Entertainment & Media Studies
Entertainment &
Media Studies
Overview
Students benefit from classes in UGA film and video production, producing, screenwriting and editing, plus industry and creative analysis with highly accomplished professionals and expert faculty. In this way, the innovative EMST degree program provides students with professional-level technical skills and conceptual tools to think clearly and deeply about the stories they create, as well as implications of visual storytelling in society.
By virtue of this innovative program, graduates launch high-level careers as creative leaders, managers and decision-makers. Main program career pathways include producing, directing, screenwriting, and editing/postproduction. The EMST program also presents unique student opportunities through the Cannes Festival Study Abroad program and the Grady LA Domestic Field Study program. Students also benefit from robust alumni networks in key centers including New York and Los Angeles.
View other videos here:
Hear what Cate DeCastro (AB ’23) has to say about Entertainment and Media Studies.
The EMST program prepares students for creative lead and management careers in film, television and digital entertainment industries. Primary career paths include producing, screenwriting, directing and editing/post-production. Students gain professional-level skills plus valuable tools for making stories with greater depth and significance and for building a clearer understanding of the implications of visual storytelling in society.
Courses
This program prepares students for careers in media-entertainment industries (film, television and digital) and for advanced study and careers in education and in public policy. Courses focus on the theory and practice of scripted and unscripted visual storytelling from within a media-studies framework. They provide a broad understanding as well as an emphasis on above-the-line creative roles of screenwriting, producing and directing, and post-production, informed by in-depth courses that expand and deepen understanding of media entertainment and society.
Course Sampler
Note: this is not an exhaustive list of all courses offered within the EMST department, and it should be kept in mind that not all courses are offered each semester.
EMST 3010 – Media Entertainment and Popular Culture
An exploration of contemporary entertainment media in the United States from a media-studies perspective. Focuses on visual-narrative storytelling in film, television, video games and emergent digital media. Provides an understanding of emergence, creative roles and techniques, and current issues.
EMST 3150 – Entertainment Media Industries
Introduces students to the history and structures of the entertainment media industries.
EMST 4130 – Writing for Television
Students utilize the fundamentals of dramatic criteria learned in Writing for Entertainment Media to develop and pitch an original TV series. Students are required to write a TV pilot and accompanying series summary.
EMST 4230 – Directing for the Screen
Analysis and practice of directing the actor, shot execution and camera placement. Students develop their voice and unique visual style.
EMST 4430 – International Media Entertainment
Examination of the entertainment media produced and distributed internationally/transnationally from aesthetic, political and cultural perspectives.
Additional Information
Admissions Process & Requirements
Degree Requirements
Listing of Major Courses
Department of EMST Head
Dr. Jay Hamilton
Department Head; Professor; Jim Kennedy New Media Professor
FACULTY
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Laurena Bernabo
Assistant Professor
About: Dr. Bernabo teaches undergrad courses in global and domestic media industries and representations. Her primary research focus is global television flows, with an emphasis on translation. View Curriculum Vitae […]
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James Biddle
Principal Lecturer
About: James Biddle is an award winning filmmaker and editor who specializes in the teaching of post production workflow and management, audio design, Steadicam operation, visual efx, and the artistic […]
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Shira Chess
Associate Professor
About: Shira Chess teaches courses in media studies and media writing. Her research focuses on digital media studies with an emphasis on gender and gaming. View Curriculum Vitae Education Ph.D., […]
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Matthew Nolte Evans
Assistant Professor
About: Matthew Nolte Evans is an award-winning writer and Assistant Professor of Screenwriting in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. […]
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Jay Hamilton
Department Head; Professor; Jim Kennedy New Media Professor
About: Dr. Hamilton teaches cultural, critical, and historical approaches to media studies. His research addresses alternative media and democratic communication. View Curriculum Vitae Education Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Iowa […]
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Benjamin Min Han
Associate Professor
About: Dr. Han’s research focuses on global media, race and ethnicity, Korean popular culture, and the cultural intersections between East Asia and Latin America. View Curriculum Vitae Education Ph.D., Cinema […]
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Jeffrey P. Jones
Executive Director Peabody Awards, Lambdin Kay Professor
About: Dr. Jones directs the George Foster Peabody Awards, and is Lambdin Kay Professor in the Entertainment and Media Studies Department. His research specialty is television studies, with a focus […]
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Anandam Kavoori
Professor
About: Dr. Kavoori is currently engaged in a program of autoethnographic and narrative writing. View Curriculum Vitae Education MFA, Narrative Non-Fiction writing, University of Georgia (currently enrolled). Study in A […]
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Nathaniel H. Kohn
Professor; Co-director, Cannes Lions Program
About: Dr. Kohn teaches advanced screenwriting, producing for film/television, documentary film, and qualitative methods; directs the Cannes Film Festival and Cannes Lions Study Abroad Programs; directs Roger Ebert’s Film Festival; […]
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Neil Landau
Associate Professor; MFA in Film, Television and Digital Media
About: Neil Landau is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, author and screenwriting professor. View Curriculum Vitae Education Master of Fine Arts, Screenwriting, University of Georgia Bachelor of Arts, Film/Television, University of […]
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Sanghoon Lee
Clinical Associate Professor, MFA Film
About: Sanghoon Lee teaches in our MFA Film, Television and Digital Media program. When he is not teaching, he is a director, producer, writer and cinematographer for independent film projects. […]
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Booker T. Mattison
Associate Professor
About Booker T. Mattison teaches Screenwriting and Directing for the Screen courses, in addition to creative jobs as an author and filmmaker. View Curriculum Vitae Education Master of Fine Arts, […]
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Lauren Musgrove
Assistant Professor
ABOUT Professor Musgrove is an 8-time Southeast Emmy winning filmmaker. Her work explores places of vulnerability and inspiration in the human condition, often involving scientific research and fantastical imagery. She […]
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Ashley Patterson
Part-time Instructor
Ashley Patterson is an Atlanta-based script supervisor who has worked on a wide range of film productions: from independent films such as “Whistleblower” and “Devil’s Knot,” to visual-effect driven films […]
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Keith Wilson
Assistant Professor
ABOUT Keith Wilson is a director, creative producer, and visual artist whose work has been exhibited at Sundance, Berlinale, South by Southwest, Hot Docs, the U.S. National Gallery of Art, […]
Go Global With Grady
Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad and participate in domestic field studies as a part of their course of study. At Grady College, we feel that students who have a critical understanding of the global scope of Journalism and Mass Communication are set apart in their fields and we take pride in being able to provide these opportunities for students.
From the LA Internship and Field Study program to spending a summer at the Cannes Film Festival, each of our summer programs offers students an experience that strengthens their understanding of their major and/or helps them gain valuable skills that they otherwise couldn’t in a normal classroom setting.
The Grady LA Field Study and Internship Program allows students to gain valuable hands-on experience in the Entertainment industry while earning course credit.
Join your peers this summer on the French Riviera and walk the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France! In this program, students will not only attend the Cannes Film Festival—viewing films before they make their big screen debut and rubbing elbows with prominent film critics, distributors, directors and producers but will expand their perspectives on global media and film while taking classes, taught by UGA professors.
While each program offers courses in specific disciplines, students are not limited to participating in courses only within their major. Many of our Study Abroad and Field Study programs are open to students outside of Grady College majors (including undergraduate and graduate students) as well as students outside of the University of Georgia.
Research and Creative work
The research of the EMST department blends applied production with academic study. Our scholars add to this renowned curriculum by analyzing the stories that are worth telling and understanding the implications of visual storytelling in society. These areas of study provide our students with a broad palette of skills and knowledge that make them successful media practitioners and researchers in their desired field of study.
Research Spotlight
Grady Career Services
The Grady College Career Services office, located in 239C of the Journalism building, and the UGA Career Center offer individual counseling sessions for students to discuss career options, job and internship search strategies, resumes and cover letters and interviewing skills. They also provide workshops on topics related to career planning and development.
