AUDIO AND MUSIC CERTIFICATE

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE TRANSITION TO CT STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

As part of the consolidation of Connecticut’s Community Colleges, Middlesex Community College and The Center for New Media will be transitioning our programs and courses to the new consolidated college, CT State, beginning with the Fall 2023 semester.  All currently existing Middlesex Community College programs will end in summer 2023.

All “Digital Media Production” associates degrees and certificates will become “New Media Production” retaining the same specialization areas, e.g., Audio & Music, Film & Video, etc.  The Communication Studies degree will keep the same name but have minor changes to program requirements. A new Communication degree will be available at the Middlesex campus with specializations in Journalism and Media Production.  A new associates degree program in music production called, Music Industry, will also be available at the Middlesex campus.

All courses will have new numbers and some courses will have changes to the titles. Some courses currently classified as “Communication” (COM) will convert to NMP (New Media Production).

Degree requirements for the new CT State programs are available on the CT State draft catalog (link below).  There will also be crosswalk documents available to help students transition from the current Middlesex programs to the new CT State programs. Students are strongly encouraged to confer with an advisor regarding transitioning to the new one college.

All students should have their Middlesex transcripts automatically converted to new CT State transcripts so they can seamlessly continue their education.

A draft of the new CT State catalog is available here.

This program is a career-oriented certificate program designed to prepare students to work in various types of audio-related positions in music recording and media.  Students can specialize in either music production or audio production for media, with some overlap between these two areas. 

The program emphasizes hands-on training using professional-level, state-of-the-art, digital audio technology and software with some required coursework in music. While not designed as a transfer program, the curriculum includes several courses modeled after those offered by similar bachelor degree programs and should allow for easy transfer to these types of programs.

MxCC’s new audio recording and post-production studios and labs are Pro Tools based and will allow students to learn the advanced-level skills necessary to be competent professional audio technicians.

 

greenpixel Degree Requirements


The New Media Production A.S. degree program requires 61 credits, including program requirements, electives and general education courses. In their first year students learn the foundations of media production through courses in writing, media studies, aesthetics and production. The second year is devoted to the selection of a series of specialized classes in preparation for a senior thesis project and internship.

As the certificate is comprised entirely of courses within MxCC’s New Media Production A.S. degree, students may switch to pursue the full degree instead of or in addition to the certificate with no penalties.

greenpixel Certificate Requirements


This certificate is a 30-credit occupational certificate program intended as a stackable credential for students looking to specialize Corporate Media production. When enrolling in this program as a standalone occupational certificate, it is recommended that students entering the program either have an associate’s degree or higher or are enrolled in the New Media Production Associate’s degree program to improve employability upon graduation.

 Certificate Requirements

 

greenpixel SALARY INFORMATION


Most graduates holding associate degrees will be seeking entry-level positions, which pay about $25,000 per year, depending on several factors. Pay increases with the employee’s level of education and experience. Often students find employment after graduation through their student internship experiences.

National Average Salaries for the year 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Music Director – $50,110

Composer – $53,999

Producer and Director – $70,950

Reporter, Correspondent, and Broadcast news Analyst – $38,870

Announcer – $30,830

Sound Engineer Technician – $42,550

The overall job outlook in this field is favorable, although competition is strong for positions at all levels. For the latest, detailed salary information, visit: www.bls.gov.

greenpixel Contact


For more information, contact:

Professor John Shafer
Chapman Hall, Room 606
jshafer@mxcc.edu
860-343-5811