then stapled and turned in by the deadline:

• A Senior Project Cover Sheet (will be sent over CIT listserv) that includes a 50-word abstract of the project. Before the Senior Project Proposal package is turned in, the student must have his/her Project Advisor and the Registrar’s Office sign this cover sheet. Students must have these signatures completed by 5 November 2008, the date that the proposal package is due. Students should also request at the Registrar’s office a degree audit the fall semester before graduation to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met in the current or spring semester.
• A two-page paper that offers in greater detail than the abstract the scope of the project (what the student wants to explore), the theoretical underpinning or critical framework of the ideas at hand, a brief discussion of material read to date or the texts that will be consulted, and the scope/ type of the technical component (e.g., a website, a hypertext narrative, digital video, etc.). The paper should be followed by an annotated bibliography (see #3 below). The paper should be typed and double-spaced. The student’s name, the Project Advisor’s name, the phrase “Senior Project Proposal,” and the current date in British notation should appear in the upper left-hand corner of the first page, each on a separate line. The title of the project should then be centered above the first paragraph. All paragraphs should be indented 5 spaces. Each page, including the annotated bibliography, should be numbered in the right upper corner, according to MLA guidelines. If research material is referenced (paraphrased or quoted directly) within the narrative, the student must cite it appropriately using MLA guidelines. Dr. Berke has copies of previous senior project proposals in her office if you would like to see one as a sample.
• An annotated bibliography of at least five texts read to date. The bibliography should be listed as the Annotated Bibliography page and should appear after the two-page narrative as the last numbered page(s) of the narrative. Consult a writer’s handbook for current MLA standards for writing and formatting an annotated bibliography.
• The Senior Project New Proposal Questionnaire. The student should fill out the questionnaire (will be sent over the CIT listserv). Include the completed questionnaire with your other materials.

3. SIGN UP FOR ENGLISH OR HUMANITIES 4483 FOR SPRING SEMESTER

During fall semester pre-registration, each student planning a spring 2009 graduation should sign up for The Senior Project Class, English 4483 (New Media Track) or Humanities 4483 (Cross Cultural Track) for spring 2008. Contact Dr. Amy Berke for a sample syllabus.

Students working on the Senior Project will attend English/ Humanities 4483 in the spring and will also meet with respective Project Advisors as the projects come to a conclusion. The date of the Senior Project Presentations is TBA. On this day, students will showcase their projects to faculty, students, and others during formal oral presentations. Dr.Berke, the instructor of record for English/ Humanities 4483, will be responsible (with input from your Senior Project Advisor) for determining the grade of each student’s senior project (which is the course grade for the semester).

CIT Listserv

All declared CIT majors should join the CIT listserv to receive important information about advising and registration issues, as well as program updates, upcoming events, and scholarship or intern opportunities relevant to CIT majors.

To join the CIT listserv, go to MSC LISTSERVS.

Choose “CIT Students” from the list and follow directions.

Check your email regularly.

Application Letter

Guidelines for writing a letter of application to the CIT Program.

• The letter should be typed in standard business letter format. Attach the letter to an email to be sent to Dr. Amy Berke, CIT Coordinator (amy.berke@maconstate.edu)
• The letter should state where you are in your program of study (freshman or transfer student, for example); indicate which track you are interested in; state what your interest in the program is; and what your plans for a professional life are. Keep the letter to one page in length.
• You may also fax or hand-deliver the letter to the Humanities Division (Ms. Green or Ms. LeClair at the front desk). Our fax number is 478/757-3624.
• The main purpose of this letter is for you to indicate that you are formally beginning your course of study in CIT. See admissions policy.
• This letter will not exclude anyone from our program; rather it will help us track students as part of the program.

Admission Policy

In order to enter the baccalaureate CIT program, students must have a two-year transfer degree, or equivalent, with a C or better in College Algebra (Math 1111) or Mathematical Modeling (Math 1101) and English 1102 (Literature & Composition). They also must have a 2.0 GPA.

To be formally admitted to the CIT Program, students should schedule an advising appointment with Dr. Amy Berke, Coordinator of the Program (email amy.berke@maconstate.edu to request appointment). Afterward, students should send a letter formally declaring the intention to enter the program to Dr. Amy Berke (amy.berke@maconstate.edu). The letter should be written in standard business format and should be attached to the email.

Freshmen can enter the CIT program through any major, keeping in mind that before they have completed 60 hours of course work, students should get a C or better in the following courses: COMM 1110, Journalism 1135, Journalism 2131, and ITEC 2215.

Please Note: No grade less than a C will count as credit once a student has entered the CIT program. A student, however, may repeat any course in the CIT curriculum, with the grade of C or better replacing either the D or the F.

