UB Programs At-A-Glance

Media Study

Department of Media Study
College of Arts and Sciences
231 Center for the Arts
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-6020

Phone: 716.645.6902
Fax: 716.645.6979
Web: www.mediastudy.buffalo.edu

Roy Roussel
Chair

About the Program

The department offers degree programs in media production and critical studies. Courses taught in the production of media cover 16 mm film camera work and editing, scriptwriting, video camera use, nonlinear (computer) editing, documentary making, virtual reality creation, robotics, computer animation, web-based art, interactive software development, and sound. Students also take courses in the history, theory, and social effects of media.

About Our Degrees

Students selecting the Production concentration take courses at the basic level and produce work in all three production areas: film, video, and digital arts. It is our philosophy that students should be exposed to multiple mediums to foster artistic talent and encourage ingenuity. Students in media study are thereby able to determine which production area best suits their interests as well as understand that no medium functions exclusively. A student interested in film, for example, will want exposure to digital arts (for special effects or to present their work online); similarly, a student in digital arts will want exposure to video (to incorporate video in web or virtual reality projects, for example). Students continue to diversify at the intermediate level, and focus on one area at the advanced level.

Students who select the Critical Studies concentration take courses in history, analysis, and theory which address the complex interrelationship between artistic practice and theoretical discourses. Concepts in film theory, digital media design, the role of the machine, semiotics, political theory, and cultural studies are addressed through examination of works, critiques, and theoretical texts. Students are required to take at least one basic production course to underscore the relationship between production and theory.

For information about our M.F.A. in Media Arts Production, or about the M.A. in Humanities, please see http://mediastudy.buffalo.edu/s/grad_index.shtml.

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in three media study courses.
Completion of a minimum of 50 credit hours.

Acceptance Information

Deadlines: Rolling

Degree Requirements

See the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Courses

The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: 19 in introductory production courses, and 40-50 in film history courses
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 15-20
Upper level/advanced courses is: 15-20

In the Department of Media Study, what do teaching assistants (TA's) do?

TA’s teach some sections and are also responsible for classroom lectures and demonstrations, critical review of student work, and grading assignments.

For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Faculty

Department of Media Study faculty specialize in video, film and digital arts. They continue to achieve international prominence, winning prizes at festivals, grants to continue creative work, and invitations to lecture.

See a list of our undergraduate faculty.

Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities

Notable Program Features

Access to film and video cameras and accessories, computers, and editing components is available for student projects on a sign-out basis. The Media Study Equipment Room has more than 300 pieces of equipment, including 22 digital camcorders, 15 S/VHS camcorders, 15 super 8 cameras, 20 16 mm cameras (bolex and synch) packages), microphones and audio recorders, light kits, tripods, and film-to-video transfer equipment. Students have access to post-production facilities, including 20+ digital editing stations for Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro or Media 100, eight film editing suites; two digital audio editing stations with Pro Tools; 20 digital stations packaged for 3D animation, Web design, and interactive design with Director, Flash Animation, Premiere, Photoshop, and Maya 3-D animation; Linux Red Hat PCs for OpenGL graphics programming; and a PC lab with Visual Studio 6 for robotics programming. Students may present work at nine locations in media study, including our large screening room where each year we screen student work.

Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience

Independent Studies
There are a variety of possibilities for interested students to work with individual faculty members on topics of study.

Internships
For academic credit, the Department of Media Study encourages student participation in internship programs at production studios, local TV studios, and media access centers.

Study Abroad
Transfer credits for work done in media study at foreign universities can be arranged on an individual basis. We currently have programs at the University of Bremen in Germany, and at Kent University in England.

Honors, Awards and Scholarships

Departmental Honors

These honors are given for outstanding achievement in film, video, digital arts and media scholarship, as well as outstanding service to the university and community. Certificates are presented at the annual meeting of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Gregory Capasso Memorial Award
Presented for outstanding creative work in film, video, digital arts and media scholarship.

