By Joy Au

Here’s what we have open for Fall 2022:

Visit the schedule of classes for scheduled times.

MCS 370 | Data in Marketing 

Develop in-demand career skills for data-driven marketing through data collection & research analysis as you study multidisciplinary theories and tools through information systems, economics, psychology and human-computer interaction.

MCS 377 | Making Visual Culture 

Explore key terms and techniques of visual media production through the study of visual culture & analysis and hands-on practice of professional production tools such as Adobe Suite and Wordpress.

MCS 388 | Modern Public Relations 

Study key skills and insights of public relations engagement throughout the non-profit, corporate, and agency sectors as you analyze real-life case studies & crisis communications strategies alongside industry ethics and issues.

MCS 495: Video Ethnography 

Discover video production as a means of exploring the social world: students will gain experience in video production techniques as they collaborate with Baltimore community members in creating reflective documentaries amplifying community voices.

If none of these classes seem to be calling your attention or don’t fit in your schedule for next semester, it’s never too late to plan ahead! Add them to your planner — and check out some of the other MCS electives:

MCS 355 | Social Media: Networking & Mobility

Critically engage with the growing role of social media, online networks, and mobile communication technologies in both your own personal life and the larger society you live in; through topics of social media technologies and trends, social theories, and ethics and privacy concerns, students will reflect on the role social media plays in shaping an increasingly digital society and vice versa. 

MCS 366 | Podcasting 

Learn to create a comprehensive podcasting experience through this course: As students learn to think critically about the media they consume and the ethics of telling other people’s stories, students will study production techniques such sound-gathering, interviewing, script writing, and audio editing towards a final product of a documentary-style audio story. 

MCS 395 | Television Production

Develop your television production skills as a team member of on-campus TV productions, studying camera operations, video recording, control consoles, lighting instruments and general operating procedures.

Please note that the course descriptions above are only abridged versions — you may find full information regarding these courses in the official UMBC schedule of classes. 

by Jordan Lomax 

Photo by Amisha Mathur

As someone who has always been interested in content creation, senior MCS major Grace Bundy knew that MCS would help her reach her goals. She started her internship at Further Insights, a marketing firm that handles inbound and outbound marketing for small businesses across the country, in the summer of 2021.

“We have around 10 or so clients that we do digital marketing for, which involves analyzing data, running ads on platforms like Google and Facebook, and then also doing social publishing for them; blog posts, pretty much, we manage anything and everything content creation,” said Bundy.

In her position as a Junior Account Manager, she mostly creates content and manages social media for select clients. She creates content and manages the social media for clients in a range of fields, including real estate and music. The content she makes includes graphic advertisements for social media, copywriting for blogs and written advertisements, and creating and sending emails to her clients’ subscriber lists.

Although she primarily works remotely, going to events that her clients are hosting or are a part of is necessary. By attending such events, she captures videos and images for the client’s social media pages, in addition to communicating with on-site staff to make sure the brand is being represented accurately as a sponsor of said event. 

“One of the main in person events I work is with a real estate company and their monthly meetups featuring prominent guest speakers,” said Bundy. “I check people in, do on site social posting, and listen to our guest speaker in order to send out a recap email to attendees.”

As isolating as remote work can be, a big part of her internship is team work. There is a lot of overlap between her responsibilities and her coworkers –including creating and scheduling posts for up to four months in advance– so communication and collaboration is a necessity. “If I’m making content for a client and it’s going to be put up as an ad on Facebook, we need to make sure that [we work together] and everything’s all good.”

How has MCS helped her at her internship?

“I really like to see my skills that I’ve learned in MCS reflect into my work,” she said.

Bundy said that her MCS coursework has helped her in many ways at her internship. The two classes she cites as the most influential and impactful in regards to this position are MCS 377: Making Visual Culture and MCS 101: Media Literacy. 377 taught her design and how to use Adobe products and Canva, which she uses every day, and 101 gave her foundational knowledge of social media platforms.

She added, “I feel like in MCS 101 it was definitely a lot of discussion based stuff that we were learning and talking about, but that information has definitely been great and has reflected in my knowledge of social media platforms in general.” 

Connections, connections, connections!

One of the requirements of the MCS major is to complete an internship in any MCS-related field. She was talking to her neighbor who works at Further Insights about what she is studying at UMBC and what her career outcomes are, and the neighbor came back to Bundy soon after with this internship opportunity.

She stressed that in order to have a successful career, making and maintaining professional connections are key. “Connections are so important,” Bundy said. The more people you know, the more ins you have anywhere.”

Bundy urges any MCS student looking for an internship to consider turning towards people they know, or to people they know, to find an opportunity. She also said that when searching for a job or internship, making sure you have the proper skills, certifications, and preparations for the position is extremely important.

“Preparing for that job with solidified skills you can bring to the company is so important,” she said. “LinkedIn is also a great spot to check for job listings and it is easy for companies to look at your skill set.”

What’s on the horizon for Grace?

For most students, the job search is the first step to take after graduation. However, Bundy’s hard work, dedication, and passion for her craft earned her a full time position at Further Insights after she graduates this spring.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity and am really excited to be able to dive more fully into the work I am already doing,” she concluded.