Media Production, BA
The Media Production major prepares students for careers as dynamic multimedia creators in any discipline or field. Majors will experience :
- technical skill building
- ethics-based media literacy and criticism
- storytelling across mediums
- client-based and community-focused projects
- an on-campus media production internship
The Media Production major embraces the interdisciplinarity of a Liberal Arts education. Majors develop individualized degree pathways by selecting elective production and studies courses spread across fifteen different majors and programs. This broad range of elective choices allow majors to develop emphases according to their personal passions and provide ample opportunity for pursuing industry-friendly double-majors and minors.
Learn more about the program
Saint Mary’s Media Production Program offers students a multitude of pathways to pursue their passion in digital media storytelling, and prepares them for careers in increasingly media-focused job environments.
Curriculum
Media Production, BA
Required Courses
The following courses are required for all Media Production majors:
- COMM 102 - Introduction to Media & Cultural Studies (4 units)
- MP 100 - Media Production Tools & Techniques (1 unit)
- MP 200 - Media Ethics and Ecologies (3 units)
- MP 250 - Multimedia Writing (3 units)
Internship
One unit of an on-campus internship is required of Media Production majors in their first or second year.
- MP 198 - On-campus Media Internship (1 unit)
Core Production
The following courses are required for all Media Production majors:
- MP 301 - Video Production (4 units)
- MP 302 - Audio Production (4 units)
- MP 499 - Media Production Capstone (4 units)
Elective Production
Media Production Majors must complete at least 10 additional units, 8 of which must be upper division.
- ART 103 - Basic Design (4 units)
- ART 104 - Basic Photography (4 units)
- ART 106 - Animation: Stop Motion (1 unit)
- ART 165 - Designing for the Web (4 units)
- ART 155 - Introduction to Digital Art (4 units)
- ART 301 - Digital Drawing & Animation (4 units)
- ART 304 - Advanced Photography (4 units)
- ART 313 - Advanced Design (4 units)
- ART 355 - Experimental Film & Video (1-3 units)
- ART 375 - Interdisciplinary Arts (4 units)
- COMM 390 - Media labs in Radio, Journalism or Other (1-3 units)
- CORE 202 - The Video Essay (1 unit)
- CS 102 - Digital Literacy (3 units)
- DATA 310 - Data Visualization & Storytelling (4 units)
- MKT 313 - Digital Marketing (4 units)
- MKT 314 - Online Content Creation (4 units)
- MP 401 - Community Media (5 units)
- MP 402 - Fiction Filmmaking (4 units)
- MP 403 - Sports Media (4 units)
MP majors may count four units of these classes as a part of their Elective Production requirement.
- COMM 322 - American Journalism (4 units)
- COMM 323 - Sports Journalism (4 units)
- ENGL 361 - Dramatic and Cinematic Arts Workshop (4 units)
- ENGL 461 - Advanced Dramatic and Cinematic Arts Workshop (4 units)
- THTR 120 - Acting I: Acting for Everybody (3 units)
- THTR 150 - Introduction to Technical Theater (3 units)
- THTR 221-229 - Acting Lab (1 unit)
- THTR 251-259 - Technical Theater Lab (1 unit)
- THTR 300 - Directing & Design: Building & Collaboration (4 units)
- WRIT 300 - Theories and Practices of Professional Writing (4 units)
- WRIT 350 - Special Topics in Professional Writing (4 units)
- WRIT 400 - Writing for Non-Profits (4 units)
Studies and Analysis
All MP majors must take six units from this list of electives, four of which must be upper division.
- ANTHRO 381 - Visual Anthropology (4 units)
- ART 185 - Middle Eastern Cinema (1 unit)
- ART 186 - Iranian Cinema (1 unit)
- ART 187 - Golden Years of Japanese Cinema (1 unit)
- ART 376 - Art, Technology & Visual Culture (4 units)
- COMM 304 - Understanding Digital Culture (3 units)
- COMM 308 - Visual Communication (3 units)
- COMM 316 - Advertising & Civic Engagement (4 units)
- COMM 317 - Public Relations (3 units)
- COMM 325 - Media, Technologies and Culture (4 units)
- COMM 326 - Visual Research Methods (3 units)
- COMM 363 - Topics in Communication (3-4 units)
- COMM 405 - International Communication (4 units)
- COMM 407 - Political Communication (4 units)
- COMM 458 - Topics in Film (4 units)
- COMM 461 - Communication & Social Justice (4 units)
- COMM 463 - Topics in Communication (3-4 units)
- CS 360 - Tech Ethics (3 units)
- DANCE 201 - Dance and Film (3 units)
- ENG 353 - Film (4 units)
- ENG 354 - Topics in Film (4 units)
- ENG 355 - Korean Cinema (4 units)
- ENG 356 - Hitchcock (4 units)
- ENG 357 - Indie Film: Diverse Voices in American Cinema (4 units)
- ENG 383 - Film Theory (4 units)
- POL 313 - Politics & the Media (3 units)
- PHIL 382 - Philosophy Goes to the Movies (3 units)
- TRS 362 - Theology & Religion in/and/of Film (3 units)
MP 100 - Media Production Tools & Techniques (1 unit)
MP 198 - On-campus Media Internship (1 unit)
MP 200 - Media Ethics and Ecologies (3 units)
MP 250 - Multimedia Writing (3 units)
MP 301 - Video Production (4 units)
MP 302 - Audio Production (4 units)
MP 401 - Community Media (5 units)
MP 402 - Fiction Filmmaking (4 units)
MP 403 - Sports Media (4 units)
MP 499 - Media Production Capstone (4 units)
- Understand how media content can both reflect and shape cultural conversations and movements.
- Grasp the ethical considerations of applying formal creative choices upon non-fiction content.
- Develop collaborative team-building and client-based communication skills for thriving in media industries.
- Assess the meaning and effects of sounds and images using established theories of media.
- Apply narrative structure and coherent aesthetic intention to information across a variety of digital media platforms.
- Compose compelling images and record clear audio with a range of digital production tools.
- Arrange sound and image in thoughtful, layered sequence using professional digital post-production tools.
- Implement best practices for effective distribution of digital media content.