Pierre McAloon Memorial Award
Presented for excellence in creative work in film.

Levy-King-White Scholarships
Presented for academic achievement and demonstrated financial need.

Performing and Creative Arts Scholarships
One or two scholarships of $2,500 a year for four years are available to entering freshmen majoring in media study. To qualify, students must be artistically accomplished as well as academically talented and fulfill the scholarship criteria set by the Honors Program.

Talent-based Scholarships
The Department of Media Study awards a small number of scholarships of $1,000 a year for four years to students who demonstrate talent in media. To qualify, students must submit their creative work in the form of film, video, scripts, and/or published movie reviews.

Extracurricular Activities

Undergraduate Media Study Club; for information, call 716-645-6902.

See the UB Student Association.

Complementary Programs and Courses

Minors that Complement Media Study


Majors that Complement Media Study


Courses Outside the Major that Could Improve Employment Opportunities

Career Information and Further Study

Employment for those in media study generally focuses on creativity and production techniques utilizing film, video, electronic, and computer-generated technology. This field integrates the examination of culture with the art and science of information/idea transfer through the use of images and sound.

It is important that students acquire a strong background in both the social sciences and liberal arts, develop refined verbal and written communication skills, and maintain a strong intellectual curiosity about the world around them. As media and technology is changing almost daily, it is critical that the media study graduate not only understand how to use the diverse range of media that is available to him or her, it is also necessary to develop expertise in a particular field and develop work through that channel.

Skills gained in this program include:

  • Writing effective copy
  • Presenting a point of view clearly and forcefully in a variety of media
  • Using sight, sound, motion, and words to create powerful and exciting images
  • Synchronizing words with music, movement, sound, and lighting to produce a finished work
  • Effectively using design elements to hold an audience's attention
  • Using research and investigative techniques to develop a piece of work
  • Operating cameras, recorders, and computers
  • Becoming resourceful in obtaining props, sets, and other effects necessary to a production
  • Using communication techniques to obtain and relay information
  • Selecting, evaluating, and editing media materials


Career Choices

  • Broadcast team members/announcers
  • CD ROM and game designers
  • Copywriters
  • Curators in galleries and museums
  • Documentary producers
  • Employees in federal and state funding agencies
  • Film reviewers/critics
  • Film/television writers, producers, directors, editors, technicians
  • Grantwriters
  • Independent artists
  • Independant producers
  • Media specialists/consultants
  • Motion picture photographers
  • Program coordinators
  • Programmers
  • Reporters/correspondents
  • Script/continuity writers
  • Script/screen writers
  • Set designers
  • Special effects/graphics designers
  • University/college professors
  • VR interface designers for scientific research, industrial design, and architecture
  • Web and interface designers


Recent graduates have found employment in the following areas:

  • Assistant editor at Solarium (edits commercials and shows for Lifetime and TLC channels)
  • Assistant producer, WGBH-Boston
  • Director of George Eastman House, Rochester, NY
  • Editor for Fox Sports
  • Film and video production at CineFamily, NYC
  • Film programmer at Hallwalls
  • Multimedia developer at Ingram Micro, Inc.
  • Production coordinator at Believe Media, Inc., Los Angelos, CA


Several graduates have won Emmys, Clios, and major film festivals, and have had their work shown on PBS and national television.

Work settings include:

  • Advertising agencies
  • Animation providers
  • Colleges/universities
  • Film studios
  • Film/video supply houses
  • Libraries
  • Media galleries
  • Media production firms
  • Motion picture companies
  • Museums/archives
  • Newspapers/publishing firms
  • Non-profit agencies
  • Public relations agencies
  • Record companies
  • Recording studios
  • Schools
  • Television/radio stations
  • Touring production companies
  • Web design firms


What percentage of graduates is offered related employment?

80%

Post-undergraduate Opportunities

The Department of Media Study at UB offers these graduate degrees:

  • M.F.A. in Media Arts Production


What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?

20%

Links to Further Information About This Program

Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:12 EST