Digital Media, Cultures, and Industries Minor to Launch Fall 2025

LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts is expanding its already extensive selection of academic programs to include a brand-new minor, Digital Media, Cultures, and Industries (DMCI). The Communication Studies minor will launch in fall 2025.

The program is designed to give students an opportunity to create and refine audio, video, and multimedia content, from a social sciences and critical-cultural perspective. It strongly focuses on applied skills, separating it from the exclusive focus on digital media theory at many other universities. The program is highly interdisciplinary - enrolled students will choose from a wide range of courses in sociological and policy research and critical culture, from "Digital Diversities: Media Production as Social Justice" (CMST 2510), to "Project Citizen: Digital Storytelling" (CMST 3590), to "The Rise of Cable News: From CNN to YouTube" (CMST 3571).

The DMCI minor was designed in response to increasing student demand for a curriculum centered around digital media. Media Studies is a top area of interest for many students within the field of Communication Studies. The Communication Studies department has recently added several Media Studies courses with a focus on digital media to meet this demand, all of which have high enrollment rates. The new DMCI minor will also provide an opportunity for non-major students to take courses in digital media without restrictions.

Students will benefit from LMU's Silicon Beach location, with access to top digital media companies, and will be well-prepared for the competitive career pathways such as podcasting, digital video production, critical analysis of media platforms including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) systems. They will also gain the knowledge and experience necessary for careers in technologies, as well as internet policy and political advocacy.

The DMCI minor overall aligns with LMU's mission to educate the whole person and seek out justice. The program is carefully constructed to ensure students are engaged in their communities and social justice oriented. Through a curated array of courses, DMCI minors will be asked to consider the ways that digital media fosters and hinders the cultivation of a more socially just, humane, and sustainable world.

Chair of Communication Studies Dr. Jason Jarvis says, "The Digital Media Cultures and Industries minor is an academic and institutional response to the prevalence of digital media platforms in the day to day lives of citizens around the globe. Communication Studies is well placed to educate LMU students on the social and cultural implications of these technologies. We firmly believe that digital media literacy is imperative for Loyola Marymount students who are entering a workforce that is rapidly changing because of new media technologies. We are excited about the opportunity to engage our students in an ongoing intellectual dialogue about the way to positively shape our shared digital future."