Degree Overview: Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Television Production
Majors Overview July 17, 2013Students enrolled in an associate degree program in television production are imparted hands-on technical training in video production aimed at preparing graduates to seek employment in the motion picture, video and broadcasting industries. Private businesses, production companies, public relations or advertising firms, and broadcast media outlets are among the most common employers of students who are enrolled in the program.
Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Television Production Degree Program
Admission criteria in an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) program in television or video production usually require applicants to hold a general educational development (GED) certificate or a high school diploma. Students can expect to become technically competent in the use of field, video and studio equipment and production techniques for an array of video production activities, including films, and broadcast programming, among other media projects. Students become adept at lighting design, staging, planning and preproduction, in addition to learning about the use of editing software in production and postproduction functions. They also get an in-depth understanding of the working of television and video, including technologies such as high definition delivery.
Program Coursework
A.A.S. in television production program courses requires students to learn by actively production skills and technical concepts to develop video content or related elements. Along with foundational courses in mass media history and communications, students can take classes such as:
•Marketing and advertising
•Non-linear editing
•Editing and postproduction
•Broadcast and script writing
•Field production
•Studio production
•Planning and preproduction
•Electronic and digital media
Career Options
Students can pursue careers in the video and broadcast industries through advertising agencies, businesses with in-house production departments, film production companies, and television stations upon graduation. They can also consider self-employment in independent video production. Individuals may obtain the following job titles in television productions:
•Broadcast technician
•Camera operator
•Associate producer
•Assistant director
•Production assistant
Continuing Education Information
Some graduates may want to join the workforce immediately upon completion of the television production associate degree program; others may seek continued education by enrolling in a four-year bachelor’s degree program. Entry-level employers in the broadcast and video industry prefer bachelor’s degree holders (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)). In a highly competitive industry, technical knowledge and job experience can be used to augment a bachelor’s degree, thereby allowing prospective candidates to advance their careers from small stations in small towns to larger stations in large cities.