Columbia’s Semester in LA program has opened a new studio space and has plans to broaden to include more majors in the future. These steps are exactly the kind of investment students need.

The program is restructuring to include new alumni outreach, a larger Hollywood studio and classes aimed at attracting students beyond film and television majors. Students will be required to complete an internship and will have opportunities to learn in classes with professional guest speakers.

The new Sunset Gower Studios will allow for bigger class sizes, with three classrooms and 12 sound stages.

The previous Sunset Las Palmas Studios only had one 15-seat classroom. The college had moved to Sunset Las Palmas Studios after being pushed out of Raleigh Studios when it gave the space to production company Higher Ground and Netflix in 2022. 

Enrollment for Semester in LA has remained steady over the last two years, averaging 15 to 20 students during the fall semester. The college hopes to grow the program now that it has the space to expand. The program already held exciting opportunities for Columbia students but was mainly limited to film and television. 

It now has the potential to attract students who might not have considered the experience in LA.

Columbia’s Senior Media Relations Manager Michelle Aiello told the Chronicle in an email that the cost of the physical move was minimal and remained under budget, important as the college continues to address its fiscal deficit.

There has already been a ribbon cutting for the new studio space, and now Columbia must show how the program’s expansion will translate into opportunities for more students.

Copy edited by Camila Verzino