College of Arts, Media, and Communication Profile

Download the PDF

Download the Word Document

The College of Arts, Media, and Communication, hosting a range of exceptional programs, is one of the largest colleges at California State University, Northridge. Located in the heart of the Los Angeles entertainment and media industries, the college has talented faculty members whose professional work in their disciplines brings real-world experience into the classroom, and students who enjoy rich opportunities for internships and other industry contacts that prepare them for successful careers. Throughout the college, there is a strong emphasis on teaching the theory of the subject, putting that knowledge into action, and then giving students the opportunity to combine both in real-world settings.

The College of Arts, Media, and Communication hosts the following departments:

• Art Department (942 majors) offering B.A. in art, M.A. in art, and M.F.A in art degrees. Areas of concentration for the B.A. include art education, art history, studio areas and visual communication areas, including animation, graphic design, illustration, photography, and video/digital.
• Cinema and Television Arts Department (1,121 majors) offering B.A. in cinema and television arts and M.A. in screenwriting degrees. Areas of concentration for the B.A. include electronic media management, film production, media theory and criticism, multimedia production, radio production, screenwriting, and television production.
• Communication Studies Department (579 majors) offering B.A. in communication studies, M.A. in communication studies and a certificate program in communication and conflict management.
• Journalism Department (714 majors) offering B.A. in journalism and M.A. in mass communication degrees. The department also offers a journalism minor and an interdisciplinary minor in Spanish-language journalism, the only one of its kind in Southern California.
• Music Department (576 majors) offering B.A. and B.M. in music degrees, M.A. degrees in music education and M.M. degrees in composition, conducting and performance. Options for the B.A. degree include breadth studies in music, music industry studies, music education and music therapy.
• Theatre Department (255 majors) offering B.A. and M.A. in theatre degrees. The department offers a minor in theatre with options of history/literature, acting/directing, and design/technology.

Some special programs in the college include:

• The Entertainment Industry Institute (EII), which connects the University with the television, music, radio, and film community, including all major film studios, television networks, production companies, music organizations and allied entities. The institute hosts innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum and projects in partnerships with the industry.
• The new Mike Curb Endowed Chair in Music Industry Studies, which will oversee Music Industry Studies degree option in the Music Department. This 12-year-old program, the first degree of its kind in California, is the Music Department’s most popular option. Students must pass an entry performance audition, complete an industry internship, and participate in a yearlong class project to create a record label and then select, record and work to market a chosen artist.