Students who choose to focus their studies in Media & the Public Interest (MPI) after first year will study the relation of media to issues of equity, democracy, class, race, and gender, and take courses such as Alternative Media, Social Movements and Media, and Activism and Mainstream Media.
A key feature of MPI is the focus on active engagement with society. Service-learning projects, which involve volunteering with a community organization, are often a part of the curriculum, and a practicum is required in the final year of the program.
While other programs of media studies may lead to work in media industries or the corporate world, Media & the Public Interest is for those who plan to work with communication issues in social movements, the non-profit sector or the public service.