Communications Design offers students a diverse set of creative and technologic skills that provide entrée into a broad range of employment opportunities, which are expected to experience an average of more than 17% growth in the near future.

Graduates of the program will be prepared for entry-level positions in advertising, motion and broadcast graphics, web design, book and magazine design, package design, corporate branding, information visualization, interactive design, exhibition and retail design, architectural and environmental graphics, apparel design, and instructional technology.

Among the many advantages of using a communications design strategy in a range of professions and industries is that it forms the foundation for the practice: organization of information is the first step in designing any communication, especially if it has visual and auditory components.

Communications design provides the ability to identify, research, evaluate, and solve problems; create prototypes; apply relevant tools and technologies; understand basic business organizational practices; and apply an understanding of design history.

This program prepares students for the broad field of communications design while allowing them to expand their knowledge in one or more areas through course groupings that provide the opportunity for depth.  Students who choose the bachelor of arts in communications design may elect to focus on instructional design, or add courses in video production, or multimedia journalism. Portfolio, senior project, professional practice, and an optional internship assure that students receive hands-on experience in their chosen area of communications design and enter the workforce with marketable skills and an interview-ready portfolio.

Computer Information Systems provides a degree in an industry that includes the top-eight growth jobs over the next eight years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Students majoring in the bachelor of science in business administration’s computer information systems (CIS) concentration will have leading-edge tools and techniques in their grasp (MSDNAA, Rational Suite Enterprise, IBM products, and Oracle), as well as a solid foundation of business skills.

CIS students establish a robust foundation that prepares them to pursue either a business career with a strong understanding of how technology facilitates achieving business objectives, or a technology career with a strong understanding of how business objectives drive information systems toward achieving business goals.

Information systems (IS) is the use of computers and information to enable people and organizations to be more creative and productive.

Students learn to:

• identify the needs of an individual or organization
• design and develop systems to meet those requirements
• deploy these systems to solve real-world problems

These solutions can involve applying the latest technology to improve the delivery of products and services, while insuring that the systems are secure.

Students will take four additional courses in an area of specialization.  Current courses in the areas of project management and information security are available.  Students have the option of taking other approved program electives.

For more information on these, or any Becker College academic programs, contact 508.373.9400 or admissions@becker.edu, or visit http://www.becker.edu/admissions/.

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The bond between human owners and their pets may be affecting the health of both, especially when it comes to diabetes, high blood pressure, and other illnesses associated with obesity.

In the veterinary sciences field, we have observed that the epidemic of overweight humans is being mirrored in the population of pet cats and dogs. Obesity is just as threatening to the animals as it is to their owners, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine.  Diseases being diagnosed in animals that are obese “are eerily similar to those reported for people,” according to the center, citing an annual study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP).

Fat owners, fat pets? It has long been observed that dog and cat owners often resemble the dogs and cats they own. In 2009, a scientist in England issued a study in which 70 subjects were asked to match pictures of 41 dog owners to one of several breeds. They were able to match successfully more than half the time, far better than chance. Why? Because it’s true: Many people look like their pets.

Norman Rockwell, the artist famous for his series of Americana paintings featured on Saturday Evening Post covers, did not need a study to understand how pets and owners reflect each other. He painted a group of dogs and their look-alike owners in 1952, in his famous work “Waiting for the Vet.”

But the resemblance is now being found to extend to problems like obesity and the diseases it can cause, potentially affecting millions of Americans and the animals they love.  More than half of all American households have a companion animal, for a total of 77 million dogs and 93 million cats.  There are more dogs and cats in households than children, in addition to 75 million small mammals and reptiles and millions of aquarium fish. Pets are family members, and we often treat them as loved ones with all the benefits of a great home life. But our pets are, sadly, falling victim to one of the biggest health issues facing their human owners.

Obesity is a leading epidemic in the United States, for humans and for pets. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that during the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in American obesity, and rates remain high. More than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese, and the numbers are relatively the same for women.

Guess what? Similar trends hold true for our pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in the dog and cat. The latest nationwide survey, conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), found 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats to be classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarian. That equals over 100 million pets that are too heavy, according to veterinarians.

