Media Arts

Theory combines with practice through three different programs: Journalism, Integrated Media and Film and Video. Using media to tell compelling stories with images and words is the cornerstone of the Media Arts program. Students can major in one of the programs or combine them in a general media major. The department also encourages interdepartmental explorations in art, speech, photography, theatre and creative writing.

Program Highlights

• Major or minor in journalism, film/video production, integrated media, general media studies or film studies (minor only)
• The only B.A. in film/video production in the Northwest
• Intensive year-long, self-designed senior capstone project in area of emphasis
• A digital media lab that includes graphic design, illustration, web design, digital audio and video production hardware and software
• High Definition cameras
• Student media outlets including The Pacific Index student newspaper; video productions with the Pacific University Media Arts student club (PUMA), which brings guest artists to campus, creates their own projects and hosts screenings
• Opportunities to compete with the Speech Team in both individual events and debate at the local, national and international levels [link to speech page]
• Study abroad opportunity in media production and studies with York St. John University in York, England

Internships

Internships with local media and communications outlets also are a key component of study. Examples include KATU-TV in Portland, Portland independent filmmakers, a National Guard newspaper and Voltage Pictures in Hollywood, producers of the academy award-winning film "The Hurt Locker." This broad-based approach allows graduates to gravitate to a variety of fields from television and newspapers to web design and marketing.

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Department Fast Facts
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Courses

The goals of our curriculum are to develop in students a broad knowledge of political phenomena, practical skills of analysis and communication, and an understanding of theoretical approaches to politics. Courses delve into the politics of the United States and the world, including topics related to the environment, the media, civil rights, social change, religion, socialism, conservatism and other contemporary issues. The Department takes seriously George Orwell's mantra that "all issues are political issues," offering courses on the history of political development in regions around the world, protest and its suppression, economic markets, dictatorships and security.

Career-Building Experiences

Course work includes the theoretical and social aspects of the media as well as the creative and technical components, including an understanding of the history, social and cultural roles of media in society.