Pace University’s Media, Communications, and Visual Arts (MCVA) Department is one of our school’s many shining gems, but what exactly is it? And why should you be interested in joining? Well, I’m here to give you the scoop!
1. What is MCVA?
The MCVA Department, located on Pace’s Pleasantville Campus is a unique program that allows students who are interested in all forms of media to be submerged in real life scenarios and experiences throughout their four years of college.
2. The Range of Majors/Minors Offered
The MCVA Department offers a diverse range of majors and minors. Some of the most popular majors in the department include Communications, Digital Cinema and Filmmaking, Public Relations, and Digital Journalism. You can even get a general Liberal Arts degree! To hone in on your specific interests, Pace offers a wide variety of minors with new ones being added frequently, so be sure to keep your eyes out for any announcements on our social media platforms @pacemcva!
3. The Experienced Professors
The professors in this department are top tier! The faculty of this department truly own a broad range of specialties. Everything ranging from the owner of her own PR firm (Professor Magas), to two former award-winning journalists (Dr. Pantic and Dr. Fink) to an Emmy award nominee for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Professor Oren) to three award-winning writers, directors, and producers with hands-on experience in the field (Dr. Luskay, Professor Guarneri, and Professor LaRosa), to an expert in sports communication, (associate chair of our department, Dr. Pulaski-Behling), to a PR expert who worked for an impressive list of companies on strategic communication PR campaigns (chair of our department, Dr. Ziek). With this lineup, you seriously can’t go wrong!
4. Internship Opportunities
Most students pursuing a degree within the department are required to hold at least one internship position for which they receive course credit. Even if it is not required for your particular major, the MCVA Department has a ton of internships available to students. Some of the incredible placements students have had over the years include: NBC, Tarte Cosmetics, Disney College Program, The Dr. Oz Show, and Tribeca Film Festival – just to name a few!
5. Our Network and Post Grad Placements
If you thought those internships were crazy, Pace MCVA also has an extensive post-graduation network for students. Just to emphasize how impressive our alumni are, some examples of where they work include: MTV, CBS, Cosmopolitan, Westchester Magazine, News 12, and ABC.
6. The Events
MCVA has a significant amount of events throughout each semester, whether it be virtually or in person. Connections in Communications is a yearly staple that brings students and alumni together to network which allows students to find opportunities for the future. Outside of networking, we also host events that celebrate all of the hard work students complete throughout the semester such as our Film Showcase, the Blue and Golden Globe Awards, documentary screenings, and more! No hard work goes overlooked here!
7. Guest Speakers
Classes within the MCVA department have awesome guest speakers who are more than willing to tell you all about their experiences and even offer internship opportunities! No matter if you are in the class or not, all MCVA students are able to join through Zoom or join the class presentation in person. Within a month’s time frame, our department had five guest speakers from all different professions ranging from event planner (Brianna Perriello) to Pace’s own Director of Public Affairs (Jerry McKinstry).
8. Opportunities to Explore
This department is the best at letting you explore your interests! One of my favorite parts is that you can take so many exploratory classes to find your niche without changing your major. I’m a Media and Communications major, but I have taken classes related to sports media, event planning, public relations, radio, print writing, and even painting! It is so helpful to be involved with a department that doesn’t limit you to one thing and encourages you to try everything available to you!
9. Department Growth
The MCVA Department is easily one of the fastest growing departments within Pace. With a rise in social media, the Internet, and digital entertainment, the department is booming and consistently has high entrance rates of incoming freshmen. The digital age is ending no time soon, so this department will likely become even more popular and necessary as time goes on.
10. The People
My final reason as to why you should join the MCVA Department is the classmates who are in it with you! Now, I may be a little biased, but I truly think this department has the absolute coolest, nicest, and most creative people within it. Knowing how different I felt as a teenager for being interested in an “artsy” degree rather than a business, nursing, or education degree, it was incredibly empowering joining a program where I wasn’t alone, but instead had people with the same interests as me who helped me grow in all aspects of my academic life.
About the writer:
Jessica Osso is a senior pursuing a Bachelor’s in Media and Communication Arts at the Pace University Pleasantville Campus. After graduation, she hopes to work in the advertising/social media field for theatre, live events, or baseball.