Congratulations! You have been admitted to one of the nation’s best programs in electronic media. I and the faculty of the BECA Department look forward to seeing you in our classes. I would like to take this opportunity to bring a few things to your attention as you begin your study toward your BA degree in Radio and Television. By following the advice presented below, you can progress more quickly and painlessly toward completion of your degree.
I wish you the best of luck as you begin your time here in the BECA Department at San Francisco State. We believe we have a great program and this is an excellent time to be studying electronic media. The career opportunities are practically unlimited.
If you have questions or need further information, please contact the department office. I look forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
Scott Patterson
Professor and Department Chair
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Major Requirements
Obtain a copy of the current University Bulletin and carefully review the BECA major requirements.
See an advisor to plan each semester’s course work. Every full-time faculty member keeps regular office hours for academic advising. You should form a working relationship with an advisor as soon as possible. You can obtain the office hours of individual faculty members from the department office or the online faculty directory. Unfortunately, your Touch Tone Registration time may not allow you to talk to an advisor before you register. However, you can adjust your schedule at the beginning of the semester if you need to. Check your class schedule for the Advising Day date.
Freshmen
Entering first-time freshmen should concentrate on completing General Education requirements. Most BECA classes are for sophomore level and above. However, you can begin your major as a freshman by taking BECA 200, Introduction to Electronic Communication.
Transfer Students
If you are transferring to San Francisco State from a community college or other university, you may have already taken courses that will count toward your BECA major. Many community colleges, for example, offer introductory media courses that are the equivalent of our major requirements. If you have already taken such courses you don’t need to repeat them at San Francisco State. Make an appointment with an advisor and bring to the meeting a transcript of your previous college work and a bulletin or syllabus description of the course you believe is equivalent to a BECA major requirement. Also, before you meet with the advisor, obtain a Course Equivalency Form from the department office.
Core Prerequisites for all students
All BECA students must complete BECA 200, BECA 300 and BECA 340 with a grade of C or better in each course as a prerequisite for other department courses.
BECA 300, Research, presents a special problem for some students because it has its own prerequisite. In order to be admitted to BECA 300 you must have passed second-year composition (ENG 214) with a grade of at least C. Entering freshmen should prepare for this requirement by working especially hard in English composition classes. The Eng 214 prerequisite is waived for entering freshmen who have been exempted from first and second-year composition because of high Advanced Placement or English Equivalency scores. Transfer students who have taken second-year composition at another institution and received a grade lower than C, can qualify for BECA 300 by taking and passing the Junior English Proficiency Essay Test (JEPET). The same applies to students who have taken Eng 214 with a grade lower than C at San Francisco State. All students must take JEPET as a graduation requirement. Transfer students with at least 48 units should arrange to take the test their first semester at San Francisco State.
Library Requirement
Don’t forget the SF State Information Competency Requirement. As a condition of graduation, all students must complete a short course on library resources and methods. This activity, which takes a couple of hours, provides invaluable information that will help you in many of your courses. Complete the Library Requirement your first semester at San Francisco State. Contact the Information Desk in the Library.
Crashing Courses
Many BECA classes have high student demand and are difficult to enroll in. If you are denied admittance to a class through Web or Touch Tone Registration, you may still have hope of enrolling. Attend the first day of class and ask the instructor to be placed on a waiting list. Sometimes seats will become available after the first or second class sessions as enrolled students drop or fail to attend.
Student Groups
If you’re looking for a way to make friends and to learn more about the electronic media industry, you should join College Students in Broadcasting (CSB), the BECA Department’s student organization. This vital organization sponsors speakers and other activities. The department also has an active chapter of the Audio Engineering Society (AES).
