Media Arts and Studies—Media and Social Change (B.S.)

Major code BS5395*

Scripps College of Communication
School of Media Arts and Studies
The Schoonover Center for Communication
3rd Floor
20 E. Union St.
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.4870
Email: mediaschool@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/mdia

Josh Antonuccio, contact person
antonucn@ohio.edu

Program Overview

The School of Media Arts and Studies offers programs of study leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The baccalaureate program is designed to prepare students for careers in the media industries. While pursuing a media degree, students are also actively involved in the liberal arts curriculum found at Ohio University. Coursework in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, technology, and cultural and communication sciences are all part of this liberal arts foundation that is critical to the success of today’s media professionals. In addition to media production, every one of our students learns media history, media theory, and media business concepts that will allow them to succeed in the modern media world. Students have opportunities to focus in one of five emphasis areas: Media and Social Change; Games and Animation; Music Production and Recording Industry or Media Arts Production. Our broad-based curriculum enhances long-term success, which is reflected by our school’s mission statement: the School of Media Arts and Studies prepares well-rounded and proactive individuals to think critically, act creatively and practice ethically in a global media society. With almost 700 undergraduate students and 17 faculty members, the School of Media Arts and Studies is proud to play a central role in the Scripps College of Communication Center of Excellence. Strong demand to join the School dictates that we have entry requirements above the university’s requirements.

The Media and Social Change program provides students with creative skills in critical media analysis, nonfiction media production and social media while exploring the social effects that media have on society.

All students enrolled in MDIA programs must complete core course requirements at the freshman and sophomore levels (MDIA 1010 , MDIA 1020 , MDIA 2010 , & MDIA 2011 ), and a Global Impact of Media Course in the Junior or Senior year. These courses integrate with courses specific to each program throughout the baccalaureate program. These classroom and laboratory experiences are augmented by a variety of practical experiences, extra-curricular involvement, unique place-based coursework, study abroad opportunities and internships, available to students in each of our undergraduate programs.

Ohio University’s Zanesville, Lancaster and Southern campuses offer an associate’s degree program in electronic media. This program offers a smaller, more intimate setting for the first two years of University coursework. Students participating in the two-year programs at these campuses and who desire to continue their study with the School of Media Arts and Studies will apply for transfer into the School during the spring semester (see transfer policy below). For additional information, see the Electronic Media program in the Regional Higher Education section.

The School of Media Arts and Studies also offers an Honors Tutorial College program for students with outstanding high school records. MDIA freshmen with strong academic records may also qualify.

*This program was previously BC5369 which awarded the Bachelor of Science in Communication. Pending Board of Trustees approval (anticipated June 2024), the new program code will be BS5395 and will award the Bachelor of Science effective the 2024-25 catalog year.

Admission Information

Freshman Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Transfer Policy

Because the School of Media Arts and Studies sets high academic standards and limits enrollment, students from other universities or other programs and campuses at Ohio University must show strong academic performance. An accumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above will be required for consideration. Applications are accepted twice per year by the seventh week of either the fall or spring semester.

In addition, transfer students from outside Ohio University must abide by the policies indicated in the Admissions section of this catalog.

Further information regarding transfer policy can be found at: www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/mdia/current-students-resources/transfer.

Internships

Students with majors in the School of Media Arts and Studies are strongly encouraged to undertake an internship. The School and the College have hundreds of professional internship opportunities available to students, with nearly every major media organization in the United States, as well as internationally. Students can receive one hour of credit for an on- or off-campus practicum (MDIA 3910 or 3911 ) as early as the summer following the freshman year. Students may undertake the formal internship (MDIA 4910 ) during the junior or senior year. More information can be found at: www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/mdia/current-students-resources/internships.

MDIA 4911 (Internship in LA) is conducted through the Ohio-in-LA program and requires a separate application through Ohio University’s Office of Global Opportunities.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

By using scripts, sound, moving image, and interactivity to create stories through music, games, animation, video, and social media our students learn the pre-production, production, and post-production processes, while continuing to hone the skills needed to analyze the media they are creating. Alumni of the Media Arts and Studies program work in a variety of media industries. They create, analyze, and oversee media for education, entertainment, activism, journalism, or public relations purposes in the corporate, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial media industries.

Requirements

University-wide Graduation Requirements

Ohio University requires the completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours for the conferral of a bachelor’s degree. This program can be completed within that 120-hour requirement. For more information on the minimum hours requirement and other university-wide requirements, please review the Graduation Requirements – University-wide page.

