About BECA

The Department of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) offers a flexible, inclusive and exciting learning environment that promotes creativity and scholarship, and mirrors the diverse range of cultural, artistic and scholarly interests in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Students have numerous opportunities to get directly involved in live productions, including the programming of KSFS Radio and BECA TV. Check out BECA's radio and TV stations and see other student work at BECA Media Network.

The largest and most influential program of its kind in the western U.S., San Francisco State's Department of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) has taught some of the top names in broadcast journalism, entertainment television and new media, including Frasier co-creator and Executive Producer Peter Casey, Saturday Night Live alum Dana Carvey, NBC News National Correspondent Miguel Almaguer, Academy Award-nominated sound editor Chris Scarabosio, former HBO executive Dottie Simmons, E! News host Nina Parker, KCBS-AM reporter Megan Goldsby and 95.7 FM The Game host Bonta Hill.

The Department of BECA is an inclusive learning environment that promotes creativity and scholarship in multiple forms of media, mirroring the wide range of cultural, artistic and scholarly interests in the San Francisco Bay Area.

BECA faculty and staff strive to provide the most diverse and vital department for the study of electronic media. Students get cutting-edge training and education in many areas, including: TV and radio broadcast, video production, audio production, sound art, aesthetics, multimedia, writing for media, legal issues in media and media management.

The new Marcus Hall building is home to one of the largest radio, television and multimedia production facilities in Northern California with three television studios, a music recording studio, a radio station, video and audio post-production labs and an online lab. 

Studios are also equipped with state-of-the-art digital cameras and production equipment. Broadcast facilities include Studio 1, among the largest television studios of its kind in Northern California, allowing students and faculty to produce a full range of public affairs, dramatic, and entertainment programming. Studio 3 is a state-of-the-art facility for television news production.

Talent nurtured at San Francisco State University has gone on to entertain, inspire, and inform worldwide, garnering Emmy, Oscar, Tony, Drama Desk, Golden Globe, Grammy, Peabody and Theatre World awards.

Mission

The Department of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts prepares students to create and critically evaluate content in the media arts. Our curriculum provides a balance of theory and practice, while guiding students in the use of media to effectively communicate ideas that serve the evolving needs of society. Students go on to become innovative and ethical industry leaders who advance equity, social justice and global citizenship.

The department's vision is to be the preeminent educational hub in content creation for evolving technologies and to prepare students for a radically innovative media industry.

Core Values

  1. Academic Excellence and Impact 
    • Eminence in teaching and research
    • Scholarship that deepens critical thinking 
    • Creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness
  2. Inclusiveness and Diversity
    • Civility and free exchange of ideas
    • Local and global community engagement
    • Appreciation for diverse perspectives and dissent
  3. Integrity and Transparency
    • Academic freedom
    • Ethical behavior
    • Shared governance
  4. Stewardship
    • Strategic and equitable financial management
    • Emphasis on sustainability and advancement
    • Implementation of policies that support the mission and vision statements