With the rise of new technologies that has resulted in increased accessibility and continuous demand for content, the influence of media and entertainment on society and culture has become more profound than ever. Hence, MEM aims to prepare students for careers in both traditional and new media industries. Moreover, since the media and entertainment landscape continues to evolve, the program requires the melding of critical elements from several disciplines including strategic business management, entertainment production management, digital and entertainment marketing, content creation, audience research, and media studies.

Specifically, through the program, students will:

• acquire a broad and deep understanding of management practices across the media and entertainment industries, and thus, become growth drivers.

• analyze the trends that are redefining the world of entertainment, and thus, improve their capacity to understand the challenges and opportunities in developing and acquiring creative talent and weigh strategic marketing challenges from the viewpoint of content producers, content retailers/aggregators, and consumers.

• be exposed to practices that are rooted in a deep understanding of the unique context of the entertainment sector, and thus, build lasting entertainment business strategies.

• be equipped with the leadership skills necessary to make critical decisions in the face of uncertainty.

• understand the global economic situation and its implications for the media industry, the dynamics of influence and change, as well as competitive and corporate strategy in the context of global digital change.

• understand how digital is impacting the creation process, distribution and revenue models of media businesses and assess issues surrounding intellectual capital in the digital age.

• understand changing consumer trends and behaviors as well as assess how audience segmentation is affecting media marketing, content distribution and advertising, and thus, better serve the needs of audiences and not just their wants.

• understand how mobile continues to disrupt the landscape and explore strategies to unlock its potential, explore media startups and emerging business models, and evaluate the benefits of partnerships and alliances across brands and industries.

In short, MEM will teach students:

• How to produce relevant, strategic and effective content
• How to optimize current and emerging media platforms
• How to create links between content, media platforms and the goals of a business/organization

The MEM curriculum delivers a unique blend of courses taught by full time faculty members with Ph.D. and entertainment and media industry executives, hands-on engagement in real-world projects with media and entertainment companies through the Residency Program, international exchange program and study tours, and a program of studies that provide a relatively good balance of the business and creative sides.

The core subjects are taught by full-time faculty members with doctorate degrees obtained from local and foreign universities while the specialized subjects are taught by industry practitioners. These two groups work closely on research and consulting projects in order to foster a work-and-study approach to learning that delivers a real-world experience and insights to MEM majors.

Each faculty member has a profile in our Faculty and Research page, consisting of their educational attainment, list of seminars and published works, and contact information. Researchers may click on the link, to transfer to the page.

The main thrust is to develop people who can adapt and respond to the demands of dynamic environments. And an important component in achieving this is the Professional Residency which is similar to that of IMC. MEM students belonging to the Master’s Program will undergo an intense, ten-month residency in select media companies where they will be integrated into the business units within the organization and perform as full members of teams to which they are assigned. During their residency program they will take a few more courses in the university to complement their work experience and help them integrate theory and practice.

Obtaining a Master’s degree that includes a Residency Program will certainly be an option that many students who are the very consumers of digital media and new concepts of entertainment will take because of the edge it will give them over other communication graduates.

The graduates of MA in MEM will surely have a bigger opportunity to work as producers, executives, and even as creatives in companies within the media and entertainment industry, that is, TV networks, radio networks, publishing houses, film companies, recording labels, game development companies, event organizing companies, etc. They can also be entrepreneurs servicing or providing content not only to traditional media platforms, but also to internet or mobile-based businesses, communication agencies with interactive/new media subsidiaries, and other specialized agencies.

MEM program’s stakeholders remain the same:

• Individuals/College students who have identified their creative inclinations as source of careers
• Individuals who envision themselves to be at the helm of producing and marketing entertainment products such as films, TV shows, music, online content, events, etc.
• Professionals whose expertise come from practicing and participating in non-traditional business models and unconventional use of old and new media
• Professionals whose expertise come from years of experiencing change and evolving with the times
• Companies who require people who are quick to sense and respond to the business of media and entertainment
• Companies who participate in initiating, if not maximizing the change in the use of media and entertain