UBalt's New Multimedia Storytelling Major: In Search of Human Connection, the Love of Creating Original Work with the Know-How to Share It

Launching This Spring, the Program Offers a Fresh Take on What Storytelling Can Be,
From Art Form to Communications Essentials

The University of Baltimore is launching a new major for students interested in mastering the art, craft, and technology of 21st century storytelling. The B.A. in Multimedia Storytelling degree from UBalt's Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences is a humanities-based, interdisciplinary program that combines creative and professional writing, communications theory, and publishing with visual design and audio-video production. Multimedia Storytelling, which has started accepting students, is a STEM-designated program. In addition to narrative theory and analysis, its students will be exposed to a host of technology-forward skillsets, offering high value across a range of career choices.

The major includes seven core courses (24 credits) that focus on the integration of words, images, and video to tell compelling stories across platforms such as social media, short films, screenplays, and other forms of writing. Students not only hone their ability with language but learn to have a visual sensibility through classes in creativity, design principles and multimedia production. Upon completion of the core requirements, students may choose a specialization, where they will earn 18 credits in Media Design and Production, Creative Writing and Publishing, or Public Relations and Social Media.

Learning outcomes for this new major include:

• Master the art of storytelling across platforms
• Create professional content that integrates words, images, and video
• Develop expertise in visual design, digital production, and creative writing
• Analyze how narratives shape culture, business, and human connection
• Adapt your creative voice to diverse audiences and evolving technologies
• Build a portfolio that showcases your unique storytelling vision

"We created this program in response to the rapidly changing technological and employment landscape," says Dr. Jennifer Keohane, associate professor and program director of Digital Communication, and co-creator of the new program, along with Jane Delury, professor of Creative Writing and English and director of UBalt's undergraduate program in English. "Communicators need to understand the core of good storytelling skills even as the tools we use to tell stories will evolve over time. They need to stay flexible and adaptable."

Profs. Keohane and Delury say they designed the new major as a fusion of the best of the University's English degree and its Digital Communications degree.

"This program fosters creative thinking, so we tried to think creatively about its design," Delury says. "How could we maintain a strong Humanities foundation that taught students to think and write analytically and also help them navigate and employ new communication technologies? We want our students to both appreciate Shakespeare's plays and think critically about the use of large language models. Our interdisciplinary faculty loves collaborating across seeming intellectual and artistic boundaries, and this degree will allow us to take that collaboration to a new level."

The major's three specializations free up the student to pursue a particular passion within the framework of storytelling:

• Media Design and Production is perfect for visual storytellers who want to master both craft and career. Dive into courses like The Art of Film and The Business of Being an Artist, and graduate ready to produce professional storytelling content across platforms.
• Creative Writing and Publishing lets the student develop their craft across multiple literary genres while learning the business of bringing stories to readers. From workshop-style courses to hands-on publishing projects, you'll build both the creative skills and professional expertise to succeed as a writer, editor, or literary entrepreneur.
• Public Relations and Social Media blends production, design, marketing, and professional writing to give the student the complete skillset that today's employers demand. Master digital and global marketing through social media, create brand identity campaigns, and learn to work with AI tools, transforming the professional writing workplace. Careers in PR, social media management and content strategy are likely outcomes for students in this specialization.

Students may qualify for an accelerated take on the degree, applying nine graduate credits (typically three classes) to both the bachelor's and UBalt's MA in Integrated Design or MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts.