Overview

The Semester in Los Angeles Program is available each semester throughout the year: fall, spring or summer, and is housed in The University of Texas at Austin’s West Coast hub, the UTLA Center.

Courses focus on the business and creative sides of the entertainment industry and are taught by seasoned professionals (many of them UT alumni), with extensive careers in film, television and music. Classes are complemented by visits from guest speakers and set visits to some of the major Hollywood studios (activities vary by semester).

A key component of the program is the internship course, which allows students to earn academic credit and explore professional careers in their area of interest.

The program is open to all eligible students for a limited number of seats each semester.

"UT Semester in Los Angeles Mission Statement"

The UT Semester in Los Angeles Program’s mission is to enable students to compete with graduates of USC, UCLA, NYU, Columbia and other film schools by exposing them to the working world of the entertainment industry, and to the people who make things happen in Hollywood. Through a combination of working internships with prominent companies, courses taught by working professionals, and guest lectures by prominent industry experts, students get chance to gain the skills and contacts that will make a career in film, television, music or new media possible. Every alumnus of the program comes to Hollywood with a real sense of where and what the jobs are, who to call, and how to present themselves. It is the goal of the program to translate theory into reality, to enable students to start their careers, and to offer real-world support as they begin their journeys.

“UT Semester in Los Angeles Program Objectives”

Our goal is to ensure that students who enroll in the UT Semester in Los Angeles Program will
depart having addressed these key career questions for themselves:

• what profession, skill or craft in entertainment do I desire as a career?
• do I know the various career paths that may lead me to this profession?
• do I have the necessary skills and tools to pursue this profession?
• do I know how to pursue this profession and sustain a career?
• is Los Angeles the city where I wish to reside to pursue my career?
• how strong is my network and do I know how to expand my network of contacts?