2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog
(Bachelor of Arts)
The Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Production is a forward-thinking degree prepares students to be skilled media professionals with both technical expertise and creative vision.
Hands-On Learning, Cross-Disciplinary Training
The Media Arts and Production (MAP) program blends hands-on experience with critical media analysis, offering courses in filmmaking, digital storytelling, video and audio editing, web-based media, acting and performance, media ethics, and audience engagement. The interdisciplinary nature of the program—drawing from Communication, Film, Theatre, Public Administration, History, Music, Writing and Applied Arts, and Arts Management—ensures students gain a well-rounded education that prepares them for careers in digital content creation, broadcasting, and multimedia production.
Media Production and Industry
MAP students develop highly transferable skills in storytelling, visual communication, media analysis, and project management—qualities that are highly sought after in today’s digital landscape. In their final year, students engage in capstone experience, applying their skills to video production, podcasting, marketing, digital journalism, and social media strategy. This degree equips graduates to enter the growing creative industries of Northeast Wisconsin and beyond, ensuring they are prepared for dynamic careers in digital and media arts.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Digital Media Literacy: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the foundational principles of media production, including digital storytelling, editing, and basic production workflows across audio, video, and web-based platforms.
- Creative Expression & Collaboration: Students will create digital artifacts (such as short films, audio recordings, or web content) that demonstrate creativity and effective collaboration with peers, incorporating different mediums like sound, video, and live performance.
- Performance Techniques: Students will develop basic acting and performance skills, including voice modulation, body language, and improvisation, and apply these techniques to digital media contexts (e.g., podcasting, short films, and performance art).
- Critical Media Analysis: Students will analyze and critique media artifacts (such as films, TV shows, podcasts, and digital performances) using fundamental concepts in film and media studies, such as narrative structure, representation, and genre conventions.
- Technical Skills in Media Production: Students will gain proficiency with essential digital tools and technologies for media production, such as editing software (audio/video), sound recording equipment, and basic lighting and camera work.
- Understanding of Media Ethics & Impact: Students will identify and analyze ethical considerations in digital media production, such as representation, copyright, and the social impact of media.
- Cross-Disciplinary Application: Students will be able to apply digital media production techniques and performance skills to their major or professional interests, demonstrating the flexibility of these tools across disciplines.
- Project Management & Reflection: Students will plan, execute, and reflect on media production projects, demonstrating skills in time management, workflow organization, and self-assessment of their creative process and technical proficiency.
Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting-Level Courses: | 13 | |
| Required: | ||
| Introduction to Media Production | ||
| Elements of Media | ||
| Introduction to Film | ||
| Acting for the Camera | ||
| Writing Competency | 0-3 | |
| Required: | ||
| Research and Rhetoric 1 | ||
| Upper-Level Courses | 18 | |
| Required: | ||
| Production | ||
| Choose five courses: | ||
| Radio Broadcasting | ||
| Video Production | ||
| How to Create Great Social Media Content | ||
| Documentary Video Production | ||
| Live Video Streaming Practicum | ||
| Game Design | ||
| Audio Synthesis | ||
| Capstone or Internship | ||
| All students must complete a capstone project or internship in their final year. | ||
| Electives: | 18 | |
| Electives should draw from at least three of these five categories: Production, Performance, Writing, Surveys, Arts Entrepneurship. | ||
| 9 credits (3 courses) must have an upper-level designation (300-400) | ||
Production: | ||
| Social Media Video Production | ||
| Fundamentals of Recording Technology | ||
| Basic Studio Practices | ||
| Video Game Music | ||
| Stagecraft | ||
| Costume Technology | ||
Performance: | ||
| Beginning Acting | ||
| Improvisation for Business | ||
| Voice for the Actor I | ||
Writing Courses: | ||
| Ethics in Writing | ||
| Introduction to Creative Writing | ||
| Screenwriting | ||
| Topics in Game Writing | ||
| Playwriting I | ||
Surveys: | ||
| Communication Law | ||
| Information, Media and Society | ||
| Social Media Strategies | ||
| Film and Society | ||
| Introduction to Film History and Theory | ||
| International Cinema | ||
| Survey of Gaming and Interactive Media | ||
| Arts Entrepreneurship: | ||
| Professional Perspectives in the Arts | ||
| Arts in the Community | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Public History Methods | ||
| Public and Non-Profit Management | ||
| Leadership in Organizations | ||
| Total Credits | 49-52 | |
Minor
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting Core | 6 | |
| Required: | ||
| Introduction to Media Production | ||
| Choose one course: | ||
| Elements of Media | ||
| Social Media Video Production | ||
| Introduction to Film | ||
| Acting for the Camera | ||
| Upper-Level Courses: | 12 | |
| Production: | ||
| Select three courses: | ||
| Video Production | ||
| Documentary Video Production | ||
| Radio Broadcasting | ||
| How to Create Great Social Media Content | ||
| Live Video Streaming Practicum | ||
| Game Design | ||
| Audio Synthesis | ||
| Elective: | 3 | |
| Choose one course: | ||
| Communication Law | ||
| Information, Media and Society | ||
| Social Media Strategies | ||
| Screenwriting | ||
| Topics in Game Writing | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Public History Methods | ||
| Introduction to Film History and Theory | ||
| International Cinema | ||
| Survey of Gaming and Interactive Media | ||
| Public and Non-Profit Management | ||
| Leadership in Organizations | ||
| Playwriting I | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |