College curriculum all across the nation can vary in many ways in any particular major. When discussing a communications degree, there are some universities and colleges that offer a major that consist of more objective courses then hands-on courses. These universities usually tend to be your liberal arts colleges or your four year programs that are going to offer a very good degree in communications. Usually your two year institutions offer a communications degree that consist of more hands on courses. I understand that teachers at liberal arts colleges think that there should probably be less hands-on courses at there school, but I don’t agree with that. Although, I do see where they are coming from cause hands-on courses can tend to be easier then other courses.
I personally think that theory courses and practice courses in media work hand and hand together. Without theory courses you cannot teach practice course because the person learning the material would be so lost. You must take theory courses and find out all the background information about communications to be able to practice things that deal with the major. For example, when your learning about theory you will get introduced to the way things were done in the past. Peoples opinions and theories about how devices, advertising, and broadcasting was invented. You need these to know all this information to be able to practice skills and do hands-on work. All the information you learned in theory classes can be put together with your thoughts so you can produce a better idea on how to run things.
I believe that hands-on, practical-skills courses should definitely belong in the curriculum for a communications degree in a liberal arts college. I think that hands-on classes are a key to success in the real world once you have gotten your degree. When you get out in the real world and all you have is knowledge about communications then your not going to be near as successful as somebody who knows how to actually work equipment in that field. I think that classes such as news reporting, radio, and field operations can really help you develop skills to be successful after graduation. I believe that in this world today we are getting many more free lance reporters, so if you have learned those skills you can make some money on your own reporting. Radio classes get your prepared to start live broadcasts on the radio as soon as you finish school and field operations prepare you to be on television or run cameras. Therefore, the company that you go to work for doesn’t have to waste time teaching you skills that you could or should have previously learned.