Print this page.About the Program
Media arts fosters a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment for the critical study and creative practice of film and video production, photography, audio, media writing, and new media. Our curriculum rests on a broad-based liberal arts education and encourages you to find their commitments to innovative research and creative work. The Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts prepares you to design, produce, manage, and distribute media. The Master of Arts in Media Arts allows you to further develop an area of focus in media studies and production.
Career Opportunities
Diverse careers are available for media arts graduates as local and global media environments continue to evolve. You will possess both the fundamental and high-tech expertise to succeed in this growing industry. Here are just a few of the possibilities:
• producer/director
• animator
• broadcast, cable, and film production
• computer graphic artist
• corporate communications specialist
• private agencies and industries at all levels
Your student internship with a media-related business or organization could be the starting point of your career after graduation. All internships carry three to six hours of credit, are one semester long, and must be approved by the department and supervised by a faculty member. Interns have worked with such companies as WIS-TV, MTV, Disney, Coca-Cola, and advertising and public relations agencies.
The University Career Center is available to assist you in choosing a career direction and in increasing your marketability upon graduation. For additional information, call the center at 803-777-7280.
Admission/Progression Requirements
To be admitted into the College of Arts and Sciences, you must meet all University admission requirements, including (for freshmen) a completed application, nonrefundable application fee, high-school record complete up to the time of application (including record of at least 20 units of study earned as required by the University), and entrance examination scores (either SAT or ACT). Details for all applicant categories can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
Program of Study (120 hours)
Your studies will be structured around 43-52 credit hours in courses that fulfill the general education requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, 33-36 hours in major requirements, 12-18 hours in a cognate or minor field of study, and 4-19 hours in electives. General education requirements include courses in areas such as English, mathematics, physics, foreign languages, and the social sciences. Your major courses will include 15 hours in five core courses plus six courses from an approved list. These may include titles such as The Still Image, Lighting for Media Arts, Advanced Audio Art, Multi-Camera Video Production, and Animation. Your cognate or minor courses will be determined in consult with your advisor, as will any remaining hours of elective courses.
Of Special Interest
Media arts students will be exposed to work in audio, film/video, new media, photography, and scriptwriting. Interested students can further their studies at the graduate level by pursuing the Master of Arts in Media Arts. Mediafest is a special event that brings together and exhibits myriad sources of student creativity, interdisciplinary knowledge, talents, and skills of media-related fields, including film/video, sound, scriptwriting, new media, and photography, within the University of South Carolina campus and the surrounding community. The weekend of events features a red carpet gala, a gallery of media works, an awards ceremony, and a reception.