Department of Media Study

The B.A. in Media Study


The Department of Media Study offers you a compelling context to explore the moving image, networked and programmable media and critical theory in its social context.

Students may choose concentrations in Production (which includes tracks in digital arts, robotics, virtual reality, film, video, documentary), or Critical Studies.

Production courses engage students in the production of personal works in image/sound composition and the use of computers in generating or processing images and sounds. The curriculum also situates itself on the cutting edge of contemporary developments in creative and critical practice.

Critical Studies courses involve students in many traditional and new methods for analyzing the meaning of narrative, documentary, experimental, and iconic modes of image/sound composition. It is also particularly appropriate for students interested in careers as producers and writers in the media industry.

Media Study also provides an excellent opportunity for students who wish to pursue two fields of study. Art, English, Theater, Computer Science, Anthropology, Music and Communications are common combinations with Media Study in either joint or double majors. Media Study is also open to Special Majors in which students combine work from two or three fields to construct their own programs.

The Department of Media Study faculty is among the most distinguished in the university and are recognized internationally for their work in their respective fields. For details please consult the People section.

The department is housed in the new Center for the Arts on the Amherst (North) Campus along with the Art Department, the Theater and Dance studios, and the University Gallery. The Media Study quarters include a production studio and sound stage, two small screening rooms, and a large screening room that seats 200 along with editing rooms, computer labs, a robotics lab, and a Virtual Reality lab. For specific details of the department’s equipment architecture please consult the Facilities section.

The Department of Media Study has an excellent collaborative relationship with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo Media Resources Center (Squeaky Wheel), the Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Art (CEPA), Buffalo Media Access Center and the Carnegie Museum.



Career Choices
  • CD ROM and game designers
  • Web and interface designers
  • Multimedia programmers
  • Special effects/graphics designers
  • VR interfaces for scientific research, industrial design, and architecture
  • Curators in galleries and museums
  • Film/media reviewers/critics
  • Film/media writers, producers, directors, editors, technicians
  • Independent artists
  • Media specialists/consultants
  • University/ college professors
  • Library media specialists
  • Media center administrator/technician
  • Development officer for private foundation


Recent graduates have found employment in the following areas:

  • Assistant Producer, WGBH-Boston
  • Editor, MTV Productions
  • Assistant Editor, Solarium
  • Editor, NYTimes Television
  • Film and Video Producer at CineFamily, NYC
  • Production Coordinator, Believe Media, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
  • Multimedia developer, Ingram Micro, Inc.
  • Editor, Fox Sports
  • Film Programmer, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center


    • University at Buffalo Minors that complement Media Study

    • Anthropology
    • Architecture
    • Computer Science
    • Dance
    • Photography
    • English
    • Management Science and Systems
    • Music
    • Theatre

    (For more information about Minors, please follow this link to our Requirements page.

    The Classroom

    • All Media Study production classes have a maximum of 22 students.
    • Critical Studies courses range from 25 to 80 depending on the course.