If students are not planning an Associate’s Degree and want a direct track to CIT, they should follow the core curriculum outlined in the Associate of Arts in General Studies Program, working the following electives into Area F:

• Journalism 1135
• Journalism 2131
• COMM 1110
• ITEC 2215
• 6 hrs. of approved electives

Do not confuse Area F with the 18-hour humanties core. Area F is part of the core curriculum, whereas the 18-hour humanities core begins the junior/senior level classes.

Check this website for the most recent changes, information, notices, and courses to be offered.

Cross-Cultural Track

Major courses in the Cross Cultural track explore the nature and theory of cultural communication, focusing in particular on the ways that information technologies both reflect and define cultures. Students will find this track of benefit if they are interested in working outside the U.S. or working within the U.S. for a multi-national company or for companies serving a large non-Western or diverse population, as well as working as foreign service officers or Peace Corps volunteers.

Remember to take the CIT program prerequisites: COMM 1110, JOUR 1135, JOUR 2131, and ITEC 2215 before starting your junior and senior level coursework.

Whenever possible, 3000 level courses should be completed before beginning 4000 level courses

Humanities Core Courses (18 semester hours)

• HUMN 3010 (3 hrs.) Cross Cultural Issues
• HUMN 3999 (3 hrs.) Special Topics
• HUMN 4340 (3 hrs.) Introduction to Ethics
• ENGL 3010 (3 hrs.) Intro. to Literary Studies
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE* (6 hrs.) at the 2000 level or above or substitute 6 hours of approved Humanities electives

Information Technology Core Courses (18 semester hours)

• ITEC 3235** (3 hrs.) Computer Interface Design
• ITEC 3236** (3 hrs.) Interactive Digital Media
• ITEC 4230 (3 hrs.) Graphic Imaging

…WITH 9 hours of electives selected from the following***

• ITEC 4231 (3 hrs.) Designing Content for Technology Applications
• ITEC 4232 (3 hrs.) Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design
• ITEC 4236 (3 hrs.) Digital Video and Streaming Media
• ITEC 4238 (3hrs.) 2-D Computer Animation

Cross Cultural (24 semester hours)

• COMM 2010 (3 hrs.) Interpersonal Skills for a Global Society
• ENGL 3206 (3 hrs.) Gender Studies
• ENGL 3999 (3 hrs.) Special Topics
• ENGL 4430 (3 hrs.) Non-Western Literature
• ENGL 4481 (3 hrs.) Survey of Film
• HUMN 4483/4483H (3 hrs.) Senior Project

…WITH 6 semester hours of electives**** selected from the following:

• FOREIGN LANGUAGE (3-6 hrs.) at the 2000 level or higher
• HUMN 4472 (3 hrs.) Studies in Culture
• HUMN 3501 (3 hrs.) Applied Linguistics and Culture
• ENGL 2141 (3 hrs.) African American Literature I
• ENGL 2142 (3 hrs.) African American Literature II
• ENGL 3106/ 3108 (3 hrs.) Professional Comm./ Writing for Digital Media
• HUMN 2111H (3 hrs.) Honors Humanities
• HUMN 3145 (3 hrs.) Technology and the Creative Artist
• HUMN 3600 (3 hrs.) Digital Storytelling
• ENGL 4482 (3 hrs.) Popular Culture
• HUMN 4471 (3 hrs.) Comparative Cultures
• JOUR 3131 (3 hrs.) News Writing Practicum
• CIT 4470***** (3 hrs.) Student Editor Internship
• CIT 4471***** (3 hrs.) Off-campus Internship

TOTAL PROGRAM HOURS: 60 SEMESTER HOURS [20 COURSES AT 3 SEMESTER HOURS EACH].

Notes

* — With permission of CIT advisor, a student may substitute 6 hours of approved Humanities electives for Foreign Language in the Humanities core
** — ITEC 3235 and 3236 can be taken at the same time
*** — Other ITEC classes can, with the permission of your CIT advisor, replace any of these 9 hours
**** — Other appropriate electives approved by advisor
***** — Neither 4470 nor 4471 can be repeated for credit, nor can both be taken for credit.

CIT New Media Track

Major courses in the New Media track explore the nature and theory of digital communication, focusing in particular on the ways that information technology affects such areas as text creation and publication, film and film-making, public relations, advertising, journalism, commercial art, and web design. Students interested in working in new media will find this track of benefit.

Remember to take the CIT program prerequisites: COMM 1110, JOUR 1135, JOUR 2131, and ITEC 2215 before starting your junior and senior level coursework.

Whenever possible, 3000 level courses should be completed before beginning 4000 level courses. Note that ENGL 4451 has a prerequisite of ENGL 4450. Students will find that taking ENGL 3106 or ENGL 3108, ENGL 3010, and HUMN 3460 early on in the program will prepare them for concepts covered in higher level courses.

