Ithaca College

Date: Feb 10 2019
Major: Communications (This Major's Salary over time)
The communications programs, specifically CMD, are a bit misleading. When talking to administration about graphic design programs, I was told that the graphic design program is called CMD. I looked up the program and was further mislead as many class names and descriptions sound like graphic design courses; However, the use of the word design can come with different meanings, which I'd later learn. That program just BARELY dives into all that graphic design entails. Not a single one of my classmates that I'm still in contact with is working in graphic design. I had transferred from another university and my skills far exceeded those of my peers and those further along than me. Needless to say, IC did not challenge me or further prepare me for a career in design (and again, careful with the use of the word 'design', they may think you mean systems thinking and design).

I had a number of peers leaving IC with complaints and having felt remorseful, and under prepared for the design field. In fact, when one classmate saw what I could do vs. what he and our other classmates could do, he admitted it only discouraged him. I sympathize with such feelings. I wish they'd experienced what I had at my former university. IC needs to rethink their DMC design track. Consider merging it with the graphic design minor, and/or making it a REQUIREMENT that CMD majors take the graphic design courses. If you can add the ICC and force students to take a 'well rounded' selection of classes, you can merge two programs to create one that'll better prepare students for their prospective fields.