Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts BA + MA SF Scholars Roadmap

The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.

This roadmap is a suggested plan of study and does not replace meeting with an advisor. Please note that students may need to adjust the actual sequence of courses based on course availability. Please consult an advisor in your major program for further guidance.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterUnits
ENG 114 Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (A2) 1 3
GE Area A 2 3
GE Area B: Quantitative Reasoning (B4) 3 3
GE Area C 3
GE Area D 3
 Units15
Spring Semester
BECA 200 Introduction to Media (Major Core) 3
GE Area A 3
GE Area C - Take Two 6
GE Area E 3
 Units15
Second Year
Fall Semester
BECA 340 Media Aesthetics I (Major Core) 3
Core Foundation Area - Media Production - Select One 3
Audio Production Basics
TV Studio Basics
Electronic Field Production I
GE Area B: Physical Science (B1) and Laboratory Science (B3) 4 3-4
Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 6
 Units15-16
Spring Semester
BECA 300GW Writing About the Media - GWAR (Major Core) 3
GE Area B: Life Science (B2) and Laboratory Science (B3) 4 3-4
GE Area D 3
Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 6
 Units15-16
Third Year
Fall Semester
Core Foundation Area - Media Writing - Select One: 3
Writing for Electronic Media
Scriptwriting for A/V Media Production
Scriptwriting for Audio Media Production
Core Foundation Area - The Business of Media - Select One: 3
Media Law
Media Economics: Entertainment, Platform, and Technology
Major Electives in a Focus Area (21 units total) 6 3
GE Area F ± 3
GE Area UD-D: Upper-Division Social Sciences 3
 Units15
Spring Semester
Core Foundation Area - Media, Culture, and Society - Select One: 3
Media Literacy
Critical Study of Popular Culture
Media and Society
Core Foundation Area - Media Ethics - Select One: 3
Industry of Broadcast News
Ethics and Responsibility in the Electronic Media
Major Electives in a Focus Area (21 units total) 6 3
GE Area UD-C: Upper-Division Arts and/or Humanities 3
Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 5 3
 Units15
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
BECA 700 Introduction to Graduate Study (Graduate Core, Majro Elective) 7 3
BECA 702 Ethics and Responsibility in Electronic Media (Graduate Core, Majro Elective) 7 3
Major Electives in a Focus Area (21 units total) 6 3
Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 6
 Units15
Spring Semester
BECA 701 Formula and Creativity in the Public Arts (Graduate Core, Major Elective) 7 3
BECA 706 Seminar in Media Aesthetics and Production Theory (Graduate Core, Major Elective) 7 3
GE Area UD-B: Upper-Division Physical and/or Life Sciences 3
Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 5 6
 Units15
Fifth Year
Fall Semester
BECA 822 Seminar in Media and Society (Graduate Core) 3
Graduate Elective 8 3
Select One: 3
Graduate Elective (If taking BECA 896 and BECA 896EXM) 8
Research for Thesis and Creative Project Proposals (if taking BECA 898)
 Units9
Spring Semester
Graduate Elective - Take Two 8 6
Select One (Culminating Experience): 3
Readings for the Written Comprehensive Examination
and Culminating Experience Examination
Master's Thesis
 Units9
 Total Units138-140
1

ENG 114 can only be taken if you complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) and select ENG 114; if you choose ENG 104/ENG 105 through DSP you will satisfy A2 upon successful completion of ENG 105 in the second semester; multilingual students may be advised into alternative English courses.

2

To avoid taking additional units, it is recommended that you meet the SF State Studies (AERM, GP, ES, SJ) requirements within your GE or major.

3

To determine the best B4 course option, students should complete the online advising activity at mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.

4

Consider taking a class combined with a laboratory or a separate lab to fulfill B3.

5

Complementary Studies

Twelve units of Complementary Studies are required of all candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in BECA. These units must come from courses bearing a prefix other than BECA, and not cross-listed with BECA. BECA majors will be offered several pathways toward completing this requirement, each of which is designed to facilitate graduation in a timely manner:

  • 12 units in a single foreign language; 
  • 12 units taken in an approved study abroad program (e.g., CSU Study Abroad); 
  • 12 units taken as partial completion of a second major, minor or a certificate;
  • or 12 units in a related discipline.

With approval from a BECA advisor, up to six units of Complementary Studies may be used to count toward the major.

Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.

6

Electives in a Focus Area (21 units)

Upper-division BECA courses selected in consultation with a BECA faculty advisor. Electives must be upper-division, may include Foundation Area courses not used to fulfill those requirements, and may include up to 6 units from other departments/programs.

Focus Areas

Focus areas do not appear on the B.A. diploma and do not require any particular set of courses to be taken. They are advisory and are meant to provide guidance for students so they develop extensive knowledge or expertise in one subject area. Students should meet each semester with a faculty advisor who teaches in the relevant focus area to discuss the content of courses/course sequences offered and to plan for future semesters.

The focus areas within BECA are: Audio Production; Radio and Podcasting; Video Production; Media Writing; Audio/Video News and Documentary; Media, Culture, and Society; and The Business of Media.

7

Double Counting

For this SF Scholars program BECA 700, BECA 701, BECA 702, and BECA 706 fulfill both Graduate Core requirements and 12 units of the undergraduate Major Electives.
 

8

Electives (9-12 units)

Electives must be approved by the graduate advisor. If students take the thesis Culminating Experience option, BECA 897 will count towards the elective units.

±

Given catalog rights, fall 2023 transfer students do not need to complete an Area F course.