B.A. in Media - MEDIA MANAGEMENT, LAW AND POLICY

The B.A. in Media with a concentration in Media Management, Law and Policy is offered through The Media School within the College of Arts and Sciences.

In pursuing this degree, you will attain a general knowledge and familiarity with the structures of the media "ecosystem," from television to movies, from games to conventional journalism, to broadband and mobile applications and beyond. This "ecosystem" is a complex environment in which people, law, policy, ethics, history, innovation, technology, and organizations function together to create and distribute media content for different purposes. For this reason, many courses are taught from a "macro" point of view with the intent to help you understand the motivators and pressures which help and limit the success of the creative industry of any size, anywhere.

You will also attain specific knowledge and work methods to enable you to work professionally within the creative industry. While journalism companies and movie studios may share an environment, within their organizations, they are very different. These differences are cultural, social, economic, geographical, and ideological. While the attainment of general knowledge helps you appreciate how these businesses are similar, specific knowledge and work methods will help you understand the differences.

In a practical sense, specific knowledge—such as how to create project cash-flow statements, or how to clear music rights—may help you gain a first job with a small production company, that, in combination with a broad understanding, will help you develop a career, no matter what type of company you work for, and no matter how the media "ecosystem" changes over time.

The faculty in this area combine research and real-world experience in national and international media to teach you how to work in the creative media industries.

The Media School offers a related undergraduate minor in Media Law and Ethics for students majoring outside of the Media School. It also offers related specializations in Creative Industry Management, Media Law and Ethics, and Media Research for Media School students pursuing B.A. degrees.

Coursework

Getting started

All Media School students begin their degree with the Media School core, which investigates the concepts, skills and techniques you will learn in the rest of your Media School classes as they map onto the complex and rapidly evolving landscape of contemporary media.

  • Introduction to Media: MSCH-C 101 Media
  • a Managing Media course: MSCH-C 207 Introduction to Media Industry and Management
  • a Thinking Media course: MSCH-C 213 Introduction to Media Psychology is recommended for students interested in the Media Research and the Media Law and Ethics specializations
  • a Making Media course: MSCH-C 223 Introduction to Design and Production is recommended for students interested in the Creative Industry Management specialization

Tracks and concentrations

Management, Law, and Policy is made up of five courses that become the central component of your major, and which you pick from a pool of eight courses. You will learn how new media technologies such as internet platforms work, and where they come from. You will gain a strong theoretical and practical understanding of the business and economic side of media production and distribution, as well as of the complex ethical, legal, policy, and regulatory issues media professionals are faced with and that affect the public at large.

To further prepare for a successful career in Media Management, Law, and Policy, additional elective coursework that builds on the concentration allows you to obtain a specialization such as Creative Industry Management, Media Law and Ethics, or Global Media.

Upper level coursework

The concentration in Management, Law and Policy consists of upper-level coursework. In addition to your concentration, all students in the Media School choose a specialization consisting of upper-level courses in a specific field.

Students pursuing the Media Management, Law and Policy concentration must choose one of the following specializations:

  • Creative Industry Management - Learn production management and industry leadership skills. Study the social and economic influences on content creation.
  • Media Law and Ethics - Learn how choices in creating and writing media interact with the complex legal environment of communications and ethical principles.
  • Media Research - Learn how to measure audience engagement with media for the purposes of research and targeting audiences. Learn how to apply this information to media design.

You can have up to three specializations on your transcript. In addition to one of the specializations above, you may pursue any of the other specializations The Media School offers.

Commonly pursued majors, minors and certificates

Your major represents about one quarter of your degree requirements. With the help of your undergraduate Media School academic advisors, you may be able to combine several areas of interest with additional majors, minors, or certificates.

Depending on your interests, you might choose to add any of the following minors or certificates:

There are plenty of other opportunities for additional majors, minors, and certificates.

Enhance your major

Working with faculty

When pursuing a concentration in Media Management, Law and Policy, you have the opportunity to work with faculty who have expertise and experience in the field. Take advantage of office hours to talk with your instructors about your performance in class, the content of assignments, and how the course helps you work toward your goals.

You can get involved in research as early as your first year. Many incoming first-year students apply to the Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Experience (ASURE) program. ASURE students experience project-based learning enhanced by a community of supportive faculty and peers. Choose an ASURE path in the arts and humanities, social and historical studies, or natural and mathematical sciences. Consider joining one that will deepen your skills and knowledge in an area related to your major or a different one to become a more well-rounded thinker. 

Practicums and other professional learning classes, internships for credit, classes with an international travel component, and proposals to design independent research courses are all options that can be built into your undergraduate experience. Explore the possibilities with the help of your academic advisors.

Honors

The Media School offers the Media Scholars honors program for Media B.A. students. Media Scholars receive enhanced opportunities during their undergraduate studies. Such opportunities include honors-level media courses and subsidies for international travel courses. Media Scholars also have special opportunities to engage with media professionals on campus and further afield to develop their professional skills and perspectives during their degree program.

