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Department of Communication & Media Studies

Media Studies Minor

The Media Studies Minor provides students with theoretically focused and application-based frameworks to understand media, media technology, media policy, and their influence upon domestic and global culture and society. Students will study theoretically grounded approaches to a variety of media, becoming sensitive to the ways power affects media creation, distribution, access, representation, reception, consumption, and change. The minor prepares students to become theoretically informed navigators and critical consumers of media texts, and provides them with skills useful for citizens of a dynamically mediated world.

Students whose primary interest is hands-on film/video/sound production are encouraged to see the Video/Film Production Minor or the Digital and Media Arts Minor. 

Students whose primary interests are film history, theory, criticism, and appreciation are encouraged to see the Film Studies Minor.

Special Conditions for the Minor in Media Studies

  • A minimum of six (6) units must be unique to the minor.
  • Communication majors and Social Science majors (with primary field of Communication) may double count a maximum of six (6) units of upper-division units toward their major and the Media Studies Minor.
  • Up to six (6) units of credit in MDIA 495 Internships and/or MDIA 499 A-C Independent Study may be applied toward the
  • If a student takes more than two courses from the Core courses list, the additional course(s) may count as electives for the minor.
  • All courses used for the minor must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher.
  • All non-articulated courses must be reviewed and approved by a faculty advisor.

Core Courses (6 Units)

MDIA 301 (Media Theory) or MDIA 360 (Media and Society)
AND
MDIA 303 (Histories of Media Technologies) or MDIA 304 (Global Media)

Electives (12 Units)

Any upper-division MDIA course not used as a core course for the minor.

Total 18 Units