Milwaukee Area Technical College students in highly regarded TV and video production, photography, and graphic design programs have a new path to earn a four-year degree in their fields at internationally recognized Columbia College Chicago.
The two colleges have signed five agreements connecting MATC associate degree programs with Columbia bachelor’s degree programs. Columbia is one of more than 35 four-year college and university partners that have similar academic programs as MATC, providing students with a high-quality and less expensive path to a bachelor’s degree.
“This partnership will provide a smooth and cost-effective transition to students and give them seamless transfer options,” said Dr. Mohammad Dakwar, MATC provost. “It will also help advance our college’s mutual mission of empowering students and enhancing the quality of life in our communities.”
Through the agreements, MATC TV and Video Production graduates can continue to study Television-Production/Directing, Television-Internet/Mobile or Television-Writing/Producing at Columbia. Photography and graphic design graduates from MATC can also continue their studies at Columbia within similar programs. Transfer guides are available on Columbia’s website to assist students with the planning process.
“We are delighted to offer MATC students the opportunity to complete their education at Columbia,” said Stanley Wearden, senior vice president and provost at Columbia. “Through this partnership, more students will be able to prepare for professional success in the creative and media industries.”
Columbia offers students the opportunity to study and work in Chicago, one of the nation’s largest media markets, and to spend a “Semester in LA” in one of the only year-round academic programs on a Hollywood production lot. Columbia’s Cinema and Television Arts Department has produced numerous Oscar, Emmy, and Spirit winners, including Lena Waithe '06, who recently won an Emmy for outstanding writing in a comedy series and currently produces the Showtime series The Chi.
MATC alumni play prominent roles at television stations and creative services firms in Milwaukee and across the region. One hundred percent of TV/video and graphic design program graduates are working within six months of graduation.
Many of Columbia’s faculty members are active practitioners in various creative industries in Chicago and around the globe, who often help to connect students to career opportunities. Additionally, Columbia’s newly expanded curriculum—and investment in technology and new media platforms—aligns it with rapidly growing and changing trends in media arts and business.
The agreements are effective for the 2018-19 school year. MATC graduates interested in continuing at Columbia should contact MATC at 414-297-6836 or transfer@matc.edu. Students interested in MATC’s programs should visit www.matc.edu/apply.
MATC photography alumnus Jarob Ortiz beat out 4,000 other candidates to earn the coveted position of photographer for the National Park Service, a position once associated with Ansel Adams. For the second straight year, MATC students were among a select group invited by worldwide electronics giant Sony’s education team to attend the 2018 National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas.
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college offering a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business for nearly 7,500 students in more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging, and collaborative space for students who experience the world through a creative lens. For more information, visit www.colum.edu.
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and the most diverse two-year institution in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. Approximately 37,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers 200 academic programs; transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 35 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the national standard for academics and student services.
Media Contacts:
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Ginny Gnadt
414-297-6770
gnadtv@matc.edu
Columbia College Chicago
Anjali Julka
312-369-7016
ajulka@colum.edu