The Academic Honors Program is also available for students in The Media School. This program allows select rising juniors to complete honors coursework and a senior thesis or project.

High achieving students may be recognized for Academic Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences, or be eligible for admission to the Hutton Honors College.

Undergraduate scholarships and awards

Indiana University students can find a wide variety of scholarships through the following offices or organizations:

Some scholarships include:

The College of Arts and Sciences offers the following scholarships to Media School students who wish to study abroad:

The Media School also offers scholarships for which Media B.A. students are eligible.

If you belong to any student programs, such as GROUPS, Hudson and Holland, or 21st Century Scholars, you can ask about scholarships they might offer.

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs also offers scholarships.

Internships

Internships offer you a chance to develop both technical and transferable skills while making vital professional contacts with others in the field. Many students begin exploring internship opportunities, including overseas study programs with internships, as early as their first year.

It is common for students pursuing careers in media to complete multiple internships before and/or shortly after graduating. The Media School website offers helpful resources for thinking ahead to this important form of preparation for your professional life:

  • Read advice from IU students who have completed internships in media fields
  • View lists of internships with specific organizations recently held by IU students in different areas of media
  • Explore the Media School’s Semester in Los Angeles program

Learn more about internships, including the possibility of receiving credit, through the Walter Center for Career Achievement, where you will find many resources for both domestic and international internships.

Foreign language study

As one of the premier institutions in the U.S. for the study of languages, IU Bloomington offers courses and resources in over 80 languages. 

Language proficiency enhances your personal skillset in an increasingly international business environment. Improving your competency in a language you have already studied or learning a new language relevant to your goals will expand your personal and professional horizons.

Media B.A. students must show proficiency at the fourth-semester level of a foreign language. Learn more about the foreign language requirement for a College of Arts and Sciences degree.

Below is a sampling of language study resources available to students at IU Bloomington:

Overseas study

Study abroad is an important part of undergraduate education in our increasingly interconnected world. Media Management, Law and Policy students often pursue language study and other coursework through the following exchange programs:

The College of Arts and Sciences also directly hosts a variety of study abroad programs, some even featuring IU faculty, that might be right for you. Learn more about study abroad opportunities and locations through conversation with Management, Law and Policy faculty, your academic advisors, and through the Office of Overseas Study.

Student groups

The following student organizations provide volunteer business and management opportunities, networking, and high-level experience:

Student media opportunities in television, radio, print and online journalism allow you to create, produce, and manage media activities during your time at Indiana University.

Explore beINvolved to connect with any of the 750+ student organizations that already exist, or to start a new one.

Volunteer opportunities

There are numerous opportunities for volunteer engagement, allowing you to give back to the local community while developing useful job skills. The organizations below can help you connect with others from the university and beyond:

Sign up to receive weekly emails from the Bloomington Volunteer Network to learn about local opportunities and organizations.

Management, Law and Policy students can also participate in service learning opportunities offered through The Media School.

Professional organizations

In the diverse fields that make up media, connecting with relevant professional organizations will depend on the paths of interest you follow in your degree. You may be interested in the following associations:

Use the Indiana University Library system to search for Associations Unlimited, an online directory of associations, professional societies, non-profit organizations, and much more.

Build your skills

Through the major

The Media Management, Law and Policy concentration provides you with a set of skills and qualities that are relevant and transferable to many areas of study and work. These include:

  • Business competence: master specific knowledge and skills essential to success in the professional world
  • Media literacy: understand media as circulated information created, shaped, and modified in response to a wide variety of motives and pressures
  • Industry fluency: develop a broad understanding of media as a complex system of institutions, technologies, and organizations
  • Policy context: understand how media industries are shaped by a variety of policies, laws, and principles that have developed over time, each with their own history
  • Professional mastery: combine your general knowledge of the shape and flow of information with specific knowledge and skills to map out a rewarding, ethical, and successful career in media

Through a College of Arts and Sciences degree

Your coursework provides many opportunities to develop the following five foundational skills that will serve you well in every career path:  

  • Question critically
  • Think logically
  • Communicate clearly
  • Act creatively
  • Live ethically

These foundational skills will aid you in landing your first job and advancing professionally throughout your working life. Not only are these the skills that employers say they value most in the workplace, they provide the best preparation for lifelong success in a world of complexity, uncertainty, and change.

Skills desired by employers

Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers asks employers what key skills and qualities they are looking for in recent college graduates. 

The following are some of the most commonly desired attributes across many employment sectors:

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Written and verbal communication skills
  • Leadership skills
  • Strong work ethic
  • Analytical and quantitative skills
  • Ability to take Initiative
  • Being detail-oriented
  • Demonstrating adaptability
  • Technical skills relevant to the field
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Computer skills
  • Organizational ability

As you explore various career fields, pay attention to specific job descriptions and requirements. If there are areas where your skills or knowledge are lacking, talk with your academic advisor and career coach about how you can develop in those areas while you are at Indiana University.

