Study Abroad in Media Arts and Studies

What are the benefits of study abroad for someone in Media Arts and Studies?
Media is a global field; it demands fluency in international and cross-cultural perspectives which can be accessed through living and learning abroad. International education in media can augment your competency and knowledge of the way that media works around the world and thereby enhance your competitiveness in the job market. In addition, studying abroad can facilitate hands-on experience through empirical learning, providing meaningful field experience: a crucial attribute of successful media professionals. OHIO study abroad programs in particular are especially conducive to meeting major courses as well as general requirements.

When is the best time for Media Arts and Studies students to go abroad?
The time frame for studying abroad is flexible but students should exercise good judgment and plan ahead to avoid potential setbacks that may prevent graduating on time. It is generally recommended that an international education experience be completed during sophomore or junior year. However, students are not dissuaded from participating in study abroad prior to this time. In fact, earlier pursuits in international education may guarantee the option of going abroad more than once. Senior year may be an ideal time to pursue hands-on, practical experience on campus that can be enriched by previous experience gained as a result of studying abroad.

What types of academic requirements can students fulfill abroad?

• University-wide requirements: Many study abroad programs can satisfy university general requirements including electives in the humanities, social sciences, and, cross-cultural perspectives may also be taken abroad. Tier II courses can often be fulfilled on a study abroad program. Tier III courses are offered on some OHIO programs, but credit for Tier III cannot generally be transferred back from a Non-OHIO or exchange program.
• Major requirements: Students are strongly discouraged from taking core courses abroad unless they are offered on OHIO study abroad programs or if the student has received approval. The only exception to this restriction is the "Global Media Topics" requirement which is subject to approval from the School of Media Arts and Studies. Students studying abroad can enroll in classes that satisfy the Corollary and the Emphasis Area requirements. More information about these requirements can be found at http://mediaschool.ohio.edu/undergraduate.

What are other academic considerations for someone in Media Arts and Studies?
Internship experiences are encouraged and may be done as a part of or in addition to an education abroad program. Students may not study abroad during spring semester of their freshman year because they are required to enroll in "boot camp." This is a series of multiple MDIA foundational courses taught in tandem that all MDIA students must complete. Toward the end of this semester students apply to the emphasis areas in which they plan to matriculate, so it is imperative that they don't delay this experience or they will need to wait an additional year to apply to an emphasis area.

What do I do next?
Visit our Planning Your Experience page to discover the steps you'll need to take.

Sample STUDY ABROAD programs for Media Arts and Studies through Ohio University

OHIO - Documentary Studies
Media Arts and Studies offers a rotating program led by Professor Frederick Lewis that fulfills MDIA requirements. Past destinations have included Guyana, Germany, Malaysia and Ireland. Please check the Programs section of the OEA website or contact Professor Lewis for updates on this option.

OHIO - Art, Art History and Film in London & Edinburgh
Summer program. Students have the opportunity to live and study in the heart of the British capital. Courses are offered in art studio, art history, art writing and documentary filmmaking.    

OHIO - Politics and Gender in Paris
Summer program. This program examines French politics and gender relations from its democratic-republicanism of the revolution, the anarchist and socialist movements of the 19th century, the German occupation during WWII, existentialism and the French resistance, the student-led revolts of the 1960s, and France's particular brand of feminism. The importance of France as a colonial power and of Paris as the so-called "capital of modernity" will be discussed.

OHIO - The Art and Architecture of Paris
Winter break program. Students will survey master artwork housed in the Louvre and other key Parisian museums. Courses include: Seeing and Knowing the Visual Arts and Criticism in the Visual Arts

OHIO - Exploring Art in London
Winter break program. Successful completion of this program will earn 4 OHIO credits. Choose one from the following: Seeing and Knowing the Visual Arts, 19th Century Art, and Cultural Traditions & the Arts.

OHIO - Fine Arts London
Semester program. Take courses in Music, Media Arts, fulfill a Tier II, Tier III or Junior Composition requirement, and much more with Professors Andre Gribou and Keith Newman, teachers of the two most popular courses at OU - History of Rock Music and TV and Film Comedy.

OHIO - Hong Kong Baptist University
Semester/Academic year program. Students can select from a wide variety of disciplines offering courses taught in English including: Business, Cinema and Television, Communications, Economics, Geography, History, Humanities, Information Systems Management, Journalism, Political Science, Religion, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Sociology, and many more. HKBU also offers a variety of Chinese cultural courses as well as beginning and intermediate courses in Mandarin.

