California Lutheran University has launched a Film and TV Business major that blends production coursework with finance and marketing training.
The Bachelor of Science program, housed in Cal Lutheran's School of Management, debuted for the 2026-27 academic year under a new Film and Media Business Department, according to a Tuesday, Sept. 29, report in The Echo, the university's student newspaper.
Gerhard Apfelthaler, dean of the School of Management, chairs the new department. He and John Fitch III, associate professor and chair of the Film and Television Department, began developing the major in 2024 as a response to upheaval in the entertainment industry. Streaming growth, post-pandemic production shifts and the rise of artificial intelligence all shaped the curriculum, according to The Echo.
The program aims to "equip the graduates that come from the creative angle with the necessary business skills to actually build a life and a professional profile that helps them succeed," Apfelthaler told The Echo.
Students choose between an operations track and a marketing track. Core courses span both disciplines, including business analytics, negotiation, marketing principles, screenwriting, and producing and directing for film and TV.
The Cal Lutheran program page lists potential careers including line producer, development executive and distribution or marketing specialist. A 4+1 option lets undergraduates take graduate-level courses and finish a related graduate degree one year after graduation.
Hadyn Hughes, a Cal Lutheran senior who completed a 10-week production internship on the 22nd season of "Grey's Anatomy," said budgets are a huge part of the industry. She worked in the production office, art department, costume department, post-production and on set during her internship. Hughes told The Echo she hopes the new major will teach students how to read and manage production budgets, calling that knowledge "really helpful."
Cal Lutheran's proximity to Hollywood is central to the program's pitch. The university says it maintains more than 20,000 employer contacts, with over 200 job and internship listings posted each week. Past internship hosts include Disney, Netflix, NBC, CBS, Creative Artists Agency and the Jim Henson Company.
Apfelthaler told The Echo he has begun early talks with the music department about a possible music business major and with communications faculty about a creator-and-influencer program. Neither is confirmed.
Applications for fall 2027 enrollment are open on the Cal Lutheran website.
