Associate Professor--Patterson
Assistant Professors--Gonzalez, M., Khani, Shrivastava
M.A. in Radio and Television
The B.A. program includes a core requirement drawn from classes in the history and structure of electronic media in the United States, media aesthetics, media research, audio and video production, media ethics and regulation, mass communication theory and criticism, and writing and performance for the electronic media. In addition, students may elect to pursue one of the nine areas of emphasis within the department: audio production and recording, broadcast journalism, business aspects of the electronic media, educational and instructional media, mass communication theory and criticism, new communication media, radio production and programming, television/video production, and writing for the electronic media, or they can design an individualized area of emphasis in consultation with a department adviser.
The M.A. program reflects a comprehensive view of the communication discipline with an integration of theory and practice. Interested students will find emphases in media aesthetics, production, news and documentary, new technologies and multimedia, writing, management, and mass communication theory and criticism. Equal emphasis is placed upon creativity and scholarship and all candidates are expected to achieve distinction in both of these areas. The faculty and staff consider the master's candidate a colleague in the pursuit of knowledge, and a mature partnership is a key goal of the program.
Two important co-curricular activities are open to students of the BECA Department. KSFS, the campus radio station, is carried to campus and dormitory locations by wire and is distributed in San Francisco on stereo cable. The Television Center produces newscasts, dramas, interviews, musical performances, and other productions for campus distribution through closed-circuit television and for distribution to the San Francisco community through cable television. Collegiate chapters of the Audio Engineering Society, College Students in Broadcasting (an affiliate of American Women in Radio and Television), International Students in Broadcasting, and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers provide opportunities for service and fellowship in the department and in the professional community. The San Francisco Bay Area provides a wealth of media organizations that cooperate with the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department in a large, active internship program.
Career opportunities in many of these organizations are expanding, largely because of advances in media technology. For example, with the continued convergence of computers and television, graduates of the department are increasingly finding work in the areas of interactive media and multimedia.
Many graduates of the department continue their education and pursue advanced degrees in mass communication or related fields. Students with the appropriate credential or graduate degrees in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts may teach in elementary and secondary schools, community colleges, or universities. A significant number of the department's M.A. graduates have competed successfully for admission to the leading doctoral programs in the field of mass communication.
Students majoring in radio and television are encouraged to take additional course work in other disciplines related to their program of study in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts.
Prerequisite Core Courses: The prerequisite core courses will normally be taken during the sophomore year. Transfer students admitted to San Francisco State University as Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (radio and television) majors should plan to complete the prerequisite core no later than the first semester of the junior year. Courses in this group must be completed before taking any additional core or elective courses in the BECA Department with a prerequisite of "departmental permission."
Writing Competence: Good writing skills are necessary for success in the BECA major. Completion of second year written composition (ENG 214 or equivalent) with a grade of B or better is a prerequisite for BECA 300, Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Research. Students who have passed the Junior English Proficiency Essay Test (JEPET) may also be admitted to BECA 300. Students who are poor writers should improve their skills by taking composition courses or by completing writing tutorials. Students are also urged to take the JEPET as soon as they become eligible.
Courses for this program are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference).
| Program | Units | |
| Prerequisite Core | ||
| BECA 200 | Introduction to Electronic Communication | 3 |
| BECA 300 | Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Research | 3 |
| BECA 340 | Media Aesthetics | 3 |
| Total for prerequisite core | 9 | |
| Core Foundation Areas | ||
| Units selected from the following areas. At least one course or course sequence must be taken in each of the four areas: | 16 | |
| Audio and Video Production | ||
| BECA 230 | Audio Production and | |
| BECA 231 | Audio Laboratory (1) | |
| BECA 240 | Video Production and | |
| BECA 241 | Video Laboratory (1) | |
| Regulatory, Economic, and Ethical Perspectives | ||
| BECA 324 | Law and Regulation of the Electronic Media | |
| BECA 423 | Economic Aspects of Electronic Media | |
| BECA 460 | Introduction to News on Broadcast and Electronic Media | |
| Mass Communication Theory and Criticism | ||
| BECA 321 | Analysis of the Public Arts | |
| BECA 422 | Social Aspects of Electronic Media | |
| Writing and Performance for Electronic Media | ||
| BECA 350 | Media Performance | |
| BECA 370 | Writing for the Electronic Media | |
| Total for core | 25 | |
| Electives in an Area of Emphasis | 20 | |
| Units chosen from courses in BECA or other departments with approval of a BECA faculty adviser. Units from core courses not used to fulfill core requirements in any of the areas listed above may be counted as electives in an area of emphasis with the approval of a BECA faculty adviser. | ||
| Minimum total for the major | 45 | |
The areas of emphasis are advisory and are meant to provide guidance for students so they develop extensive knowledge or expertise in one subject area. Students should meet regularly with a department adviser to decide which specific courses to take and how many to choose from the ones listed for a given emphasis.