The following curriculum for the New Media track reflects the latest changes and additions made to the program.

Humanities Core Courses (18 semester hours)

• ENGL 3106 (3 hrs.) Professional Communication or ENGL 3108 (3hrs.) Writing for Digital Media
• JOUR 3131 (3 hrs.) News Writing
• ENGL 3010 (3 hrs.) Intro. to Literary Studies (replaces “Critical Perspectives”)
• HUMN 3460 (3 hrs.) Media Criticism
• HUMN 4340 (3 hrs.) Introduction to Ethics
• ENGL 4481 (3 hrs.) Survey of Film

Information Technology Core Courses (18 semester hours)

• ITEC 3235* (3 hrs.) Computer Interface Design
• ITEC 3236* (3 hrs.) Interactive Digital Media
• ITEC 4230 (3 hrs.) Graphic Imaging

…WITH 9 hours of electives selected from the following**

• ITEC 4231 (3 hrs.) Designing Content for Technology Applications
• ITEC 4232 (3 hrs.) Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design
• ITEC 4236 (3 hrs.) Digital Video and Streaming Media
• ITEC 4238 (3 hrs.) 2-D Computer Animation 

New Media Track (24 semester hours)

• HUMN 3999 (3 hrs.) Special Topics
• ENGL 3999 (3 hrs.) Special Topics
• ENGL 4450 (3 hrs.) Visual Rhetoric: Principles of Production I
• ENGL 4480 (3 hrs.) History of Print
• HUMN 4460 (3 hrs.) Senior Seminar: New Media
• ENGL 4483 (3 hrs.) Senior Project

…WITH 6 hours of electives selected from the following***

• COMM 2010 (3 hrs.) Interpersonal Skills for a Global Society
• HUMN 2152 /SCIE 2152 (3 hrs.) Science, Poetry, and The Imagination
• BUSA 3153/HUMN 3153 (3 hrs.) Organizations, Work, and Literature
• HUMN 2111H (3 hrs.) Honors Humanities
• HUMN 2151 (3 hrs.) Humanities
• HUMN 2155 (3 hrs.) Survey of Humanities I
• HUMN 2156 (3 hrs.) Survey of Humanities II
• HUMN 3145 (3 hrs.) Technology and the Creative Artist
• HUMN 3501 (3 hrs.) Applied Linguistics
• HUMN 3600 (3 hrs.) Digital Storytelling
• HUMN 4471 (3 hrs.) Comparative Cultures
• HUMN 4472 (3 hrs.) Studies in Culture
• ENGL 4482 (3 hrs.) Popular Culture
• ENGL 3206 (3 hrs.) Gender Studies
• ENGL 4451 (3 hrs.) Visual Rhetoric: Principles of Production II
• ENGL 4430 (3 hrs.) Non-Western Literature
• ENGL 2105 (3 hrs.) Creative Writing
• ARTS 4400 (3 hrs.) Principles of Graphic Design
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE (3-6 hrs.) at the 2000 level or higher
• CIT 4470**** (3 hrs.) Student Editor Internship
• CIT 4471**** (3 hrs.) Off-campus Internship

TOTAL PROGRAM HOURS: 60 SEMESTER HOURS [20 COURSES AT 3 SEMESTER HOURS EACH].

Notes

* — ITEC 3235 and 3236 can be taken at the same time
** — Other ITEC classes can, with the permission of your CIT advisor, replace any of these 9 hours
*** — Other appropriate electives approved by advisor
**** — Neither 4470 nor 4471 can be repeated for credit, nor can both be taken for credit.

Coordinator & Advising Information

CIT Coordinator: Dr. Amy Berke

Contact Information:

• Office Location: Humanities Division; M113
• Phone (voicemail): 471-5788
• email: amy.berke@maconstate.edu
• faculty website: Dr. Berke’s Website

CIT Philosophy

This interdisciplinary program assumes the continuing relevance of the humanities in the information age. The program explores, in particular, the many ways in which information technology has affected the production, publication, consumption, understanding, and significance of language, art, and culture in the contemporary era. The CIT program offers two tracks: one with a focus on new media communication, the other a focus on cross-cultural communication. These tracks provide graduates with knowledge and skill necessary to succeed as professionals in a global, technological economy. Students graduate from the program with a crtical understanding of language, literature, and the arts; skill in high tech, digital communication; and a knowledge of the cultural forces that form and inform the worlds in which they live and work. Both tracks of the program emphasize writing, critical thinking, and hands-on technology projects.

Crossroads Writers’ Conference 2009

Stay tuned for more information!