Media Studies (MA)

Curriculum

The Master of Arts degree in Media Studies is awarded for successful completion of 39 credits. The extensive curriculum and limited number of required courses offer you many ways to design your own path through the program and enable you to sample a wide variety of subjects and approaches. Many students focus their studies in one or more subject areas, but you are not required to do so to earn the MA. The program is designed to be completed in two years and must be completed within five years.

All students must take two core courses: Media Theory and Media Design. They must also take at least two production courses (practice and project) and one course in research methods. Electives can include selected courses offered by other graduate programs of The New School. Students in the MA program may also earn the graduate certificate in Media Management throughout their course of study through consultation with an academic advisor.

Students can choose between the thesis and the non-thesis options to complete their degree.

Thesis Option

Non-Thesis Option

Thesis

Writing or producing a thesis is an opportunity to crystallize, display, and extend ideas and skills that you have acquired in the program. The thesis project should be a synthesis of the knowledge you have acquired through the program. A thesis often serves as a foundation for ongoing creative work or the basis for an article or articles to be submitted for publication. It can be used evidence of serious scholarship and/or professional production skills when you are applying for PhD programs or professional employment.

The School of Media Studies holds a thesis information session each spring and fall semester. If you have decided to pursue the thesis track and have already completed 18 credits, it is recommended you attend and plan on submitting your thesis proposal this semester. If you have questions about submitting a thesis proposal and/or registering for thesis course numbers, contact [email protected].

• Thesis Handbook
• Thesis Completion Deadline

Non-Thesis Option

Students pursuing the Non-Thesis Option must designate and complete a three-credit course in which an advanced individual media project or research paper is produced as their Culminating Experience for the degree. This class should be chosen in consultation with their academic advisor. This class should be taken in one of the last two semesters of their degree and approved by the program director.

STEM Eligibility

The MA in Media Studies is designated a STEM-eligible program under the CIP* code 09.0702 Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia. All students in the program must take six credits of Digital Technology coursework. These courses can be part of the existing seminar, production, and elective requirements.

This is a list of current courses we offer that count for the Digital Technology requirement; new courses may be added to it if they qualify.

Electives

With special permission, you may take courses outside the School of Media Studies to fulfill your elective requirements. Please contact [email protected] for information on obtaining approval to take elective courses at other colleges.

Graduate Minors

You can also use your elective courses to complete one of the university's graduate minors, which provide a structured, accessible way to complement your primary course of study with fresh ways of thinking. Your graduate minor is officially recorded on your transcript.

Course Waivers

Students who have demonstrable skills and experience in media production may be eligible to swap out the Media Design requirement and instead enroll in a Media Practices: Topics course. These courses presume some production background and focus on a singular creative mode, tool, and/or concept, enabling students to attain proficiency and advance into related Projects: Topics courses. Apply for a waiver by emailing [email protected].

Online Learning

Our online program of study allows you to complete some or all of the requirements for the MA in Media Studies from anywhere in the world. Online-only students are integrated into the Media Studies community through a Web version of our New Student Orientation and online access to program advisors.

All the required courses for the MA—Media Theory, Media Design, and Research Methods—are offered online. Seminar courses in history, theory, criticism, and management are also offered online; these courses either are online only or mirror on-site courses. Practice and project courses on the still and moving image, audio, multimedia, and Web-friendly video applications are offered online.

Online-only students can earn credit through internships and assistantships (maximum of 6 credits—3 in production and 3 in research).