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Applied Media - B.A.

Explore Kent State University's Bachelor of Arts program in Applied Media. This interdisciplinary program provides students with practical skills and theoretical knowledge in media production, storytelling and communication strategies. Dive into hands-on experiences in areas such as digital media, journalism, advertising and more, preparing you for dynamic careers in today's media landscape.

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Program Information for Applied Media - B.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Media provides students with the freedom to explore media-based career paths. This skills-based, hands-on degree consists of a flexible and individualized coursework plan that prepares students for the rapidly changing professional media landscape. Courses come from the wide range of professional undergraduate programs across the College of Communication and Information and include mediated communication, advertising and strategic communication, visual storytelling (including photography, graphics, video and audio production), journalism, media-related technology, data and information. Students also learn how to work in teams and analyze and solve problems.

The Applied Media major prepares students for jobs in all sectors of the media and for positions in a range of jobs that hire dedicated media professionals – including entertainment, sports, travel, government, health and education.

Admissions for Applied Media - B.A.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

Admission to the Applied Media major is selective. Students must meet the following requirements to be admitted:

  • Officially declared in a major in the College of Communication and Information
  • Earned a minimum 90 credit hours, of which either 12 earned credit hours or 18 earned and in-progress credit hours are in the following course subjects:
    • Communication and Information (CCI)
    • Emerging Media and Technology (EMAT)
    • Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC)
    • Library and Information Science (LIS)
    • Media and Journalism (MDJ)
    • User Experience (UX)
    • User Experience Design (UXD)
    • Visual Communication Design (VCD)

Students who do not meet admission requirements for this major may declare any other major in the College of Communication and Information.

This degree program may not be earned as a double major or dual degree with another major and cannot be earned as an additional degree after another degree at the same or higher level has been earned previously.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning a minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score, minimum 47 PTE score or minimum 100 DET score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive English Program. For more information on international admission visit the admissions website for international students.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Apply professional standards in the fields of communication, information and media.
  2. Analyze and solve problems in the fields of communication, information and media.
  3. Create content strategically to communicate ideas, messages and stories using various media channels.
  4. Critique work in the fields of communication, information and media.
  5. Articulate the value of interdisciplinary collaboration across the fields that comprise the College of Communication and Information.
Coursework
On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Applied Media Core Electives, choose from the following:9
CCI 12001
PHOTOGRAPHY
COMM 15000
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL)
COMM 35852
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (DIVG)
EMAT 25310
CREATIVE CODING
LIS 30010
INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND
MDJ 21008
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES
UXD 20001
INTRODUCTION TO USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
VCD 13000
VISUAL DESIGN THINKING
Communication and Information Electives, choose from the following:15
Communication and Information (CCI) courses
Communication Studies (COMM) courses
Emerging Media and Technology (EMAT) courses
Library and Information Science (LIS) courses
Media and Journalism (MDJ) courses
User Experience Design (UXD) courses
Visual Communication Design (VCD) courses
Writing-Intensive Elective, choose from the following: 13
COMM 34000
DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN COMMUNICATION (WIC)
COMM 45902
COMMUNICATION AND INFLUENCE (WIC)
EMAT 41510
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS (WIC)
MDJ 31002
ADVERTISING COPYWRITING (WIC)
MDJ 40010
ETHICS AND ISSUES IN MEDIA AND JOURNALISM (WIC)
MDJ 48001
MEDIA RELATIONS AND PUBLICITY (WIC)
VCD 49198
RESEARCH PAPERS AND PROPOSALS FOR DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY (ELR) (WIC)
Culminating Requirement
COMM 46091SENIOR SEMINAR (ELR) 3
or EMAT 40999 INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS (ELR)
Additional Major Requirements (courses do not count in the major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)9
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines)6
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory)6-7
Kent Core Additional6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)53
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
  • No dual degree/major may be earned with the Applied Media major.
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • Fully online
    • Mostly online
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Applied Media - B.A.

Market research analysts and marketing specialists

17.7%

much faster than the average

738,100

number of jobs

$65,810

potential earnings

Producers and directors

10.0%

much faster than the average

159,500

number of jobs

$76,400

potential earnings

Public relations and fundraising managers

9.2%

much faster than the average

88,000

number of jobs

$118,430

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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