Communication: Film and Media Arts (BA)

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Offered by the School of Communication , the Communication: Film and Media Arts (BA) provides students with a professional skill set in photography, film, video, and digital media. Washington, DC offers undergraduates a range of opportunities to intern at national media organizations including USA Today, National Geographic Television, and PBS. Students are positioned on the forefront of social purpose filmmaking at nonprofits, NGOs, and government agencies such as the World Wildlife Fund, Smithsonian Institution, and the National Park Service. Graduates of the program go on to have successful careers in the media industry.

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale). Students should declare their major by the end of the sophomore year and no earlier than the end of the freshman year.

Students who are unable to achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 and declare a major in communication are not allowed to take courses in the school after they have completed 60 hours of undergraduate credit.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

42 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 24 credit hours at or above 300-level
- Subject to the approval of an advisor, a maximum of 12 credit hours in communication transferred from another university may be substituted for required communication courses
- With approval of the student’s advisor, up to 6 credit hours taken abroad may be applied toward the communication major requirements
Related course requirements taken outside the School of Communication with grades of C or better:
Note: These courses are not included in the major GPA.
- 3 credit hours in United States history (HIST-xxx)
- 3 credit hours in economics (ECON-xxx) or MKTG-250
- Minor or second major outside the School of Communication
Minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA