A Degree With General Applicability: How Soon-To-Be Graduates Views the PCM Program.

by Joseph Rodriguez

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Registration for the fall classes begins at the end of March, and many students are looking forward to the future when they walk down the stage at Farmingdale State College, degree in hand. For those still deciding, careful consideration is advised when selecting a major, as it is akin to selecting a career path that you will have to abide by.

For continuing and incoming students who don’t want to be set on a single path, the Professional Communications program is one option that can be considered favorable. To gain a better understanding of the program, three soon-to-be graduates have been interviewed extensively on the subject.

Unlike certain degrees with a single focus, the Professional Communications program offers a wide variety that is explored throughout the curriculum. According to Madison Warren, a senior in the PCM program, the major offers “many directions you could go into,” and doesn’t consolidate into a specific field of communications that students might find unfavorable. Warren is pursuing this degree to get involved in public relations.

Another career path that a different student has chosen to pursue is in sports media. As soon-to-be graduate Matthew Marmo is aware, “media” can go several different directions, such as a reporter, social media management, analytics, and so on. He is using this degree to explore his passion for the sports industry.

Another thought on the student’s mind would be about the classes. Warren mentioned how every class in the PCM program presents a different aspect of communications, from Digital Journalism to Storytelling with Data. She finds digital journalism to be among her favorite classes, as it presents several group and team collaborative assignments that keep the curriculum “fun and exciting”.

Horace Lane, a soon-to-be graduate with the desire to work in the music industry, found the Culture and Communication class to be enjoyable due to learning about several cultures and “how they communicate,” and “how to see other people’s cultures from the outside looking in.”. These classes teach different applications of communication and branch away from traditional teaching methodology.

When thinking about classes, the professors play an integral role in how the material is presented. Traditional lectures and assessments can be repetitive and not engaging, but that is not what Marmo experienced. He likes the amount of interaction there is with the professors, mentioning that he has “great relationships” with them.

Warren and Lane also share similar sentiments when prompted to express their opinions on the professors of the program. Warren mentions that the professors all have “incredible communication backgrounds.”. Lane has observed the passion for what the professors teach and likes how they are patient with their students.

While there are positive aspects that make this program compelling, the interviewees also mention some dissatisfactions. One thing they commented on was the disproportion of the class availability regarding the growing size of students in the program.

Additionally, they voiced their concerns over how online classes are instructed, as their deadlines become confusing and are less engaging than their in-person counterparts. It becomes troublesome when these online classes become the only available slots due to the program’s relatively small size.

With everything mentioned and registration just around the corner, if an incoming or continuing student wants to jump into a program with a vast number of opportunities for application, the Professional Communications Major can be considered one that meets those criteria. It’s not without its flaws, of course, but all the soon-to-be graduates express positive aspects when asked about the program.

As a message to students who are considering the program, those with experience say to take their time finding what to do for a career and have fun learning. Marmo explicitly advises to “get involved with stuff”, explore potential passions, and enjoy what the college and the Professional Communications program has to offer.