Media School

College of Arts and Sciences

School E-mail: mschgrad@indiana.edu

School URL: http://mediaschool.indiana.edu/

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Faculty
Courses

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts (M.A. in Media Arts & Sciences), Master of Science (M.S. in Media), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D. in Media Arts & Sciences), Joint Master of Arts or Master of Science and Doctor of Jurisprudence (jointly with the Maurer School of Law).

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Master of Arts Degree

The M.A. in Media Arts & Sciences trains students for academic careers in media, communications, film studies, and related fields. Graduates will be prepared to enter a Ph.D. program, teach at small colleges, or accept analytical and research positions in media and creative industries.

Admission Requirements

1. Four-year Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent;
2. At least a B average (3.0 GPA) in the major over the last two years of an undergraduate program, or professional equivalency;
3. Internet-based TOEFL score greater than 100 (or approved equivalent) for international students;
4. Statement of professional goals;
5. Personal narrative;
6. Three letters of recommendation;
7. A writing sample;
8. A curriculum vitae.

Applications from students who have not majored in communication at the bachelor’s level are welcomed. If admitted, these students may be required to take supplementary courses in addition to their required 30 credits for the MA.

Grades and Incompletes

Any semester’s work averaging less than a B (3.0 GPA) will result in the student being placed on academic probation. Any student carrying more than one grade of Incomplete may be placed on academic probation. The school evaluates student progress toward the degree every year, which includes assessing grade averages.

Advisory Committee

By April 15th of their first year, students select an Advisor and nominate a three-member Advisory Committee. At least two members of the Advisory Committee must be from the Media School. Students who fail to select an Advisor, Advisory Committee, or to construct a Program of Study before the start of their third semester will not be making adequate progress toward their degree and may be placed on probation.  

Degree Requirements

1. A minimum of 30 credit hours, with at least 21 credit hours taken in the Media School; 
2. MSCH M503—Media Theories--Social Science or MSCH M504—Media Theories—Critical and Cultural Studies with a grade of B (3.0) or above;
3. No more than 3 credit hours of J804—Independent Study;
4. Program of Study listing all proposed courses toward the degree, approved by the student’s Advisory Committee;
5. Thesis Option(with up to 6 credit hours of M699 taken after a thesis proposal is orally defended and approved by the Advisory Committee) or Comprehensive Examination Option (with students passing a written examination administered by the Advisory Committee). The student’s completed thesis or the written comprehensive exam answers must be orally defended to the satisfaction of the Advisory Committee.

Master of Science Degree

The M.S. in Media prepares students for professional careers in journalism, strategic communication, media design and production, and management.

Admission Requirements

1. Four-year Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent;
2. At least a B average (3.0 GPA) in the major over the last two years of an undergraduate program, or professional equivalency;
3. Internet based TOEFL score greater than 100 (or approved equivalent) for international students;
4. Statement of professional goals;
5. Personal narrative;
6. Three letters of recommendation;
7. A writing sample or creative portfolio;
8. A resume or curriculum vitae.

Applications from students who have not majored in communication at the bachelor’s level are welcomed. If admitted, these students may be required to take supplementary courses in addition to their required 30 credits for the MS.

Grades and Incompletes

Any semester’s work averaging less than a B (3.0 GPA) will result in the student being placed on academic probation. Any student carrying more than one grade of Incomplete may be placed on academic probation. The school evaluates student progress toward the degree every year, which includes assessing grade averages.

Advisory Committee

By April 15th of their first year, students select an Advisor and nominate a three-member Advisory Committee. At least two members of the Advisory Committee must be from the Media School. Students who fail to select an Advisor, Advisory Committee, or to construct a Program of Study before the start of their third semester will not be making adequate progress toward their degree and may be placed on probation.

Degree Requirements

The MS in Media degree requires:

1. For all concentration areas:

• A total of 30 credit hours;
• At least 21 credit hours taken in the Media School;
• No more than 3 credit hours of J804—Independent Study; Completion of all core courses in a concentration area with a grade of B (3.0) or above;
• A Program of Study listing all proposed courses toward the degree, approved by the student’s Advisory Committee;
• Thesis Option(with up to 6 credit hours of M699 taken after a thesis proposal is orally defended and approved by the student’s Advisory Committee) or Comprehensive Examination Option (with students passing a written examination administered by the Advisory Committee) or Capstone Project Option (with up to 6 credit hours of M699 taken after project proposal orally defended and approved by the Advisory Committee). The student’s completed thesis, written comprehensive exam answers, or completed capstone project must be orally defended to the satisfaction of the Advisory Committee.

2. Required core courses by concentration area:

• Data Journalism:
  • MSCH J501 Public Affairs Reporting
  • MSCH J510 Media and Society 

• Documentary/Nonfiction Production:
  • MSCH T583 Introduction to Documentary Practice
  • MSCH T584 Documentary Filmmaking
  • MSCH T522 Managing the Creative Process
  • MSCH C606 Media Criticism with a variable topic related to documentary studies, or a Media Studies course as approved by advisory committee
  • 12 credit hours of MSCH T576 Media Production Practicum.
• Journalism
  • MSCH J501 Public Affairs Reporting
  • MSCH J510 Media and Society 

• 9 credit hours of MSCH J575 Arnolt Center Practicum

• Management:
  • MSCH T505 Media Organizations and
  • Two of the following:
    • MSCH T511 Research Methods in Audience Analysis
    • MSCH T522 Managing the Creative Process
    • MSCH J660 Media Law in the Digital Age
    • MSCH T610 The Networked Society
    • MSCH T601 Topic: Platform Studies 
  • Strategic Communication
    • MSCH R501 Principles of Strategic Communication
    • MSCH T511 Research Methods in Audience Analysis 

Graduate Certificate in Data Journalism

Admissions requirements

1. Four-year Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent;
2. At least a B (3.0) average in the major over the last two years of an undergraduate program, or professional equivalency;
3. Internet based TOEFL score greater than 100 (or approved equivalent) for international students;
4. Statement of professional goals;
5. One letter of recommendation;
6. A writing sample or creative portfolio;
7. A resume or curriculum vitae.

