Three new Associate in Arts for transfer degrees were approved last week in English, Journalism and Studio Arts. For students who are looking to transfer to a California State University and major in one of these three programs, the process will be made easier for students who opt to complete the A.A.T.

Journalism was part of the second wave of degrees that got approved for transfer, and Communications Department Co-Chair Cindy McGrath, who heads the journalism program, worked hard to get the A.A.T. approved.

“It was the culmination of a long process,” McGrath said. “It took a year for the journalism requirements to make it through the statewide discipline interest groups. Then it took me a year to write it up and get it approved by the college, the district and the state.”

She explained that the college still offers a regular A.A. in Journalism for those who plan to go right into a job out of LMC. The standard A.A. in Journalism requires more journalism units so students get more hands-on experience. The A.A. requires 21 total units while the A.A.T. requires only 18.

Curtis Corlew, instructor in the Art Department, said the new A.A.T. in Studio Arts “is going to be good for the students,” adding “it will help them with transfers, making what they need to do more clear.”

The A.A.T. program pathway directs to the CSUs, so it is important to know that a Journalism degree is not the best option for students looking to go to a university that’s not part of the CSU system.

The preparation includes courses in Writing for the Media, Media Production, Mass Communication and Photojournalism; while for English, courses in Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking, Literature of the Imagination and Humanities are required.

Students must finish the 60 required semester units of CSU-transferable coursework while maintaining a minimum grade point average of 2.0. After completing the degree and transferring, students will be required to complete 60 more units to earn a bachelor’s degree.

A wide range of jobs and opportunities will be open to students who complete the degree. Any job from being a reporter to an advertising copywriter is a possibility after completing the degree, and ultimately transferring to a four-year university.

Before the three were approved recently, there were five A.S.T.’s (Business Administration, Child Development and Physics) and 3 A.A.T.’s available (Communication Studies, Theatre, Studio Arts, Kinesiology, Psychology and Sociology).

There are now a total of eleven A.A.T.’s and A.S.T.’s available.