Contact Director of Experiential Learning, Samantha Meyer, at (706) 542-5032 or sam610@uga.edu, or Grady Career Consultant, Whitney Denney, at (706) 542-3375 or whitney.denney@uga.edu.
Careers
Creative career opportunities include producing, screenwriting, directing, editing, and postproduction. Corporate/managerial opportunities include those in content strategy and development, distribution, research, programming, and talent management. Research opportunities include governmental policymaking and academic scholarship and teaching.
The Grady College Career Services office, located in 239C Journalism Building, and the UGA Career Center partner to help students and alumni in their career planning and development. The Grady College Career Services office distributes a weekly listserv of job and internship postings.
The Grady College Career Services office and the UGA Career Center offer individual counseling sessions for students to discuss career options, job and internship search strategies, resumes and cover letters, and interviewing skills. They also provide workshops on topics related to career planning and development.
Internships
As part of our experiential learning at Grady, students have the opportunity to earn academic credit while completing an internship. If you successfully complete all of the requirements of an approved internship while concurrently enrolled in EMST 5010, you can earn up to three (3) college elective hours of credit.
EMST Internships
For more assistance and guidance with internships, visit our Careers and Internships page.
The Latest
Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.
Profiles of Tenacity: Riley McLaughlin
Riley McLaughlin is a senior EMST and Interdisciplinary Art major from Marietta, GA. She is actively engaged on campus as a Student Assistant for the Peabody Awards, serves as the […]
UGA MFA Film program gains national recognition
The University of Georgia Master of Fine Arts in Film, Television and Digital Media was recently named to the list of Top 50 Film Schools across the country by The […]
Lauren Musgrove finds a role in the classroom and on movie sets
There is a synergy to Lauren Musgrove’s life that makes her busy schedule feel supported and aligned. Musgrove not only teaches, but she is also a co-founder of a woman-owned […]
Profiles of Tenacity: Gabrielle Held
Gabrielle Held is a fourth-year Entertainment and Media Studies major from San Diego, CA. She is the lead editor and cinematographer for The Art & Music Project (Documentary Series), an […]
Faculty and MFA Film students participate in inaugural Athens Film Festival
The film industry is thriving in Athens, Georgia, as evidenced by the 2022 opening of the new Athena Studios; growing momentum of the UGA MFA in Film, Television and Digital […]
Grady InternViews: Shanylah Sainvil
This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience. Shanylah Sainvil is a fourth-year entertainment & media studies and student working as […]
Grady InternViews: Amanda Whylie
This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience. Amanda Whylie is a fourth-year entertainment & media studies student working at Omnicom […]
84th Annual Peabody Award winners announced
The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors announced the 34 winners elected to represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and streaming media during 2023. The winners were […]
Profiles of Tenacity: Ray Wheeler
Third-year EMST student Ray Wheeler shares his experience in the film program and his love for writing screenplays. He encourages other students to watch films, find their niche in the […]
Lauren Musgrove directs first feature film
While Lauren Musgrove is already an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, co-owner of a film production company called Purple Magnet Productions and instructor of courses in production basics and cinematography, she is […]
Profiles of Tenacity: Siena Miyamura
Siena Miyamura is a fourth-year entertainment and media studies student. Siena Miyamura is a fourth-year entertainment and media studies student. She encourages students to go outside their comfort zones and […]
NMI students create study app for Apple Vision Pro
The app, Tranquil Study, was one of the first 600 applications available on Apple Vision Pro’s app store on the day the product was released. It was last summer, June […]
Keith Wilson and former student Nate Sizemore reconnect in the film field
In late November, Keith Wilson, an assistant professor in the Entertainment and Media Studies Department at Grady College and an active director, producer and visual artist, was on a Zoom […]
Bulldog 100 Honoree Interview: Trevor Williams (ABJ ’02, MA ’04)
This is one of a series of interviews honoring Grady College alumni who have been recognized as Bulldog 100 recipients in 2024. The Bulldog 100 is sponsored by the UGA Alumni Association […]
Peabody adds to Board of Directors; names David Kramer to Chair of West Coast Board
Peabody announced that it has added several new members to its Board of Directors, including Grady College alumnus and Board of Trust member Jamie Waldron (ABJ ’88). Additionally, another Grady […]
Events
Fall 2024 Grady Convocation Ceremony
Grady College’s Fall 2024 Convocation Celebration will take place on December 12, 2024 in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music Building. The ceremony will start at 10 a.m.
