Media Studies, B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Studies explores the cultural and personal impact media and technology have upon every facet of our world, including (but not limited to) our relationships, our social environments, our gendered selves, our politics, the aesthetic properties of media artifacts, our various likes and dislikes—in short, our beliefs and understandings about just about everything. Using various approaches to media theory students learn to make meaningful choices about the mediated messages they encounter or consume.

Using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, students learn to question effectively and critically and to research and analyze media issues and problems that profoundly affect their lives and the lives of those around them. Primary texts in the Media Studies program include (but are not limited to) social media and other forms of digital communication, film, television and other artifacts of popular culture. Students are empowered with the skills and curiosity to find success in graduate school and a host of careers that value problem solving and the capacity for critical thinking—careers that are both media related and non-media related.

By stressing critical thinking and analysis, and by developing professional research and writing skills, the Media Studies B.A. also provides students with the highest quality liberal education and increases their appreciation for the pursuit of knowledge that enables them to strive toward the ideal of an educated, life-long learner.