Media Studies Mission Statement
The media studies major is committed to providing professional instruction, theoretical and practical, in advanced media studies, through courses designed to challenge and inspire students to develop the skills to be successful, informed, independent-thinking, and ethical citizens of the world, in the image of St. Francis de Sales.
Media Studies Student Learning Outcomes
Students who graduate from DeSales University with a major in media studies will be able to:
- demonstrate fundamental knowledge of media history, theory, and literature;
- demonstrate fundamental knowledge of and skills in media production;
- demonstrate fundamental knowledge of and skills in media analysis and criticism;
- model professional values and behaviors of the field (deadline adherence, effective communication, collaboration, etc.).
The goal of the media studies major at DeSales University is to produce media professionals with basic skills for content production and advanced tools of critical thought necessary for critiquing that content, with an emphasis on media theory. Students will take courses in media theory, journalism, digital media, and media production.
Media professionals must carry into their chosen field the appropriate tools for critical thinking about how media function as institutions, as content producers, and as political influencers, among other things. Equally so, scholars who choose a path of studying media in higher education should have a knowledge of the technical aspects of the production process that will help inform their scholarship.
The major incorporates experiences both in and out of the classroom to produce students who have experience in production and theory and an awareness of ethical concerns present in the contemporary world of the media industry.