Media Arts and Studies Core

Complete the following four courses with a grade of C (2.0) or better in each (‘C-’ will not fulfill requirement) course:

MDIA 1010 - The Evolution of Media Credit Hours: 3
or
EM 1010 - Introduction to Electronic Media Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 1020 - Media Storytelling and the Creative Process Credit Hours: 3
or
EM 1020 - Writing For Media Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2010 - Media Analysis and Criticism Credit Hours: 3
or
EM 2010 - Electronic Media Analysis/Criticism Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2011 - The Business of Media Credit Hours: 3
or
EM 2011 - Electronic Media as Business Credit Hours: 3

Global Impact of Media

Complete one of the following courses:

MDIA 2150 - Media Globalization Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3150 - Global Media Systems Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3172 - Public Media: Past, Present, and Future Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4011 - Media and the Digital Divide Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4015 - Media and Development Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4140 - New Media and Communication Technologies Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4141 - Satellite Media and Communications Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4170 - Media and the Muslim World Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4176 - Technology, Communication, and Culture Credit Hours: 3

Production Basics

Complete one course from the following:

MDIA 1250 - Audio Production Basics Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 1350 - Animation Foundation Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 1450 - Video Production Basics Credit Hours: 3

Media and Social Change Introduction Courses

Complete three courses from the Social Change and Media Analysis lists, with at least one course from each list.

Social Change

MDIA 2012 - Media, Communication and Social Change Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2150 - Media Globalization Credit Hours: 3

Media Analysis

EM 2500 - News Distribution Platforms Credit Hours: 3
FILM 2010 - Introduction to Film: History of World Cinema Credit Hours: 4
FILM 2020 - Introduction to Film: Film Analysis Credit Hours: 3
FILM 2030 - Introduction to Film: The Documentary Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2110 - Media Theory and Research Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2113 - Social Media Introduction Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2132 - Contemporary American Documentary Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2135 - Documentary Genres Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2161 - History of Prime Time Television I Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2170 - Media and Identity Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2171 - African-American Televisual Images Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2200 - Script Analysis and Production Planning Credit Hours: 3

Advanced Social Change and Media Process

Complete a total of four courses from advanced social change and media process, including at least one course from each of the two lists.

Social Change

FILM 3440J - The Practice of Film Criticism Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3110 - Advanced Media Criticism Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4111 - Media Phenomenology Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3150 - Global Media Systems Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3172 - Public Media: Past, Present, and Future Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3175 - Gossip, Espionage, Hackers, and Outlaw Memes Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3810 - Women and the Media Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4011 - Media and the Digital Divide Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4120 - Advanced Social Media Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4140 - New Media and Communication Technologies Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4170 - Media and the Muslim World Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4175 - Media and Sexual Representation Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4176 - Technology, Communication, and Culture Credit Hours: 3

Media Process

EM 2880 - Electronic Media Workshop-Multimedia Credit Hours: 1
FILM 3380 - Studies in the Documentary Film Credit Hours: 3
FILM 3400 - Film Techniques Credit Hours: 3
FILM 3430 - Screenwriting Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 2700 - Video and Audio Field Production Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3105 - Audience Research Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3201 - Screenwriting: the Adaptation Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3303 - Sound for Moving Image Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3700 - Intermediate Video Production Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3705 - Podcasting Production Essentials Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 3807 - The Art of Editing Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4700 - Nonfiction Storytelling and Documentary Production Credit Hours: 3
MDIA 4705 - Media and Web Delivery Credit Hours: 3

Total Media Hours

Complete additional media courses to earn a minimum of 39 hours. Media courses comprise all MDIA courses and all EM or FILM courses listed as options in the major. Note that some courses might be listed as options for multiple areas of the major, but a course may only count once in the major (i.e., a course may not be used to fulfill more than one requirement in the major).

Media Arts and Studies Related Area

Students in the School of Media Arts and Studies are required to complete 30 credits hours of coursework in three (3) academic units, outside the School of Media Arts and Studies. These academic units and courses are selected by the student and the student’s academic advisor to enhance and support the student’s area of acaedmic and professional interests.

Requirements

At least 15 of the 30 credit hours must be at the 3000/4000 level.
At least six (6) credit hours must be completed in each chosen academic unit.
At least one (1) academic unit must be outside of the Scripps College of Communication.
Students completing a minor or certificate can count those courses toward this requirement, but may need to take additional hours to meet the requirements.
MDIA courses cannot count toward this requirement, even if they are a part of a certificate program.