New practicum option for content creators, multimedia enthusiasts added to Semester in LA
The Media School’s Semester in LA internship and curricular program is expanding opportunities for students to gain experience with the launch of the IU Media Center: LA, an intensive, hands-on practicum experience designed for students interested in content creation and storytelling in the nation’s second-largest media market. The practicum will host its first cohort in the fall 2026 semester.
The IU Media Center: LA will give students the opportunity to write, film, record, and photograph stories across newsworthy sub-genres such as fashion, sports, entertainment, current events, and culture throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
While the Semester in LA program will continue to serve students pursuing careers in film, television, and entertainment, this new practicum experience creates an entry point for aspiring journalists and content creators to build personal brands, strengthen portfolios, learn key entrepreneurial skills, and gain real-world experience.
“Los Angeles is a city alive with stories—cultural, creative, and historic—and today’s audiences are looking to independent creators to bring those stories to life,” Tara Heckler, director of student services at The Media School, said.
“Our new practicum gives students the mentorship, access, and hands-on experience needed to create meaningful, articulate, and engaging content. Through the support of our alumni and industry partners, students will step into real events and professional settings while learning how the creator economy works from the inside. This program brings our emerging journalists and creators to the heart of the industry and positions them to launch visionary, impactful careers.”
Utilizing a variety of mediums, such as audio, photography/video, and written formats, students will publish 7-10 stories during the semester. Students will also learn to apply a combined approach to content creation distribution by leveraging traditional end-product storytelling with in-the-moment social media reporting. Select standout work will be published on the IU Media Center’s website.
“By embedding our students directly into the beats they are passionate about, from the red carpet to the stadium, this new practicum will help them bridge the gap between classroom skills and career reality,” Isabel Madejski, Semester in LA program manager, said.
“They’ll head into the job market with real-world instincts, a professional portfolio, and a network already in place.”
Applications for the first session of the practicum course are due March 13. Additional callout sessions will be held for students interested in applying, or students can contact the IU Media Center: LA team with questions.