Applied Media
The Bachelor of Arts in Applied Media at Kent State University offers a fully online program for those passionate about media production, digital storytelling, and content creation. This program provides hands-on experience in multimedia design, video production, and digital editing, preparing graduates for dynamic careers in media and communications. With a flexible format and expert faculty, you can earn your degree while building a portfolio that will help you stand out in the industry.
Applied Media Bachelor’s Degree Program Overview
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.
Program Structure
- 120 minimum total credits:
- Choose 9 credits from a list of Applied Media core electives
- Choose 15 credits from a list of Communication and Information electives
- Choose 3 credits from a list of writing-intensive electives
- 3 credits of culminating requirement
- 37 credits of Kent core courses
- 53 credits of general electives
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Apply professional standards in the fields of communication, information and media.
- Analyze and solve problems in the fields of communication, information and media.
- Create content strategically to communicate ideas, messages and stories using various media channels.
- Critique work in the fields of communication, information and media.
- Articulate the value of interdisciplinary collaboration across the fields that comprise the College of Communication and Information.
Applied Media Bachelor’s Degree Program Admissions 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.
Important Dates
Program Courses
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 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: 1 | 3 | |
| 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 46091 | SENIOR SEMINAR (ELR) | 3 |
| EMAT 40999 | INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS (ELR) | |
| Additional Major Requirements (courses do not count in the major GPA) | ||
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| Kent Core Composition | 6 | |
| Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
| 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 Additional | 6 | |
| General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) | 53 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | |
1A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
Applied Media Bachelor’s Degree Program Tuition and Fees
Ohio Residents
| Per Credit Hour | Per 3-Credit Course | Approximate Tuition Cost |
| $592.97 | $1,778.91 | $52,200 full-time1 |
Non-Ohio Residents
| Per Credit Hour | Per 3-Credit Course | Approximate Tuition Cost |
| $602.97 | $1,808.91 | $53,400 full-time2 |
1The flat-rate semester fee of $6,526.80 applies to full-time Ohio resident undergraduate students taking between 12-18 credit hours per semester. This program is calculated at 8 semesters. For part-time semesters: The $592.97 per-credit-hour tuition rate applies to part-time Ohio resident undergraduate students taking fewer than 12 credit hours per semester.
2The flat-rate semester fee of $6,526.80 applies to full-time non-Ohio resident undergraduate students enrolled in a fully online degree program and taking between 12-18 credit hours, PLUS a surcharge of $10 per credit hour of actual credits taken (between 12-18 semester credits or $120-$180). This program is calculated at 8 (15 hour) semesters. For part-time semesters: The $602.97 per-credit-hour tuition rate applies to part-time non-Ohio resident undergraduate students enrolled in a fully online degree program and taking fewer than 12 credit hours per semester, PLUS a surcharge of $10 per credit hour.
An additional Distance Learning fee for all students enrolled in a distance learning course is $15 per credit hour. Program tuition and costs are estimated and subject to change.
Total program cost based on Tuition Guarantee Program for a full-time student taking 12-18 credit hours for 8 semesters. Actual tuition costs may vary based on a student’s chosen academic plan. For a complete listing of tuition rates for approved online programs, please contact Kent State’s Financial, Billing & Enrollment Center at 330-672-6000 or via our website Contact Us link.
The total program costs are estimates and are not final or binding. Program costs are based on standard fees, but fees may vary based on the actual classes taken. Kent State University disclaims any liability arising from the use of or reliance upon these program cost estimates by any person. Program costs are subject to change without notice.
Careers
- 17.7% much faster than the average
- 738,100 number of jobs
- $65,810 potential earnings
- 10.0% much faster than the average
- 159,500 number of jobs
- $76,400 potential earnings
- 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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