Media, BA (online)
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Media (online)
The Bachelor of Arts in Media provides students with a well-rounded interdisciplinary education in fields associated with the media industry. Students take coursework in advertising, journalism, and media & cinema studies. The remaining coursework, after completing general education courses, is comprised of free electives, to allow for maximum flexibility for students. The program is offered online, and students will take online coursework to complete degree requirements.
This degree program is open to students with some college coursework, but no degree. First-year students with no college coursework are not eligible to apply.
View all College of Media undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Media (online)
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The University and residency requirements can be found in Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MDIA 100 | College of Media Orientation | 1 |
| ADV 150 | Introduction to Advertising | 3 |
| or ADV 175 | Introduction to Multicultural Advertising | |
| JOUR 101 | Interactive Media & You | 3 |
| or JOUR 200 | Introduction to Journalism | |
| MACS 100 | Intro to Popular TV & Movies | 3 |
| or MACS 101 | Introduction to the Media | |
| MDIA 498 | Media Capstone | 1 |
| Media Electives - 300- or 400-level | 12 | |
Advertising (ADV), Journalism (JOUR), Media and Cinema Studies (MACS), or Media (MDIA) coursework at the 300- or 400-level | ||
| Media Electives - Any Level | 12 | |
Any Advertising (ADV), Journalism (JOUR), Media and Cinema Studies (MACS), or Media (MDIA) course not already counting toward a requirement above. | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Media (online)
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
Students in this program will have an individualized path to a degree. They will meet one-on-one with an academic advisor to devise an appropriate plan to graduation, which will likely look different than the one below.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| ADV 150 or 175 | 3 | MACS 100 or 101 | 3 |
| MDIA 100 | 1 | Media Elective | 3 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 4 | General Education course or Composition I | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 | General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| JOUR 101 or 200 | 3 | Media Elective (300- or 400-level) | 3 |
| Media Elective | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Media Elective | 3 | Media Elective (300- or 400-level) | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | Media Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Media Elective (300- or 400-level) | 3 | Media Elective (300- or 400-level) | 3 |
| MDIA 498 | 1 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 4 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Media (online)
Students in the BA in Media will be able to:
- Understand concepts, theories, and methods in the fields of advertising, journalism, and media & cinema studies
- Use cutting edge tools and technology to analyze and evaluate the media landscape
- Create ethical and culturally relevant media content
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Media (online)
College of Media
College of Media Student Services Center
media-ssc@illinois.edu
(217) 244-4329