Media Studies

The master's degree in Media Studies is an academic program that involves students in the systematic study of media. The objective of the course of study is to enable students to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the systems, networks, cultures, and information associated with media. The program prepares students for doctoral study in communications and for professional positions in business and government requiring a comprehensive understanding of the historical, social, and political implications of the media. This program helps prepare students to organize research projects, critically evaluate research reports, and directly influence media practices by the application of research findings. The M.A. Program in Media Studies is administered by the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

Scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are required for admission. Students with a 3.00 junior/senior grade-point average are eligible for admission. Three letters of recommendation are required. Applicants must also submit an autobiographical statement of about 1,000 words indicating the nature of the applicant's interest in Media Studies, reasons for wanting to do graduate work, and future aspirations relating to the field of mass communications. Experience shows that most applicants hold a bachelor's degree in a field of the liberal arts or the social and behavioral sciences, including journalism and mass communications. However, this does not preclude applicants with other backgrounds, abilities, and interests such as those whose undergraduate training may have been in a scientific or technical field. In every case, the applicant should explain in the autobiographical statement how his or her undergraduate education relates to the decision to seek admission to graduate study in mass communications.

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Applicants to the Media Studies program must have a score of 24 or higher on the speaking section of the TOEFL Internet-based test.

Degree Requirements

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

The M.A. program seeks to integrate two areas of inquiry and analysis. The "Critical Studies" area centers on the expressive, creative, and linguistic dimensions of media as cultural processes. The "Political Studies" area focuses primarily on the political and economic dimensions of national and international communications systems and processes. The student is encouraged to combine courses from these and possibly other areas into a coherent package of course work culminating in either a thesis or a master's paper.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 36 credits is required for the completion of the M.A. degree. Students in the thesis track must complete at least 18 credits at the 500 or 600 level, and the remaining credits may be at the 400 or 800 level. Students in the non-thesis track must complete 18 credits at the 500 level, and the remaining credits may be at the 400 or 800 level. There are 7 credits required in the following core courses:

If the student chooses to write a thesis, at least 6 credits in thesis research (COMM 600 or COMM 610) must be taken. Students in the non-thesis track must write a satisfactory master’s paper, while enrolled in COMM 596. In some cases, students may be required to take additional credits in order to make up deficiencies in undergraduate course work.

Students are required to schedule three separate, formal meetings with their advisers and the academic committees for (1) discussion and approval of the general program plan, (2) the thesis or master’s paper proposal, and (3) the defense of the thesis or paper. In most cases, satisfactory completion of course work and thesis requires two years. A thesis must be accepted by the advisers and/or committee members, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School, and the student must pass a thesis defense. A master’s paper must be accepted by the advisers, committee members and the graduate programs chair, and the students must pass a master’s paper defense.

Dual-Titles

DUAL-TITLE M.A. IN MEDIA STUDIES AND WOMEN’S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in Media Studies and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. Applicants interested in the dual-title degree program may make their interest known on their applications to Media Studies. After admission to their primary program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admissions requirements of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies dual-title program. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Bulletin page.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the dual-title degree, students must satisfy the degree requirements of the Media Studies program (thesis option), in which they are primarily enrolled, and of the WGSS dual-title program, listed on the WGSS Bulletin page. Within this framework, final course selection is determined by the student and the Media Studies and WGSS advisers. The candidate must complete a thesis and follow the requirements for the thesis option in Media Studies; this includes passing a final oral defense of that thesis on a topic that reflects original research in both Media Studies and WGSS to earn the dual-title M.A. degree. Candidates for the dual-title M.A. degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies must have at least one member of the WGSS Graduate Faculty on their master’s advising committee.

Integrated Undergrad-Grad Programs  

Integrated B.A./B.S. in Communication Arts and Sciences and M.A. in Media

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs.

Undergraduate Degree

• Berks (B.A)
• Brandywine (B.A.)
• University Park (B.A. or B.S.)

Graduate Degree

• University Park

The Department of Communication Arts and Sciences and the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications offers academically qualified students the opportunity to complete either a B.A. or B.S. degree in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) and an M.A. in Media Studies (MEDIA) in approximately five years of study. Students admitted into this IUG utilize the scholarly connections between the programs and develop an integrated course of study that is shaped for specific interests that cross the two programs.