A central part of the problem, APOP found, is the growing “fat pet gap.” Many owners are unaware that their pets are overweight. The new normal is fat and, in many cases, the problem correlates to the obesity epidemic among people. The FDA sees the pet as the sentinel for childhood obesity. When we see dogs that are overweight, we essentially should see a child that’s at risk for excess weight. Think about the lifestyles of many of our young people, and then we can readily see how their pets are emulating those lifestyles.  If a child is playing video games all day, the dog isn’t outside playing. Rather, the pet is sitting at her feet or on the sofa. If the child is lying around snacking on high-calorie treats, chances are the dog is sharing in those same excess calories—and is also likely to get something from the dinner table.

What can we start doing in May—National Pet Month—the perfect occasion to begin decreasing the risk of disease and improving the overall health and wellness of both ourselves and our pets.? Just as humans who are striving to improve their health can benefit from partnering with others, so too can we partner with our pets. Make May a time to resolve to change your unhealthy habits, and those of your pet. Get outside with your dog. Go for a walk or play fetch. Run around the house with a feather on the end of a lead with your cat. Take an unflinching look at your lives TOGETHER.

Rather than sit together, play together. Exercise together. Eat right together. Picture a healthier you looking fit and trim, and do the same with your dog, cat, or other favorite pet. Make your new normal—and that of your pet—healthy.  And, as in the Norman Rockwell painting, make sure to visit your veterinarian so you can receive the guidance and assistance you both need to embark on a healthy mission together.

The post National Pet Month: Overweight Owners Lead Pets to Obesity appeared first on Becker College.

Ebenezer Crafts (1740-1810) and Jacob Davis (1741-1814) co-founded Leicester Academy in 1784 and went on to found the Vermont towns of Craftsbury and Montpelier, respectively. Educator and entrepreneur E. C. A. Becker (1855-1907) founded Becker’s Business College in 1887 and introduced to Worcester the latest technology (the typewriter) and business practices of the time. Today’s Becker College traces its history from the union of those two Massachusetts educational institutions.

Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D., the tenth president of Becker College, established the President’s Medal, which is awarded at the sole discretion of the president to an individual or organization whose contributions have had a far-reaching and positive influence on the Becker College, in our communities, across the nation, or around the world.

“The history of Becker College is intertwined with the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” says President Johnson. “It is only fitting that we honor our founders—two Minutemen who founded one of the first academies in Massachusetts, with a charter signed by Samuel Adams and John Hancock, and one an innovator in business education—on this 225th Commencement Anniversary. Their entrepreneurial spirit formed the strong, enduring foundation which today ensures that the education Becker College delivers is relevant, connected, and engaged in our global society.”

The President’s Medal honors those who exemplify the ideals represented in the college’s vision, mission, and core values—globally focused and grounded in the responsibility of an educated person to not only seek personal and professional success, but also to contribute to a greater good.

The President’s Medal features a global citizenship motif—a hallmark of Dr. Johnson’s presidency that was first introduced with his inaugural medallion in September 2011. The image of the world is spanned by the words Becker College, symbolizing the College’s focus on and commitment to delivering to the world highly educated, responsible citizens who are prepared to thrive, contribute to, and lead in a global society. Laurel leaves, which are also part of the design on the college’s seal, encircle the medallion and reflect the ancient Greek tribute of using laurel leaves to form a crown of honor for scholars, heroes, and others of renown and significance.

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Knight’s real name was Roger Jaskoviak, a 1961 graduate of Leicester Junior College, now the Leicester Campus of Becker College. It has been many years since a showing of Knight’s work has taken place; Becker is taking this unique opportunity to hold an exhibit of his work in May, as part of the celebration of its 225^th commencement anniversary.

Knight painted huge, detailed portraits of towns like Palmer and the Brookfields, many of which survive. He was also well-known as an illustrator, doing covers for TV Guide and many for Yankee magazine. An annual grant program was named for Knight and has been supporting Massachusetts artists for many years.

Knight lived in the Brookfields in a house that was a work of art in and of itself, and was the subject of a noted photo series by Massachusetts photographer Stephen DiRado, who is also contributing some images to the exhibit at Becker.

The College has been in contact with Knight’s friends, colleagues, and family, and has collected paintings, prints, artifacts like a set of vintage Jacob Knight print sheets, and other materials for the show.

The exhibit will be held on Friday, May 10, 2013, 6:00-9:00 p.m., in the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Campus Center on the Becker College Leicester Campus. To contribute Jacob Knight artwork, stories, or other materials to the exhibit in May, future exhibitions, or the Becker College archive, please contact the Becker College Office of Institutional Advancement at 508-373-9531.

Click here to register for the event.

