BA in Applied Arts & Media

Transfer your creative credits, complete your degree, design your future.

AULA’s BA in Applied Arts and Media degree (BAAM) is uniquely designed for undergraduate transfer students who have a minimum of 27 college units in a specialized or technical area of the arts. The BAAM accepts transferable credits in theater, film, video, photography, design, culinary arts, cosmetology, fashion, music production, and other applied creative fields. A blend of enriching coursework and experiential learning, this interdisciplinary degree honors past professional areas of study while allowing students to expand their creative horizons and explore other disciplines and career paths. This degree is offered by AU Los Angeles.

Program Overview

AULA’s BA in Applied Arts and Media is part of a suite of Applied Studies degrees, each of which provides an opportunity for students with technical, occupational, and other professional training to apply that learning toward the completion of an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree. These degree programs give students the opportunity to connect their technical expertise to a liberal learning framework that will make them more effective as problem solvers and leaders in their fields.  Students gain a critical perspective on the creative and business aspects of arts and media by taking additional arts-related courses as well as courses in communications, marketing, psychology, leadership, and management. Students enrolled in this degree program take courses alongside other Applied Studies and Liberal Studies students in small, diverse, and interactive classes. The skills learned in the BAAM prepare students to advance professionally and to pursue graduate work.

Degree Requirements

The length of time a student takes to complete the degree depends upon (1) the number of credits transferred into the program and (2) the number of credit hours taken each term. For example, a student who transfers in 90 quarter units (60 semester units) can complete the degree in 6 to 7 quarters of full-time enrollment, or 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 years. Applied Studies degree requirements are listed below. Note that many of these requirements can be earned at Antioch and/or transferred in. Students can transfer in up to 135 quarter/90 semester units from a previous college or university. Of those, up to 105 quarter/70 semester units can be lower division, or 100- and 200-level courses.

• 180 quarter units to graduate.
• 27 or more transferred units in one cohesive technical area (for example, culinary arts, technically-focused acting conservatory courses, make-up and stage design, digital photography, film & TV production and editing, music production, fashion design, and more).
• 45 minimum units earned at AULA (residency requirement).
• 75 or more upper-division units (almost all of Antioch’s courses are upper division).
• Successful completion of our gateway course, Educational Foundations, during the first quarter of enrollment.
• 36 units of General Studies courses (6 units in each of the following domains): Communications, Science, Humanities, Quantitative, Social Science, Fine Art.
• Eight units of experiential, non-classroom learning such as internships, self-directed independent studies or prior learning.
• Ten units of hybrid professional seminars focused on topics such as leadership, business communications, group dynamics, cultural contexts, and technology in society
• Nine units (about three courses) of core courses related to creative arts, media, and business. Examples of BAAM core courses are listed below:
  • Sources of Creativity: Theory and Process
  • Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace
  • Pictures From Light: Understanding Photography
  • The Art of Screenwriting
  • History of African American Music in Los Angeles
  • Documentary Film & The American Psyche
  • Principles of Marketing
  • Psychology of Leadership
  • Non-Profit Management

For detailed curriculum and degree requirements, please visit the AULA catalog.

Learning Outcomes

Students completing this degree demonstrate the ability to:

• Analyze arts and media as sites of representation across historical eras and cultural contexts
• Create art and media works that reflect their critical analytical abilities
• Articulate the way professionals’ use of art and media has evolved and impacts marketing and communications

Scheduling

Antioch’s academic year is comprised of four quarters: fall (October), winter (January), spring (April), and summer (July). Quarters are ten weeks long with three-week breaks in between, during which instructors review and evaluate students’ work. Bachelor’s degree classes have anywhere from 8 to 18 students in each class, and are offered in three formats:

1. Three- and four-unit regular classes that meet face-to-face for one 2 hour and 50-minute session per week for 10 weeks. This is the most common format.
2. Three- and four-unit online and hybrid classes that alternate face-to-face or video-conference meetings with online activity.
3. One- and two-unit workshops that meet for just one or two full days during the quarter and occur on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

Additionally, students have a variety of options for earning credit through non-classroom learning activities: internships, prior learning, and independent study projects. View samples of current and past schedules

Prior Learning for Credit

Undergraduate students can earn up to forty-four university credits for learning gained outside of school, for example in a professional setting, or through personal experience. Demonstration of prior learning can take many forms but typically involves showing evidence of the student’s knowledge of the topic and situating that knowledge in an academic context. Unlike our formal classes, prior learning projects are not tied to the quarterly schedule. Earning academic credit for prior learning activities may accelerate a student’s time to degree completion and significantly reduces tuition costs. Students wanting to explore this option must take the Prior Learning workshop before earning this type of credit.

Internships

The internship office maintains partnerships with over 200 organizations in Los Angeles and supports students who wish to earn academic credit for hands-on, workplace experience. As interns, students expand their social networks, apply new skills, and actively contribute to community life. As part of the internship process, they also reflect upon the relationship between academic studies and real-world activities. The following are just a few examples of the many exciting internships our students pursue:

• Promoting resilience through empathy and community building at the Relational Center;
• Mentoring youth artists at Venice Arts to develop skills in photography and other creative media;
• Learning and applying anti-bullying principles at The AnonymoUS Initiative;
• Literary editing and web publishing for Antioch’s online literary journal Two Hawks Quarterly;
• Assistant-Teaching for Bridge, Antioch’s free community humanities program for non-traditional adult students;
• Learning at their own jobs.

Internships represent one way for students to satisfy the non-classroom learning degree requirement.

Fast Track to Graduate Programs

Antioch offers “Fast Track” options into two of our graduate programs. Once accepted, undergraduate students complete their remaining bachelor’s degree units by taking first-term graduate courses. Units earned in Fast Track apply toward both the student’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees, saving significant time and money in the process. Prior to applying for the graduate program, undergraduate students must consult with their Academic Advisors to determine their eligibility to become a Fast Track candidate and gain approval from the Undergraduate Studies Chair. Our Fast Track option is available for the following graduate programs: Master of Arts in Psychology (MAP), and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA).

Undergraduate New Student Orientation

New Student Orientation is scheduled every term. It’s a chance for students to visit the campus, meet faculty, register for classes, and get started on their educational journey. Upon acceptance into the program, students receive specific information for the New Student Orientation designed for them. To RSVP for an orientation, admitted students should email: [email protected] or call 310.578.1080 x.3210.