Frequently asked questions

WHAT IS MEDIA STUDIES?

Media Studies, offered through the College of Communications is, like all of our majors, a two-year program students can enter upon achieving junior standing. The University of Illinois began the program in 1984 and is one of just two universities in the state that awards a bachelor's degree specifically in "Media Studies." Students in the program explore and seek to understand modern communications media from a liberal arts perspective: the theory behind contemporary mass communications and telecommunications, their origins, structures, and implications for our society. Communications is a flourishing field that permeates all of our social institutions. The Media Studies Program introduces students to this dynamic arena, beyond the traditional major streams that journalism and advertising cover.

WHAT IS TAUGHT?

Students approach Media Studies topics by examining their histories and practical goals. The development of communications media is considered in light of more general concerns about technology, culture, society, and politics. Here are topics Media Studies majors might examine:

< Video Text and its Potential Impact on Newspaper Readership
< Multicultural and Global Issues in Popular Culture
< Political implications of Global Multi-Media Conglomerates
< Implications of Commercials on Public Television
< How Representations of Women in Media Affect Broader Cultural Understandings
< Effects of Alcohol Advertising on Youth Attitudes Toward Drinking/Driving
< Tabloid TV: "Gossip" Replacing News Substance?
< Implications of the Way African-Americans and Other Minority Groups are Portrayed in Media
< 1st Amendment Issues : e.g. Banning "Indecent" Programming in Cable TV

WHAT ARE THE APPROACH AND FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM?

The program incorporates the study of contemporary mass communications and telecommunications with related theoretical considerations. It is designed for students whose interests in communications are focused on broad background issues involving the origins, structures, and implications of the media. The curriculum therefore centers on the College's core of "communications and society" courses. Topics are approached comparatively and historically, examining and evaluating the many issues (social, cultural, legal, ethical, political and economic) raised by the mass media. The study of communications integrates key intellectual issues that are central to contemporary liberal education, and hence departs from the major emphasis of advertising and journalism.

Communications is a burgeoning field increasingly influencing all of our social institutions. The Media Studies Program introduces students to an interdisciplinary perspective on this dynamic phenomenon. It prepares students for many media-related positions (often facilitated by our internship program), and develops the writing and analytic skills so widely prized by employers in today's competitive job market.

WHAT'S NEXT AFTER EARNING A DEGREE IN MEDIA STUDIES?

Students with Media Studies undergraduate degrees have a variety of career opportunities. They can work in public broadcasting, media research and production, the telecommunications industry, and such non-profit organizations as schools, hospitals, and foundations. Many Media Studies majors find their undergraduate work helps prepare them for earning master's degrees in specific communications fields; some go on to pursue Ph.D.s in media-related fields. They also may pursue graduate and professional degrees in political science, sociology, psychology, public policy studies, law, and other areas. Students who are considering graduate studies in a specific area may want to complete the 20 advanced hours requirement of the Media Studies Program in that area (see below).

WHAT ARE THE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS?

For admission requirements see the following links on the College of Communications and the Univeristy admissions policies: