School of Media Arts and Design students can participate in a range of distinctive study away/abroad programs related to the major. These programs are specifically designed to engage students in the study of media within a cultural context and provide practical media production experience. Each year, more than 100 SMAD students elect to study abroad either during an academic semester or summer term.
Study Abroad Locations:
Semester in London
London is your classroom when you study with JMU. In the Semester in London Program you'll study the great works and examine those great works in context, exploring how history influences the present in Europe's most cosmopolitan city. Our professors take you there, giving you the background and resources to inform your own discovery. Here you will find an extensive resource for students and parents interested in finding out more about our program, as well as helping students in the program prepare for their semester abroad.
Director: Dr. Amy Paugh, paughal@jmu.edu
Ireland: Media, Culture and Society
Experience Ireland and its culture for four weeks while earning a combined 6 hours of course credits. Selected students will visit major landmarks and cities and come to appreciate Ireland’s rich culture and society by analyzing its films, media, and culture.
Students will also examine the social and cultural context of Galway with a special focus on media, film, food, and music. The program will provide students a special opportunity to help document the stories of local residents and their communities in Galway.
The following courses are offered:
SMAD 398: Contemporary Irish Film (3 credits)
SMAD 305: Documentary Production (3 credits)
HUM 251: The Changing Cultural Landscape of Ireland (3 credits)
Directors:
Prof. Joe Loyacano, loyacajr@jmu.edu
Prof. Amber Loyacano, loyacaae@jmu.edu
JMU in LA: The Entertainment Industry
JMU-LA provides undergraduates a chance to learn about, and participate in, one the most powerful cultural forces in our world today: the entertainment industry. This is a highly competitive 9-credit summer program organized by the School of Media Arts and Design.
Approximately 20 students are selected to participate each summer where they take classes taught by industry professionals and work at internships in the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles. Applications are accepted from all JMU students who are rising juniors and seniors.
Director: Dr. Talé Mitchell, mitch3at@jmu.edu
Mexico: Language and Culture in Advertising
Explore how important language and culture are in advertising outside the U.S. Spend spring break in Mexico City engaging in the rich culture and history of one of the world's most dynamic urban landscapes. Eclectic neighborhoods burst with art, culture, and mouthwatering street food. Engage with residents who are as warm as the sun-soaked streets. Venture into the lively markets to savor exotic fruits and sample traditional dishes, and unravel centuries of stories within historic sites. In partnership with Universidad Iberoamericana, students take two advertising classes, visit two advertising firms, participate in sightseeing tours, and make other cultural visits within Mexico City.
This one-week Spring Break program is embedded within SMAD 498. Students will enroll in the course and meet weekly on campus throughout the spring semester, both before and after the required one-week experience abroad.
Director: Dr. Elim Hernandez, herna5ex@jmu.edu
JMU/SVA in New York: Write & Direct a Short Narrative Film
This course gives SMAD students the opportunity to spend three weeks in New York at the School for Visual Arts and
The first week you will continue to work in a group of four and work on finalizing a draft of a short screenplay.The second week you will work with a cinematographer and the shoots will be scheduled during this week. You will have a teacher assistant from SVA accompany the group during the shoots.The third week you will edit the footage of your film and screen the films at the SVA cinema on 23rd street in Manhattan. You will also have the opportunity to work with professional actors in New York for your shorts films.
The following courses are also cross-listed with the theater department. Students are eligible with financial aid for taking 6 credits over the summer.
SMAD 305: Fundamentals of Film Production (3 credits)
SMAD 251 (OR 490): Introduction to Screenwriting (3 credits)
Director: Prof. Imelda O'reilly, oreillix@jmu.edu
Creative Cross-cultural Storytelling in Vietnam
The Creative Cross-Cultural Storytelling program based in Hue, Vietnam is a three-credit, three-week cross-cultural experience open to all majors. During this program, students will produce three multimedia projects that explore different aspects of Hue’s cultural heritage—from its traditional handicrafts to its delicious cuisine.
Through a partnership with Hue University, students will learn from Vietnamese faculty experts and connect with local Vietnamese students who will serve as interpreters in the development of their stories.
The program is open to JMU sophomores, juniors, and seniors in all majors.
Director: Prof. Elisabeth Kvernen, kverneem@jmu.edu
Multimedia Storytelling in Urbino, Italy:
The Urbino program is on hiatus and will not run in summer 2025
The Urbino, Italy program engages students in a 4-week cross-cultural media project where students choose a three-credit experience from among multimedia storytelling, and documentary audio and video. Students are together for many classes but participate with separate faculty for the two experiences. All students will work with JMU professors Shaun Wright and Dave Wang, along with a team of media professionals, to create an immersive multimedia project based on local issues, people or events in Urbino. You’ll work with Italian students from the University of Urbino who will serve as translators/interpreters in the development of your stories. So, no Italian language background is necessary. The interpreters often also become guides and friends. The program is open to all JMU majors. Students are together for many classes, but participate with separate faculty for the two experiences.
Covering the National Political Conventions
SMAD students not only have a front-row seat to the biggest political events during the summer of every presidential election year, they get to cover it. When Republican and Democratic delegates and activists meet for their national conventions, a team of elite SMAD students will be there to interview them, get their reactions, and ask sharp questions about issues affecting Virginia and young voters.
In 2024, the Virginia Association of Broadcasters helped support the program, and the video and audio stories the students produced from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions aired on television and radio stations across Virginia, while written pieces ran on news organizations' websites across the state.
Next program: Summer 2028
Director: Ryan Alessi, alessirt@jmu.edu
