Starting January, Bradley students will have the opportunity to spend a semester studying and working in Hollywood.
“This is a great opportunity to participate in a career development internship,” BJ Lawrence, Associate Dean of the Slane College of Communication and Fine Arts, said. “Students will be able to network with leaders in the entertainment industry, and their classes will be taught by professionals. They’ll be able to go to movies, music studios, shows and even premieres.”
Bradley will be joining the University of Texas-Austin as one of only two schools involved in this program, Lawrence said.
“The University of Texas-Austin is enabling Bradley to be a partner for the program,” she said. “It’s taken two or three years to plan Bradley’s involvement.”
Lawrence said participants in the Hollywood Semester will live in the furnished Oakwood Apartments.
“Stars talk about living there when they first moved to Hollywood,” she said.
Students who go to Hollywood will still receive Bradley credit, she said.
“Twelve hours of general Bradley credit will be earned for fall and spring semesters,” Lawrence said. “It will be counted as an off-campus Bradley program, so scholarships and financial aid will still cover the program cost.”
A select number of Bradley students will be chosen to go to Hollywood each semester, Lawrence said.“University of Texas-Austin is expecting a certain number of students from Bradley per semester,” she said. “We have guaranteed five students for fall and spring semesters, and three students for the summer. Hopefully we’ll be able to send more as time goes on.”
Lawrence said communication students aren’t the only ones who can apply for the program.
“We are looking for students with any major, from any college,” she said. “Students do need to have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and the University of Texas-Austin has requested that students take a mass media communications class, so students m
ust also take COM 101.”
Any students interested in going to Hollywood in the spring semester must apply soon.
“Applications are being accepted now for spring of 2012,” she said. “If students are serious about it, send an ap
plication to me. We will need to start focusing the direction of their internships soon.Students interested in going fall of 2012 should send an application by next February.”
So far, students have responed well to the program Lawrence said
“Students are already reacting,” Lawrence said. “We’ve had students from all colleges interested so far. I’ve been thrilled with the results.”
Students interested in learning more about living in Hollywood for a semester can visit slane.bradley.edu/Hollywood~semester or contact BJ Lawrence at bjl@bumail.bradley.edu.
An informational session will also be held Oct. 6 for interested students.