Master of Arts in Media Studies

Master of Arts in Media Studies  -  Media + Social Change 

Coursework for the Media Studies Masters degree introduces theoretical and practical methodologies spanning a range of critical areas including race and gender, urban development, economic and social justice, political activism, environmental responsibility, ethnicity, cognitive liberty, commodity culture, and cultural identity.

Potential students include activists, NGO employees, independent scholars, current media professionals, political, legal, and economic analysts, artists, performers or others looking for an intellectual environment in which to challenge conventional understanding of the media in order to engage purposefully with a range of vital issues – from the environment and race and gender discrimination, to income inequality and the impact of commodity capitalism.

The Media Studies Masters is designed to provide highly individualized courses of study and practice for students who already have a sense for what they wish to research or implement. Our program is small and highly selective, giving us the ability to develop courses and opportunities that fit the needs of our students.

Rather than emphasizing a lot of required courses or mandatory skill sets, we focus on supporting the research and practice of our students. Our program emphasis emerges and changes based on the dozen or so scholars and practitioners who are in the program at any one time.  A weekly Colloquium series exposes students to leading scholars and practitioners in the field, while also offering a place to present our own findings and accomplishments.

Our guiding philosophy, however, is that media need to be understood in their social, cultural, political, and economic contexts in order to be analyzed or applied effectively.  We are here to bring those contexts to your work. So each course is augmented by a practicum through which the student can explore the intersection of his or her personal research pursuits with the subject area of the class, under the guidance of the instructor. In some cases, the practicums become standing labs where thesis and other work can be developed.

To earn a Masters degree, students must complete the program requirements, including two core courses, a series of elective courses, and a thesis paper or project.