Cornell is heading west. The College of Arts & Sciences is launching Cornell in Los Angeles (CULA), a new semester-long program designed to give students an insider’s view of the entertainment industry. Ten students will be selected for the inaugural cohort, which will begin in spring 2027, with applications opening April 1, 2026.
The program, spearheaded by the Department of Performing and Media Arts (PMA), will place students in Hollywood for a semester of coursework, networking and cultural immersion. Faculty say this initiative fills a critical need for students eager to explore careers in film, television and media.
“There’s a real knowledge gap,” said Kristen Warner, associate professor in PMA, who will serve as the first faculty lead for the program. “Some students have taken the initiative — they’ve gone to career services, tried networking, even found their own internships. But the majority don’t know where to start. That became the impetus for creating CULA.”
The first iteration of the program will emphasize networking, professional development and experiences that showcase the cultural institutions, archives and other historical sites of Los Angeles. Students will attend PMA classes designed specifically for them, masterclasses, site visits and alumni-led events, building relationships that Warner says are essential in an industry where “there’s no career fair, no place to just hand off your résumé.”
Samantha Sheppard, associate professor and chair of PMA, sees the program as transformative, not just for students’ résumés but for their sense of possibility. “For some, this will be the spark that kickstarts a career,” she said. “But even beyond that, they’ll learn invaluable skills —creativity, collaboration, innovation, communication — that are critical no matter where they go.”
The CULA program was made possible by a gift from Liz ’83 and Randal Sandler.
“We thought this was a fantastic way to give students an introduction to the industry and to immerse them in an educational environment with so many additional outlets to augment their learning,” the Sandlers said. “Los Angeles is such a unique and interesting place and, in many cases, it’s hard to succeed in media and entertainment without knowing your way around LA. It is still very much a culture of meeting in person and developing relationships over time.”
Cornell is partnering with American Pavilion to run the program, an organization that coordinates logistics, as well as offers access to a vast network of studio executives, creative artists and industry professionals. Faculty will also take advantage of a strong group of Los Angeles-based Cornell alumni in the industry.
“We’re creating an environment that’s really fertile for students to parlay their CULA experience into summer internships and long-term opportunities,” Sheppard said. “It’s about access. Being on the ground in LA allows us to tap into professionals and experiences we couldn’t reach otherwise.”
While film and media majors will be the program’s core, faculty expect interest from across campus. “We’ve always had students outside PMA who are curious about screenwriting or production, but whose majors might not allow them to explore those areas,” Warner said. “This gives them a chance to play in the sandbox and see if this is something they’d like to pursue more permanently.”
Sheppard agrees, noting that entertainment intersects with business, finance, and technology. “Hollywood is a billion-dollar industry,” she said. “This program gives students a leg up in understanding how it works and imagining how they might contribute.”
Cornell alumni in Los Angeles have already expressed enthusiasm, with many eager to mentor students. Faculty will travel to LA in February to finalize logistics and strengthen alumni ties.
“This is the start of something big,” Sheppard said. “I believe we’ll have students who trace their newfound sense of self and their successful careers back to this program. And we’ll have a deluge of interest from students – demonstrating the urgency to expand it and create a more bricks and mortar center for Cornell in Los Angeles.”
Students can attend one of the following information sessions to find out more about the program:
- Nov. 17, 5 p.m., Film Forum, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
- Dec. 3, 5 p.m., Zoom: https://cornell.zoom.us/j/99794688881?pwd=e1ObIfwlOCv6O2WPEkryIw7NrFVe1q.1
- Feb. 2, 2026, 5 p.m., Film Forum, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
- Feb. 4, 2026, 5 p.m., Film Forum, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
- Feb. 11, 2026, 5 p.m., Zoom: https://cornell.zoom.us/j/99794688881?pwd=e1ObIfwlOCv6O2WPEkryIw7NrFVe1q.1