Grades

Completion of the certificate will require a B (3.0 GPA) average or above for all courses in the certificate. The school evaluates student progress toward the certificate each semester.

Advisor(s)

Certificate students do not require a committee but must identify to the School’s Director of Graduate Studies at least one Media School faculty member who has agreed to serve as Faculty Advisor.

Degree Requirements

Students take four online courses (a minimum of 12 credit hours) through the Media School or Luddy School. Courses are selected in consultation with and approved by a Faculty Advisor. Course selection will be driven by the student’s existing skills and professional aspirations, arranged to build towards a data journalism concentration in the Media School's M.S. program.

Doctor of Philosophy in Media Arts and Sciences

Admissions Requirements

1. Four-year Bachelor’s and two-year Master’s or comparable degree from a recognized institution;
2. Internet-based TOEFL score greater than 100 (or approved equivalent) for international students;
3. Statement of professional goals;
4. Personal narrative;
5. Three letters of recommendation;
6. A writing sample;
7. A curriculum vitae. 

Grades and Incompletes

Any semester’s work averaging less than a B (3.0 GPA) will result in the student being placed on academic probation. Any student carrying more than one grade of Incomplete may be placed on academic probation. The school evaluates student progress toward the degree every year, which includes assessing grade averages.

Advisory Committee

By April 15 of their first year, students select an Academic Program Advisor from within the Media School and nominate an Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee consists of two additional Media School faculty members and one member from outside the school. Students who do not have their Advisory Committee in place by the end of their first year will be considered not making adequate progress toward their degree. 

Degree Requirements

1. A minimum of 90 credit hours, which:
   1. May include a maximum of 30 hours of graduate credit transferred from other institutions;
   2. May include up to 24 credit hours of MSCH M899—PhD Dissertation Research;
   3. Must include at least 21 credit hours taken in the Media School, not including M899 credits;
   4. Must include 6-12 credit hours of research methods/foreign language courses;
   5. Cannot include more than 6 credit hours of J804—Independent Study;
2. Completion of the following core courses with a grade of B (3.0) or above:
   1. MSCH M500 (or C792)—Epistemologies of Media
   2. MSCH M503—Media Theories--Social Science or MSCH M504—Media Theories--Critical and Cultural Studies
   3. MSCH M555—Media Pedagogy
3. Enrollment and satisfactory participation for 3 semesters in MSCH M600—Media Arts & Science Colloquium;
4. Completion of a minor;
5. Program of Study approved by the student’s Advisory Committee and submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies listing all proposed courses toward the degree;
6. Successful completion and oral defense of a qualifying examination;
7. Successful completion and oral defense of a written dissertation proposal approved by the student’s Research Committee;
8. Successful completion of a final examination as approved by the student’s Research Committee. 

Program of Study

Students work with their Advisory Committee to develop and approve a tentative program of study satisfying the degree requirements. This document must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies by Oct. 15 of the student’s second year in order to be making adequate progress toward the degree. With consultation of their Academic Program Advisor and committee, courses may be replaced on the program of study because of eventual course offerings. Students are responsible for ensuring that the degree requirements are met by their final program submitted to the Graduate School.

Minor

Consistent with Graduate School policy, each PhD student must have at least one minor subject. Course work in the minor must be approved by the student’s Advisory Committee and must meet the requirements of the minor department.

Research Skill/Foreign Language Requirement

The student works with the Advisory Committee to designate 6-12 graduate credit hours of research skills, methods, or foreign language courses.

Qualifying Examination

Students are required to take exams focusing on topics developed in consultation with their advisory committee. Exams may be taken in-camera or as take-home projects, as described on the MSCH grad student Canvas site. Students not passing their qualifying exam in the first attempt may sit for a second exam. A student not passing the second qualifying exam will be dismissed from the program. 

Final Examination

The final examination of the PhD is an oral presentation of the dissertation work to the student’s Research Committee and open to the public. After the public presentation, the committee will question the doctoral candidate privately about their research and determine revisions to the written document required in order to pass the final examination and receive the doctorate. 

Joint Degree:  Master of Arts or Master of Science in Media and Doctor of Jurisprudence in the Maurer School of Law

To be eligible to receive the degrees of Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Arts or Master of Science in Media, which must be received simultaneously, a student must:

1. Complete 79 credit hours in the Maurer School of Law including all of the required course work;
2. Be admitted to The Media School Graduate Program and complete at least 27 credit hours in The Media School, including all of the required core courses;
3. Earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 on all work taken in the Maurer School of Law and at least 3.0 on all work taken in the Media School. 

Ph.D. Minor in Media Arts and Sciences 

Doctoral students from other departments and schools may choose Media Arts and Sciences as an outside minor. 

Requirements 

A minimum of 12 credit hours of graduate coursework in The Media School, including at least one of the following courses: M503 or M504; T505; T522; J510.

A GPA no lower than a B (3.0) in minor coursework. No more than six credit hours will be accepted by transfer of graduate credit from another university. 

To arrange for the minor in Media Arts and Sciences, you must first have a Media School faculty member serve as the minor advisor. The student should email the School’s Director of Graduate Studies and state their intention to earn the PhD minor in Media Arts and Sciences and identify the school’s faculty member who has agreed to serve as Faculty Advisor. Then, in consultation with the faculty advisor, the student outlines a course plan that best supports their academic and professional goals. This course plan must be filed with the Media School Director of Graduate Studies before your final semester of coursework.