The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Media Arts provides advanced education in media theory, history, and artistic practice. The program prepares students to pursue media arts in a variety of contexts including independent, commercial, and academic. Students pursuing the degree will refine their creative arts practice in one or more of the following areas: moving image, writing, new media, and media theory. Recognizing the interdisciplinarity of the media arts, the program encourages students to foster interests in and affiliations with other disciplines across the university. Students applying to the program should have academic and/or work experience in a field related to media arts and a portfolio that exhibits a capacity for theoretical, historical, and/or cultural inquiry.

Learning Outcomes

Admission

Applicants for the M.A. in Media Arts must have a B.A. degree from an appropriately accredited college or university. Applicants must meet all requirements of The Graduate School for admission and be recommended to the The Graduate School for acceptance by the Department of Art. In accordance with The Graduate School’s admission requirements, the Department of Art requires the following: the general application, GRE scores, an official transcript and two letters of recommendation. Additionally, student applicants to the M.A. in Media Arts must submit a portfolio of recent media arts work and a personal statement. The personal statement should frame the candidate’s current and future media arts practice, address its interdisciplinary nature, and discuss the questions that the candidate’s media arts practice engages.

Degree Requirements (30 Hours)

Candidates for the M.A. in Media Arts shall file a Program of Study during their second semester. The Program of Study outlines the student’s program requirements and should be planned in consultation with a faculty adviser. In order to advance to the second year of coursework and thesis preparation, M.A. candidates must successfully pass a comprehensive examination. Comprehensive exams are scheduled at the culmination of the first year of course work.

Candidates for the M.A. in Media Arts take 30 hours of coursework, of which 6 hours are for the project/thesis project. Credit hours are to be distributed as follows: