Drawing on the strength of its vast network of accomplished alumni in the entertainment industry, Syracuse University has announced plans to establish a satellite campus program in Los Angeles, beginning in fall 2009, that will engage students in professional internships, specialized course work and regular interactions with industry leaders. The program will be led by accomplished television and film producer Andrea Asimow, SU's director, Semester in Los Angeles Programs.

Students in VPA's Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries are among those who will study in the program. The fall semester students-all of whom will be starting their junior year-will be housed together in an apartment complex in the Toluca Lake district of North Hollywood. Their semester will be built around a 20-hour-per-week internship matched to each student's interests and abilities; internships will span a range of disciplines, including animation, music, digital media, casting, editing, film and television development and production, pre- and post-production, and marketing and distribution. In addition, they will attend classes in their respective majors convened at their living space and at the Universal Studios Hollywood lot. To complete their course load, they will be able to select from a variety of online courses offered by SU's College of Arts and Sciences.

One of the most unique offerings in the LA Semester will be the Bandier Program, one of the first undergraduate, multidisciplinary programs in the country to prepare students for a career in the music and entertainment industry. It includes the study of music, communications, business and entrepreneurship with a strong liberal arts background, and combines course work at VPA with courses at the Newhouse School and SU's Whitman School of Management and College of Arts and Sciences.

The program was founded in 2006 and funded through a gift by SU alumnus Martin Bandier '62, chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC.

"The Bandier Program's rigorous curriculum emphasizes weekly contact with top industry professionals and hands-on learning experiences," says VPA Dean Ann Clarke. "Studying and interning in Los Angeles will allow Bandier students to truly immerse themselves in the West Coast entertainment industry and gain invaluable insights that will serve them well as they begin their own careers."