Media Study

All those hours you've spent staring at screens is about to pay off. As someone who grew up surrounded by media, you already know how to understand and create the content you see and hear on your smartphone, laptop or TV. Now, it's time to take the next step. UB's media study program is designed for thoughtful, creative people who want to shape our culture, make media (including films) and analyze the ever-increasing amount of media in our daily lives.

What will I learn?

How do you make a documentary or computer game? How does popular culture affect web design? Does the impact of something change if we binge watch it or experience it in virtual reality? These are the types of questions you can explore in the classrooms, screening rooms and production spaces at UB, in one of the first media study departments in the U.S. You’ll start with intro courses about media, then quickly move into advanced classes in production, theory, history and other topics based on your specific interests. 

Film Studies vs. Media Study
  • Film studies is for students who want to think about and study film, perhaps as a writer, researcher or teacher.
  • Media study teaches you how to create and analyze all types of media, including films.

What can I do outside of class?

Whether you're exploring Buffalo's arts scene with new friends or building your network through an internship, you’ll appreciate all of the opportunities at UB.

  • Internships. Get real-world experience and build your network; UB has strong ties to world-class media production studios, art galleries, film studios and other organizations.
  • Events. On-campus and throughout Buffalo, you can attend conferences, screenings, film festivals and more.
  • Student clubs. Join like-minded peers in one of UB’s 400+ clubs.
  • Study abroad. Enjoy a life-changing semester, summer or even a full year learning and experiencing the culture of another country.
Research
Student Clubs
Events
Internships

What can I do with a media study degree?

Our alumni have directed content for Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny, been honored at major film festivals (including SXSW), worked for Industrial Light & Magic and won Academy Awards, to name just a few of their accomplishments.

Whether you want to create films, video games, animations, web content or nearly any type of media, you can get the skills and experience you need with a media study degree. UB media study grads have found careers as a(n):

  • Assistant producer.
  • Augmented reality engineer.
  • Digital marketer.
  • Editorial producer.
  • Film director.
  • Game developer.
  • Production coordinator.
  • Professor.
  • Videographer/video editor.
  • Web developer/webmaster.

While many of our grads work in traditional film, video and broadcasting, there are also plenty of opportunities in non-profit agencies, advertising agencies and other organizations that need to create, distribute and understand media.

Who will I learn from?

At UB, our professors do much more than teach. They exhibit their work and perform around the world. They publish their research in leading journals. They create award-winning films and produce media art that is included in major collections. And, of course, they share their insight and expertise with their students.

Here, you'll find professors who are passionate about everything from virtual reality and social media to sound design, filmmaking and experimental art. Our students learn from experts in art history, English literature, anthropology, computer science … the list goes on and on.

Whether your professor is an artist who has exhibited in the Smithsonian and helped develop virtual reality technology, or a scholar who has given more than 100 guest lectures around the world, you’ll appreciate their diverse perspectives—and their commitment to helping you prepare for whatever comes next.