Semester in Los Angeles

Intern and make films in Los Angeles

Are you ready to launch your career in the entertainment industry? The Media School’s Semester in Los Angeles program will provide you with the tools to get started in show business.

Participating students intern and take a semester of Media School classes in the heart of Hollywood. Los Angeles affords students invaluable internship opportunities found nowhere else in the country. Apply for this program if you are looking to gain professional experience in film/television development or production. Semester in Los Angeles is offered fall and spring semester each academic year.

Students stand on a beach with a camera and plan out a shot.

A group of women evaluate a shot through a camera.

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Read the Semester in L.A. blog

Internships

Students are required to work in one internship during their time in L.A., and the Semester in Los Angeles staff assists students in finding relevant internship placements in the months leading up to the program. Some students may choose to complete two part-time internships over the semester to fully immerse themselves in L.A.’s professional opportunities.

Past student internships have included:

Atlas Entertainment
Cold Iron Pictures
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
FOX Sports
The Late Late Show with James Corden
NBCUniversal
Premiere Networks
Principato-Young Entertainment
Safehouse Pictures
Studio71

Academics

The Semester in Los Angeles program offers a full semester of courses taught by our adjunct faculty who are media professionals in the L.A. area. Students are expected to maintain full-time student status for the duration of the program. Students take three classes, held Monday through Thursday nights, in addition to their internships.

Classes meet at the historic Raleigh Studios, a working film and television production facility, located across the street from the Paramount Studios lot on Melrose Avenue.

Course offerings for fall 2019:

X472 – Media Internship (1-6 cr.)
M411 – Media Industries and Cultural Production (3 cr.)
D337 – New Media (3 cr.)

Choose between:

P470 – LA Production (4 cr.)
R429 – Public Relations Campaigns (3 cr.)

Housing

Students live together in shared, furnished apartments at the ALAYA Hollwood. These apartments are located conveniently in Hollywood with easy access to shopping centers, restaurants, the Los Angeles Metro Red Line and the 101 Freeway. Four students live in each two-bedroom apartment. Single rooms may be available for a supplemental fee.

The cost of parking at the apartment complex is included in the overall cost, and students have full use of complex amenities such as swimming pools and gyms.

Costs

Tuition rates for participants will be the same as they would be on campus for both in-state and out-of-state students. Students are responsible for housing costs. Housing rates for spring 2020 are still being finalized, but will not exceed $6,000 for the semester’s duration.

Students are responsible for their own transportation and personal expenses. Transportation expenses include travel to and from Los Angeles as well as transportation around the city. Most students will choose to rent cars upon arrival for the duration of the program or drive their own cars to LA.

Key dates

Fall 2019 program: Aug. 21-Dec. 16

Summer/fall 2020 acceptance notifications (for applications before Nov. 5): Nov. 22

Fall 2020 application deadline: Jan. 31

Fall 2020 acceptance notifications (for applications after Nov. 5): Feb. 28

Apply

Applications for fall 2020 are due Jan. 31.

Apply now

Questions?

Contact program manager Isabel Shanahan.

Already admitted?

Visit the resources page.