Your academic advisors and career coaches can also help you find ways to strengthen and deepen the knowledge you already have, becoming more prepared for whatever path you select after College.

Launch your career

Plan your search

A good starting point for exploring your career options is an appointment with one of your career coaches.

The Walter Center for Career Achievement offers job search resources, career courses, job fairs, information about internships and full-time jobs, and help with social media networking through professional organizations. Get advice about how to write your resume, ask for letters of recommendation from faculty and workplace supervisors, and prepare for job interviews, too.

Explore and enroll in Career Communities to learn more about industries relevant to your interests. These offer unique information about each field, including alumni spotlights, opportunities and resources, and in-person events.

Maximize your career preparation with a career course. Management, Law and Policy majors should consider enrolling in ASCS-Q296 College to Career II: Navigate Your Arts and Sciences Experience. The section dedicated to Media provides the opportunity for you to explore the relationship between your field of study and life after graduation, while developing an academic and career development plan for post-collegiate success. If you are considering continuing your studies after graduation, you may wish to enroll instead in the section dedicated to graduate school preparation. Regardless of the section you select, you will leave the class with your resume, a cover letter or personal statement, and a LinkedIn profile ready to go!

The job market

The dynamic and rapidly evolving media industry has created an increasing demand for new professionals with knowledge about the business strategies, laws, policies, technologies, and organizations that influence the content it produces. Students with the knowledge and skills gained through the B.A. in Media with a Media, Law and Policy concentration will be essential in the field, valued for their ability to interpret telecommunications policies, manage in creative industries, and lead the media industry through the 21st century.

Students completing the Media Management, Law and Policy concentration take their education in many directions. They are well prepared to work for private production companies, corporations, public television stations, major networks, internet-based media companies, federal or state governments, research and policy think tanks, or as entrepreneurs.

Graduates with the degree have become station managers, media executives, policy advisors, corporate attorneys, information analysts, entrepreneurs, journalists, and educators, among other careers.

Initial and long-term destinations for graduates include positions in many job sectors: advertising, marketing, PR, arts and entertainment, media, tehcnology, federal and state government, non-profits, and research and policy think tanks.

Want to see where your fellow majors go right after graduating from IU? Check out the Walter Center’s First Destinations survey! 

Need more ideas? The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers career information about hundreds of occupations.

Talk with Media School faculty, academic advisors, career coaches, and other students to gain insights into the career paths taken by graduates with this degree.

Post-graduate short-term experiences

After graduation, a short-term experience or internship can help you make connections, gain life skills, and assess your interest in future careers. Talk with your career coaches and use these and other resources to find opportunities that are a good fit with your educational experience and career goals:

Fellowships for post-graduate study

Fellowships are temporary opportunities to conduct research, work in a field, or fund your education. Most opportunities can be found through universities, non-profits, and government organizations.

Good resources for finding fellowship opportunities include:

Graduate and professional study

When applying to graduate or professional schools, you’ll need letters of recommendation from faculty members who are familiar with your work. Make a practice of attending office hours early in your academic career, to get to know your professors and discuss your options for advanced study in the field.

The B.A. in Media with a concentration in Media Management, Law and Policy will prepare you for entry into graduate programs in a wide variety of fields, such as media and communications, public affairs, education, and business.

With careful planning, and in consultation with the Health Professions and Prelaw Center, you could also prepare to enter law school, medical school, or other professional programs.

Students who pursue graduate studies in Media have gone into careers with top academic and research institutions, public policy organizations, private and public media corporations, educational institutions, law firms, and businesses.

Here are examples of graduate programs offered at IU:

Alumni connections

The IU College of Arts and Sciences has thousands of active alumni. Check out the College Luminaries program, which connects students with the College's most influential, successful, and inspiring alumni. 

Join the Walter Center Success Network to remain in touch, network directly with College of Arts and Sciences Alumni, and let others know where your path takes you.

Look into information on Media School alumni and the Media School alumni association. Join and use the IU Alumni Association to remain in touch, network directly, and let others know where your path takes you.


Is it for you?

The Management, Law and Policy concentration attracts students from a variety of backgrounds and interests. They typically have some of the following qualities:

  • Work well in group environments and with other people in teams
  • Interest in a corporate professional environment
  • Desire to work in the business of media or in law and federal policy
  • Interest in theoretical ideas applied to real world examples
  • Plan to go into the workforce or into law or government in the field of media

Learn more

Contact The Media School's academic advisors and schedule an appointment to explore your options. Complete information about the requirements of the major can be found in the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin.

Department website
Advisor email address
mschadv@iu.edu