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“This has been an amazing year for Becker College’s game design programs, and recognition by The Princeton Review for the fourth consecutive year speaks to the expertise of our faculty and the knowledge and skills that our students are building,” says Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D., president of Becker College. “It confirms the value of our game design program in offering relevant course work and the real-world preparation that is valued by students and employers. We are confident that partnerships created through our affiliation with the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI) will continue to build on our success and set the standard in digital games education.”

Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president/publisher, noted the burgeoning interest among students in game design and the exceptional study options available from specialized college majors to concentrated graduate degrees. “We salute the schools on our 2013 list for their commitment to this professional field.  We hope our project will guide students considering careers in game design to schools best for them on our lists and on to companies at which they can apply their creative ideas and skills for the next generation of game players.”

“It’s a great honor for Becker College to be the only school in New England to have been named to Princeton Review’s Top Undergraduate Schools to Study Game Design list every year for the last four years,” says Paul D. Cotnoir, Ph.D., director of design programs at Becker. “To be consistently regarded so highly among some very tough competition speaks very well of our innovative and engaging video game curriculum, our faculty, and most of all, our talented students.”

Cotnoir went on to describe the elements that add to the value of the Becker programs, “I feel that Becker’s standing in this regard is due in large part to its cutting-edge game design curriculum, which allows students to choose a variety of specializations including programming, 3D modeling, sound design, and story development. Add to all of this the groundbreaking impact Becker has had on the video game industry with the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute, and you have a hard-to-beat formula for success.”

Alumni of the game programs at Becker have gone on to work for numerous entertainment companies such as Harmonix, Blizzard, Demiurge, and Blue Fang Games, as well as in other digital technology applications for Courion Corporation, John Hancock, Meditech, Oracle, the Santa Ana Police Department (Calif.),  The Internal Revenue Service and the United States Army.

Becker student-created games are in use by the UMass Medical School-City of Worcester Mobile Safety Street Bus, Old Sturbridge Village, and the Danforth Museum, with similar projects in the works for the Worcester Historical Museum, Worcester Youth Center, and the Why Not Stop Project. Students have also shared their skills with the Easter Seals and Center for Living and Working’s Tech Savvy Group and helped build game development communities in local public high schools.

Student work will also be showcased at the Becker College booth at the game conference and exhibition, PAX East, now in its fourth year in Boston, March 22-24 at the Boston Convention Center.

The Princeton Review, one of America’s best-known education services companies, compiled the 2012 list, which names 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate schools in ranked order (1 to 10) and 22 undergraduate and 8 graduate schools as Honorable Mentions.  The list is published on The Princeton Review’s website. Criteria for The Princeton Review’s school selections covered the quality of the curriculum, faculty, facilities, and infrastructure. The company also factored in data it collected from the schools on their scholarships, financial aid, and career opportunities.

The post Becker College Receives Fourth Consecutive Year of Recognition for its Game Design Programs by The Princeton Review appeared first on Becker College.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette recently ran a series of articles documenting the Gengels’ three-year journey to locate, design, construct, and on January 5, 2013, dedicate the orphanage, high on a picturesque hill in Grand Goave, Haiti. The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Catholic Free Press, and other outlets have also covered the story recently.

A former College Trustee, Len Gengel has long been an active member of the Becker College community. Becker College has established a partnership with Be Like Brit to send student volunteers and faculty consultants. In May 2012, Becker volunteers spent time painting and working on the construction site, and another group will travel to the orphanage in March 2013.

Follow the Gengels’ story by visiting the links below.

Huffington Post

Be Like Brit Orphanage In Haiti Built In Honor Of Britney Gengel, College Student Who Died In Earthquake, January 7

Washington Post

Mass. family builds Haiti orphanage in memory of daughter who died in 2010 quake, January 6

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Transformation in Haiti, op-ed by Be Like Brit Architect Paul Fallon, January 8

Families return to site of Haitian tragedy, January 7

Britney lives on, January 6

Be Like Brit Orphanage dedicated in Haiti, January 6

First phase of Gengels’ dream complete, January 6

Singing greets ‘Be Like Brit’ travelers, January 5

The goal has become reality, January 4

World

Haiti orphanage opens three years after quake, January 7

Catholic Free Press

Brit’s dream fulfilled, January 3

GoLocalWorcester

Central Massachusetts’ Woman of the Year, January 2

Be Like Brit: 12 Who Made a Difference in Central Mass in 2012, December 23

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Diossa graduated from Becker in 2009 with a degree in criminal justice. Read more.

Diossa wins in landslide, elected new mayor of Central Falls

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