Fall 2024 Grady Graduation celebration
Graduates and their parents are invited to celebrate with other graduates and faculty/staff at this drop-in celebration from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on December 12, 2024. Guests will enjoy light refreshments and photo opportunities with Dean Davis and others. Tickets are not required for the celebration at Grady.
UGA Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony Fall 2024
The UGA Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony for Fall 2024 will be on December 13, 2024. Exact time and further details are forthcoming.
Grady College Prospective Student Day
Prospective Student Day is an opportunity for high school and transfer students and their guardians to learn more about Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Current UGA students who are interested in applying for Grady College majors are also welcome. In addition to a guided tour, students will hear about admissions, eligibility requirements and programs of study. This event covers our undergraduate programs only. If you are interested in graduate program information, email anne.hurne@uga.edu. Register here to join us at Grady College Prospective Student Day!
Grady College Prospective Student Day – Virtual
Prospective Student Day is an opportunity for high school and transfer students and their guardians to learn more about Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Current UGA students who are interested in applying for Grady College majors are also welcome. In addition to a guided tour, students will hear about admissions, eligibility requirements and programs of study. This event covers our undergraduate programs only. If you are interested in graduate program information, email anne.hurne@uga.edu. Register here to join us at Grady College Prospective Student Day!
Perspectives
“I chose to study Entertainment & Media Studies because I believe that media is an influential tool that gives us the power to raise consciousness, form opinions, and think critically about the world around us – I wanted to learn how to wield that tool so that I can do my part to ensure diverse and authentic stories are told.”
Amanda Whylie
Current EMST Student
Perspectives
“When I first came to UGA, I saw jobs within entertainment as an actor or director, and nothing else. I never saw myself fit for either role, but through my classes at Grady, was able to understand the full extent of jobs possible between production companies, management companies, marketing groups, studios, and freelance.”
Siena Miyamura
AB ’24
Perspectives
“Just over a year ago, I started writing the screenplay that would win 1st Place at the Broadcast Educators Association’s Festival of Media Arts Award for Best Narrative Feature Screenplay. I started out making every beginner mistake, but over time and eight different drafts, it has become something I am extremely proud of.”
Ray Wheeler
Current Student
Perspectives
“Since I’m interested specifically in acting for film and television, Entertainment and Media Studies was the perfect major to learn what working behind the camera was like and fill in the gaps about acting for film that my theatre major didn’t cover.”
Demi Lehman
Perspectives
“Taking Entertainment Industries instilled in me the background knowledge of the industry. This helped tremendously in being able to hold a conversation with the other interns and the agents. Being film/TV literate has also helped a lot in being able to connect with the people that are out here.”
Rahel Kefetew
EMST, Commercial Endorsements Intern, Creative Artists Agency (Summer 2023)
Perspectives
“This major, Entertainment and Media Studies, was the best way for me to learn everything I need to know before entering the industry. It also gave me connections I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”
Raika Kachwalla
Perspectives
“The EMST Intro Industries class provided a great baseline of knowledge. I am confident that I can hold a conversation with an industry professional on almost any hot topic. Without that course, I would feel like I had no standing to even be talking to anyone about the entertainment field.”
Taylor Shults
Apply
Your advanced education starts here. Admission to Grady College’s graduate studies is a collaborative process involving Grady College and the University of Georgia’s Graduate School.