BA Media Production
Switch on the microphone. Take the controls of a drone camera. Experience the thrill of seeing your name when the credits roll. Being part of the world of radio, TV, video, digital or mass media puts you at the center of communicating today’s news and information, and reaching out to users, viewers and listeners.
Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, provides an excellent environment in which to train for a media career with the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Media Production degree program. Marshall’s unique bachelor’s degree in Media Production offers majors the opportunity to specialize in either Radio/Television Production and Management, or Video Production.
Media Production majors will be ready for a field that keeps evolving, from traditional television and radio work to social media, web management, multimedia and more. Radio / Television Production and Management enables majors to learn about radio and television operations, production, programming, and sales and management. Video Production introduces Media Production majors to hands-on experience, shooting video, and learning to edit and construct stories for news, documentaries, web series, vlogs and many other channels.
At Marshall, Media Production majors don’t need to wait until junior or senior year before they start producing media. Freshmen can volunteer to work at the University’s student-run radio station, WMUL-FM, the first day they’re on campus. Through an in-depth curriculum, Media Production majors learn hands-on production. Media studies majors work in state-of-the art, fully digital television and radio studios to produce live and recorded programs, and video projects for real world clients.
At Marshall, Media Production means learning and doing, from flying drone cameras to using 360° cameras to create stories told in 3-D through virtual reality goggles. Students who demonstrate their talents also may be able to host their own programs.
The Media Production bachelor’s degree program is part of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications in Marshall University’s College of Arts and Media and its majors represent 44% of the College’s enrollment. The School has been nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) since 1976, and it was most recently reaccredited in 2015.
As a Media Production major, you’ll learn about professional media and gain real experience, including finding your own voice while working for Marshall University’s award-winning WMUL-FM 88.1. You will learn in this real radio station, and also discover what it takes to package and produce television shows.
Media Production majors at Marshall handle actual production equipment, develop vital communication skills, and participate in the only daily 30-minute radio news broadcast in the West Virginia market. At Marshall, whether you’re focusing on podcasting or broadcasting, you’ll develop the management skills you’ll need to someday be in charge.
Video production takes you through the steps to become a successful producer, ready to handle every phase of a video project from start to finish. You’ll learn how to storyboard your scenes effectively, sharpen your writing and develop narrative plots to make your point. You’ll experiment with documentaries, corporate video, commercials, video blogs, short films and more. As you start editing clips and audio with professional production software, you will begin to see your vision and talents taking shape.
In addition to being actively involved in WMUL-FM 88.1, media students can produce regular podcasts and the web stream allows the station to generate three signals with different programs at the same time. Sports and news can run simultaneously.
Basketball Friday Night in West Virginia is a three-hour sports talk show that is simulcast on radio and television during high school basketball season. This rapidly growing program is being picked up by commercial radio and television stations in the market.
Media work done by Marshall students also is used in the professional world, including videos that appear on the West Virginia Health and Human Resources website and promotional videos for Yeager Airport.
Graduates from Marshall’s Media Production bachelor’s degree program are ready to effectively use the technical tools of the business, prepare content and manage media operations. They know how to recognize newsworthy events, detect good story and video topics, write news and scripts, shoot and edit video, direct short films, develop audio and video documentaries, generate corporate content and deliver on client expectations.
Traditional radio jobs are not among the growth areas in the media field, but new media is expanding, with streaming, podcasting, etc., creating many new positions in emerging channels. Online-only platforms are likely to increase, along with the number of shows produced for these platforms, leading to more work for editors and camera operators. The business world continues to rely on video to disseminate messages, which also is building demand for professionals trained in the media arts.
Overall employment of film and video editors and camera operators is projected to grow 18 percent through 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Because mass media skills are in demand, the majority of Marshall’s Media Production graduates who want to work in media or related fields are able to do so. About 73 percent of Marshall’s media arts graduates are able to work directly in the media, and about 16 percent work in media-related fields.
Media and communication equipment workers (such as broadcast and sound engineering technicians, film and video editors, and photographers) had a median (or midpoint) annual wage of $50,870 in May 2020, higher than the median annual wage for all occupations in the economy, according to the BLS.
Camera operators in television, video and film earned a median annual wage of $57,200 in May 2020. The lowest 10 percent in the salary range earned less than $29,140, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $123,220.
Top employers. Marshall’s Media Production graduates have obtained excellent positions with leading employers in the United States. Here’s a sampling:
Media Production majors often choose Marshall University for graduate study in these programs:
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall features three computer labs, which are converting to a “bring your own computer” model with WiFi and large monitors in the rooms.
Of special interest to Media Production majors is the availability of these state-of-the-art facilities at Marshall:
All students majoring in Media Production, Journalism and Mass Communications are required to complete 3 hours of internship credit and 100 hours of work in the field for one hour of credit. Majors are able to practice in professional settings and strengthen their skills in writing, design, photography, fundraising, content creation and social media.
WMUL-FM, 88.1 MHz is the student broadcast service of Marshall University, providing hands-on experience for a volunteer staff of aspiring journalists, sportscasters and music disc jockeys. Students from any major at Marshall can participate in the operations of WMUL-FM 24/7, 365 days per year.
WMUL-FM has won numerous awards for its programming from major media organizations. In 2011 WMUL-FM marked its 50th anniversary as West Virginia’s first public radio station. WMUL-FM was named Radio Station of the Year, four-year colleges, 2016-2017, by the National College Media Awards.