Upon approval of a departmental adviser, units used in the 20-unit block of electives may include transfer units from another college or university, as well as units taken in other departments in this university. BECA Department courses identified as core classes, but not used to fulfill core unit requirements, may be included in the twenty units of electives. Variable topic and experimental courses and senior seminars (BECA 495, 595, 600, and 677) may also be included in the twenty units of electives.
Applicants must meet all university requirements for admission, and must also submit to the BECA graduate coordinator: (1) BECA Department graduate application; (2) applicant's statement of purpose in pursuing the M.A. degree; (3) three letters of recommendation, preferably from former teachers; (4) transcripts of all previous college work; (5) current Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Students who have English as a second language and whose formal education was in a language other than English must supply the department and the university with the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in lieu of GRE scores. Students for whom English is a second language must also provide the department with their score from the Test of Written English (TWE), which is administered with the TOEFL.
Before applying to either the university or the department, send for descriptive materials about the program and details on how to apply. Write to: Graduate Coordinator, BECA Department, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132. Information may also be obtained on-line at http://beca.sfsu.edu/grad/.
Although undergraduate preparation in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts is desirable, students from other academic disciplines who have demonstrated interest in the electronic media are encouraged to apply. Students may be required to take up to fourteen (14) units of undergraduate courses as prerequisites. All students must take BECA 200, 340, and one production sequence (either 230 and 231 or 240 and 241). Students who choose a creative project involving production as their culminating experience may be required to take both audio and video production (230 and 231 plus 240 and 241). These prerequisites may not be used as part of the Graduate Approved Program. Students admitted to the program are admitted in conditionally classified status. Students must advance to classified status by: (1) completing or demonstrating knowledge of the content of the prerequisite courses; (2) completing BECA 700 with a grade of C or better; and (3) passing the Graduate Essay Test (GET), thus completing the first level written English proficiency requirement.
Upper division courses not used to satisfy undergraduate deficiencies are acceptable as electives on approval.
| Program | Units | |
| Core Requirements | ||
| BECA 700 | Introduction to Graduate Study (taken in first semester) | 3 |
| BECA 702 | Ethics and Responsibility in the Electronic Media | 3 |
| At least one of the following courses | 3 | |
| BECA 701 | Formula and Creativity in the Public Arts | |
| BECA 703 | Seminar in Theory and Research | |
| BECA 706 | Seminar in Media Aesthetics and Production Theory | |
| Other Requirements | ||
| Electives: upper division (300 and above) or graduate courses in BECA or other departments as approved by the graduate adviser | 6 | |
| One of the following options | 15 | |
| Thesis Option | ||
| Three graduate-level courses, excluding BECA 700, 702, 894, 896, 897, 898, and the 700-level course used to fulfill the theory and methods requirement within the core, as approved by the graduate major adviser (9); | ||
| BECA 897 | Research for Thesis and Creative Project Proposals (3); and | |
| BECA 898 | Master's Thesis (3) | |
| Written Comprehensive Examination Option | ||
| Four graduate-level courses, excluding BECA 700, 702, 894, 896, 898, and the 700-level course used to fulfill the theory and methods requirement within the core, as approved by the graduate major adviser (12); | ||
| BECA 896 | Readings for the Written Comprehensive Examination (3); and | |
| Master's Written Comprehensive Examination | ||
| Creative Project Option | ||
| Three graduate-level courses, excluding BECA 700, 702, 894, 896, 897, 898, and the 700-level course used to fulfill the theory and methods requirement within the core, as approved by the graduate major adviser (9); | ||
| BECA 897 | Research for Thesis and Creative Project Proposals (3); and | |
| BECA 894 | Creative Work Project (3) | |
| Minimum total | 30 | |
Thirty credits are a minimum for graduation. Because of individual student background, needs, interests, and adviser recommendations, the graduate student may be required to complete more than 30 credit units.