Alumni Newsletter

Keeping our Alumni informed of Atlantic Cape activities

Atlantic Cape to Offer New Media Studies Degree this Fall

As media gravitates to an on-demand and online format, allowing content to be accessed from personal computers, smart phones and portable electronic devices, there is a growing need for a workforce skilled in the design, production and development of digital media and multimedia.

Beginning this fall, Atlantic Cape will address the regional demand for new media professionals by offering a cutting-edge degree option: New Media Studies Associate in Applied Science. This program will equip students with the tools needed to thrive in the changing media industry.

“The A.A.S. degree will help get someone’s foot in the door for an entry-level position in creative services, technical support, or as a production assistant,” said Jim Taggart, chair of the Information Systems and Aviation Studies department.

This terminal degree requires students to complete 20 general education credits and 46 program course credits. The A.A.S. serves students who seek a career in media arts, but are not interested in continuing their education at a four-year school.

s“The New Media Studies degree has generated interest from high school students and those who have been laid off alike,” said Otto Hernandez, associate dean of Atlantic Cape’s Technology Studies Institute and GIS program. “The program will provide career changers with a ‘skill upgrade’.”

In New Jersey, there are more than 200 media outlets that blend multiple forms of media (text, audio, video and pictures) to address their audience. The Department of Labor predicts an 11 percent increase in the demand for jobs in the television and radio industries by 2018.

“We consulted with local media, including WMGM NBC-40, Millennium Radio and the Press of Atlantic City, about the employment potential for graduates of the New Media Studies program,” Hernandez said. “All of them said they would hire our A.A.S. graduates–as long as they had the skills for the job.”

Atlantic Cape has begun fostering relationships with local media outlets to pave the way for its New Media Studies students to pursue internship opportunities.

“Our goal is to help students create a strong electronic portfolio through hands-on courses that require final projects on the web. The focus is to prepare that portfolio for presentation to a potential employer,” Taggart said.

New Media Studies courses will be available at Atlantic Cape’s three campuses in Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May Court House.

For additional information, contact Jim Taggart at (609) 343-4950 or jtaggart@atlantic.edu.

New Media Career Opportunities

  • Creative Services
  • Multimedia Specialists
  • Online Community Manager
  • Production assistant
  • Social Media Specialists
  • Project Manager
  • Web Content Producer
  • Web Designer
  • Webmaster