Switch on the microphone. Take the controls of a drone camera. Experience the thrill of seeing your name when the credits roll. Being part of the world of radio, TV, video, digital or mass media puts you at the center of communicating today’s news and information, and reaching out to users, viewers and listeners.
Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, provides an excellent environment in which to train for a media career with the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Media Production degree program. Marshall’s unique bachelor’s degree in Media Production offers majors the opportunity to specialize in either Radio/Television Production and Management, or Video Production.
Media Production majors will be ready for a field that keeps evolving, from traditional television and radio work to social media, web management, multimedia and more. Radio / Television Production and Management enables majors to learn about radio and television operations, production, programming, and sales and management. Video Production introduces Media Production majors to hands-on experience, shooting video, and learning to edit and construct stories for news, documentaries, web series, vlogs and many other channels.
At Marshall, Media Production majors don’t need to wait until junior or senior year before they start producing media. Freshmen can volunteer to work at the University’s student-run radio station, WMUL-FM, the first day they’re on campus. Through an in-depth curriculum, Media Production majors learn hands-on production. Media studies majors work in state-of-the art, fully digital television and radio studios to produce live and recorded programs, and video projects for real world clients.
At Marshall, Media Production means learning and doing, from flying drone cameras to using 360° cameras to create stories told in 3-D through virtual reality goggles. Students who demonstrate their talents also may be able to host their own programs.
The Media Production bachelor’s degree program is part of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications in Marshall University’s College of Arts and Media and its majors represent 44% of the College’s enrollment. The School has been nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) since 1976, and it was most recently reaccredited in 2015.
As a Media Production major, you’ll learn about professional media and gain real experience, including finding your own voice while working for Marshall University’s award-winning WMUL-FM 88.1. You will learn in this real radio station, and also discover what it takes to package and produce television shows.
Media Production majors at Marshall handle actual production equipment, develop vital communication skills, and participate in the only daily 30-minute radio news broadcast in the West Virginia market. At Marshall, whether you’re focusing on podcasting or broadcasting, you’ll develop the management skills you’ll need to someday be in charge.
Video production takes you through the steps to become a successful producer, ready to handle every phase of a video project from start to finish. You’ll learn how to storyboard your scenes effectively, sharpen your writing and develop narrative plots to make your point. You’ll experiment with documentaries, corporate video, commercials, video blogs, short films and more. As you start editing clips and audio with professional production software, you will begin to see your vision and talents taking shape.
In addition to being actively involved in WMUL-FM 88.1, media students can produce regular podcasts and the web stream allows the station to generate three signals with different programs at the same time. Sports and news can run simultaneously.
Basketball Friday Night in West Virginia is a three-hour sports talk show that is simulcast on radio and television during high school basketball season. This rapidly growing program is being picked up by commercial radio and television stations in the market.
Media work done by Marshall students also is used in the professional world, including videos that appear on the West Virginia Health and Human Resources website and promotional videos for Yeager Airport.
Graduates from Marshall’s Media Production bachelor’s degree program are ready to effectively use the technical tools of the business, prepare content and manage media operations. They know how to recognize newsworthy events, detect good story and video topics, write news and scripts, shoot and edit video, direct short films, develop audio and video documentaries, generate corporate content and deliver on client expectations.
Traditional radio jobs are not among the growth areas in the media field, but new media is expanding, with streaming, podcasting, etc., creating many new positions in emerging channels. Online-only platforms are likely to increase, along with the number of shows produced for these platforms, leading to more work for editors and camera operators. The business world continues to rely on video to disseminate messages, which also is building demand for professionals trained in the media arts.
Overall employment of film and video editors and camera operators is projected to grow 18 percent through 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Because mass media skills are in demand, the majority of Marshall’s Media Production graduates who want to work in media or related fields are able to do so. About 73 percent of Marshall’s media arts graduates are able to work directly in the media, and about 16 percent work in media-related fields.
Media and communication equipment workers (such as broadcast and sound engineering technicians, film and video editors, and photographers) had a median (or midpoint) annual wage of $50,870 in May 2020, higher than the median annual wage for all occupations in the economy, according to the BLS.
Camera operators in television, video and film earned a median annual wage of $57,200 in May 2020. The lowest 10 percent in the salary range earned less than $29,140, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $123,220.
Top employers. Marshall’s Media Production graduates have obtained excellent positions with leading employers in the United States. Here’s a sampling:
Media Production majors often choose Marshall University for graduate study in these programs:
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall features three computer labs, which are converting to a “bring your own computer” model with WiFi and large monitors in the rooms.
Of special interest to Media Production majors is the availability of these state-of-the-art facilities at Marshall:
All students majoring in Media Production, Journalism and Mass Communications are required to complete 3 hours of internship credit and 100 hours of work in the field for one hour of credit. Majors are able to practice in professional settings and strengthen their skills in writing, design, photography, fundraising, content creation and social media.
WMUL-FM, 88.1 MHz is the student broadcast service of Marshall University, providing hands-on experience for a volunteer staff of aspiring journalists, sportscasters and music disc jockeys. Students from any major at Marshall can participate in the operations of WMUL-FM 24/7, 365 days per year.
WMUL-FM has won numerous awards for its programming from major media organizations. In 2011 WMUL-FM marked its 50th anniversary as West Virginia’s first public radio station. WMUL-FM was named Radio Station of the Year, four-year colleges, 2016-2017, by the National College Media Awards.