OHIO - Chubu University - Nagoya, Japan
Semester/Academic year program . This program offers courses in Japanese to students at all proficiency levels. Students also take field trips and excursions during their stay. Qualified extended-stay students who successfully complete one semester of full-time Japanese study in the fall may be eligible for internship opportunities and tutorial programs in Engineering, the Natural Sciences, and Humanities.

OHIO - Musashi University Exchange Program - Tokyo, Japan
Semester/Academic year program. The Musashi exchange program is offered in conjunction with Musashi University, a small, private university located in Tokyo, Japan. Exchange participants may select from the following East Asian Studies courses: East Asian Business, International Political Economy, Japanese History Since 1850, Identities in Contemporary Japan, and others.

Sample STUDY ABROAD programs for Media Arts and Studies through Affiliate Providers

CEA- Prague, Czech Republic
Semester/Academic year program. Anglo American University offers a full curriculum taught in English. Courses include: Prague Art and Architecture, Critical Approaches to Art & Visual Culture, Public Speaking, Introduction to Mass Communication, Elementary Czech Language & Culture, Media in a Democracy, Changing Media: The West and Beyond, Intro to Broadcast News & Video Production, Digital Tools for New Media, and Feature Writing.

CIEE - Botswana
Semester/Academic year program. The Arts and Sciences study abroad program at the CIEE Study Center at the University of Botswana in Gaborone offers students from a wide range of academic disciplines the opportunity to live and study in Botswana, learning firsthand about the country and its people, while pursuing an intensive curriculum in classes with local students. Direct enrollment courses include: Gender, Sex, and Ethnicity in the Media, Imaging Africa, and Media in Botswana.

IEP - The London Semester, England
Semester program. The historic campus of Roehampton University London, is situated in one of the most attractive suburbs of London. This program will develop your understanding and knowledge of the dynamic interplay between social formations and media/cultural processes in contemporary society. Their curriculum has been designed to encourage and support you in developing valuable skills and experience in relation to future employment, life-long learning and citizenship.

IEP - Semester on the North Island, New Zealand
Semester program. Victoria University of Wellington, widely regarded as one of the strongest universities in the Southern Hemisphere offers a full curriculum in Media Studies. Courses allow students to explore political, institutional, industrial, historical, cultural and aesthetic aspects of media through a variety of media forms, contexts, theories and production/reception cultures. Media Studies courses include: Approaches to Advertising, Media and Digital Cultures, Media, Race and Ethnicity, Society and Politics, Film, Mass- Media and Popular Music, Maori Media, Culture and Society, Settler-Native-Migrant Media and many others.

IEP - Semester in Thailand
Semester program. At Mahidol University, Thailand's top-ranked university you will have limitless opportunities to study media while living in the vibrant capital of indo-china. Courses include: Animation, Television and Documentary Production as well as Film-making, News and Current Affairs, Entertainment Media Production, Audiovisual Communication, Media Laws and Ethics, and many others.

Foreign Language Programs
OHIO-Spanish Language and Culture in Merida, Mexico
OHIO-Chinese Language and Culture in Beijing, China
OHIO-Italian in Florence, Italy
OHIO-Chubu University - Nagoya, Japan
OHIO-Musashi University Exchange Program - Tokyo, Japan

API-Spanish Language Program in Madrid
CIEE-Arabic Language and Culture in Rabat, Morocco
USAC-French Language Studies in Pau, France
USAC-Japanese Language Studies in Hiroshima, Japan
USAC-Arabic, Russian, or Swahili Language in Accra, Ghana

Additional opportunities available! Click here to view more program options & come to walk-in advising, Mon-Fri, 1-4 PM.

Transfer credit may be earned on approved Non-OHIO & exchange programs. Students participating in these programs should complete a Foreign Study Checklist (available at the Office of Education Abroad) to seek approval prior to departure. Students wishing to utilize financial aid and scholarships, click here. OHIO scholarships may not apply to all programs listed on this page. Students should research the country where they plan to study at www.travel.state.gov. Students traveling to a country with a state department warning will be required to sign a waiver (available in Walter International Education Center) before departure.

Work, Volunteer, Intern suggestions for Media Arts and Studies

IEP (Full-time on-campus advisor available at the Office of Education Abroad)
Internship opportunities are available in New Zealand, Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ireland, Spain, and Italy. IEP internships are tailored to each individual student's needs and interests and can last anywhere from one month to a full semester.

For an extensive list of opportunities to work, volunteer, or intern abroad please click here.

Students should consult their academic department regarding earning credit for internships. Students will not receive transfer credit for internship programs UNLESS the internship is required of a student’s major and the student receives approval for the internship. Students should register with the Office of Education Abroad before traveling overseas.

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