The Department of Communication Arts and Sciences offers both humanities and social science-based approaches to human communication, including interpersonal communication, small-group communication, public address and rhetoric, political communication, organizational communication and health communication. The Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications emphasizes mediated phenomenon, with an M.A. program that pulls from the graduate faculty of four undergraduate departments: Advertising/Public Relations; Film Production/Media Studies; Journalism; and Telecommunications/Media Industries. Particular combinations of CAS/MEDIA can flow well together in a combined IUG from the two programs, such as advertising and health communication; media effects and interpersonal communication; and qualitative media studies and rhetoric. Both the undergraduate CAS and the graduate Media Studies programs allow significant flexibility for IUG students to create an individual combination that works best for their interests. Graduates of this IUG may leverage their credentials for industry positions in marketing, political consulting, data analysis and other industry and non-profit careers, and for applying to Ph.D. programs in Communication and to J.D. programs in Law Schools.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

Students must apply to the program via the Graduate School application for admission, and must meet all the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Media Studies graduate program for the Master of Arts degree. Admission is selective based on criteria established by the leadership of Bellisario College and CAS. Though exceptions are possible, student applicants will generally have a minimum overall GPA of 3.5 in their major and overall at the time of application (on a 4.0 scale).

Fall admission is recommended, although Spring may be considered in unusual cases. Generally, applications will be accepted with all other graduate applications for Fall admission, although admission starting in the Spring semester may be considered for unusual cases.

Applicants to the integrated program:

1. Must be enrolled in the B.A. or B.S. program in Communication Arts and Sciences
2. Must have completed entrance to their undergraduate major and have completed no less than 60 credits. Students must be admitted no later than the end of the second week of the semester preceding the semester of expected conferral of the undergraduate degree. Transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State to enroll in an IUG.
3. Must provide a narrative statement explaining why they want to participate in this program and why they are qualified to do so
4. Must arrange for at least two letters of recommendation (at least one from a Department of Communication Arts and Sciences faculty member)
5. Must provide a writing sample
6. Must provide a resume/curriculum vitae

Advising

The students will complete a Program Proposal Meeting during Year 4 with their CAS undergraduate adviser and three faculty members of the student’s graduate committee, including an adviser. The student’s M.A. graduate committee will consist of three graduate faculty members (unless special exemption is granted from the Graduate School), and including two co-advisers, one from each participating unit. Each student will have a primary adviser in Bellisario who will work with the student on the M.A. requirements and their thesis, and a co-adviser in CAS to ensure successful completion of the IUG degree.

Sequence of Courses

During the first three years of study students will follow the basic course sequence provided for by the existing B.A. plan in CAS. In the fourth year of study they will take four courses that will count both toward the B.A. in CAS and the M.A. in Media Studies. At least two of these courses must be at the 500 level. Students may also take additional Media Studies courses in their fourth year beyond these two, but these credits will count only toward the M.A. degree.

Plan of Study

Prior to admission in the program, and in consultation with their CAS undergraduate adviser and Bellisario Graduate Coordinator, students must prepare a preliminary plan of study for years 4 and 5 of the program. The students will complete a revised plan of study during a required Program Proposal Meeting in Year 4. The plan is periodically reviewed by the student and advisers, and revised as necessary. Students will complete all requirements for the B.A. in CAS and complete some graduate level Media Studies requirements in the first four years and take only Media Studies courses in year 5.

An integrated undergraduate/graduate semester report will be completed and submitted at the end of each semester of the IUG program. Graduating IUG students must submit the semester report at the beginning of the semester of graduation. The report form is available online at Graduate Enrollment Services Documents and Forms.

Degree Requirements

Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the B.A. or B.S. in Communication Arts and Sciences are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Degree requirements for the M.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab. Up to 12 credits may be double-counted towards the degree requirements for both the graduate and undergraduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800 level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double-counted.

Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students must complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.A. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Courses Eligible to Double Count for Both Degrees
CAS 403	Interpersonal Communication Theory and Research	3
CAS 404	Conflict Resolution and Negotiation	3
CAS 405	Family Communication Theory and Research	3
CAS 409	Democratic Deliberation	3
CAS 415	Rhetoric of Film and Television	3
CAS 420	Rhetorical Theory	3
CAS 421	Communication and Aging	3
CAS 422	Contemporary African American Communication	3
CAS 426W	Communication Ethics	3
CAS 450W	Group Communication Theory and Research	3
CAS 452W	Organizational Communication Theory and Research	3
CAS 453	Health Communication Theory and Research	3
CAS 455	Topics in Gender and Communication	3
CAS 471	Intercultural Communication Theory and Research	3
CAS 475	Studies in Public Address	3
CAS 478	Contemporary U.S. Political Rhetoric	3
CAS 483	Communication and Information Technology II	3
CAS 494	Research Topics	1-12
CAS 497	Special Topics	1-9
COMM 504	Seminar in the History of Mass Communication	3
COMM 505	International Communication Problems	3
COMM 506	Research Methods in Communications	3
COMM 507	News Media and Public Opinion	3
COMM 511	Qualitative Research Methods in Mass Communications	3
COMM 512	Government and Mass Communications	3
COMM 513	Constitutional Problems of the News Media	3
COMM 514	Political Economy of Communications	3
COMM 515	MA Proseminar in Mass Communications	3
COMM 516	Introduction to Data Analysis in Communications	3
COMM 517	Psychological Aspects of Communication Technology	3
COMM 518	Media Effects	3
COMM 520	Seminar in Advertising Problems	3
COMM 521	Advertising Perspectives	3
COMM 522	Social and Cultural Aspects of Advertising	3
COMM 550	Film Theory and Criticism	3
COMM 553	Special Problems in Film and TV	1-3
COMM 555	Media and Culture	3
COMM 556	Reading Film	3
COMM 580	Seminar in Telecommunications	3
COMM 582	Ethics and Emerging Communications Technology	3
COMM 585	Media & Telecommunications Industries	3
COMM 594	Research Topics	1-15
COMM 595	Internship	1-18
COMM 597	Special Topics	1-9

Integrated B.A/M.A. in Media Studies

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs.

Undergraduate Degree

• University Park

Graduate Degree

• University Park

The Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications offers academically qualified students enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program in the College of Communications the opportunity to earn both the B.A and the M.A. upon completion of five years of study. The Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Program in Media Studies facilitates the advanced study of communications research and thesis development through a carefully organized selection of undergraduate courses, graduate seminars and directed research projects. The program accelerates and enhances undergraduate students' appreciation for graduate level scholarship by involving them in the seminars, research activities, and the scholarly discourse of the college's community of master's- and doctoral-level scholars.

The Integrated B.A./M.A. degree in Media Studies is an academic program that involves students in the systematic study of media. The objective of the course of study is to enable students to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the systems, networks, cultures, and information associated with media. The program prepares students for doctoral study in communications and for professional positions in business and government requiring a comprehensive understanding of the historical, social, and political implications of the media, and research methods for studying the media. This program helps prepare students to organize research projects, critically evaluate research reports, and directly influence media practices by the application of research findings. The program is specifically not intended for advanced professional education.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

Students must apply to the program via the Graduate School application for admission, and must meet all the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Media Studies graduate program for the Master of Arts degree.

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 in order to be admitted; 3 credits from COMM’s General Education courses (COMM 150N, COMM 180, COMM 320, or COMM 370); and 3 credits from the COMM 200 level and above. Admission to the program is based on the evaluation of the student’s transcript, examples of completed writing and research projects, a narrative statement of objectives, and two letters of support from faculty with whom they have worked. One faculty member must be from the College of Communications. Applicants are expected to present records of outstanding scholarly achievement to qualify.

Applicants to the Integrated Program

1. Must be enrolled in a B.A. program in the College of Communications.
2. Must have completed entrance to their undergraduate major and have completed no less than 60 credits. Students must be admitted no later than the end of the second week of the semester preceding the semester of expected conferral of the undergraduate degree. Transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State to enroll in an IUG.
3. Must provide a narrative statement of objectives and two letters of endorsement from faculty with whom they have worked. One faculty member must be from the College of Communications.
4. In consultation with an adviser, students must prepare a plan of study appropriate to this integrated program. Students must present their plan of study to the head of the graduate program or the appropriate committee overseeing the integrated program prior to being admitted to the program. The plan should cover the entire time period of the integrated program, and it should be reviewed periodically with an adviser as the student advances through the program.

Degree Requirements

Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the B.A. in Media Studies are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Degree requirements for the M.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab. Up to 12 credits may be double-counted towards the degree requirements for both the graduate and undergraduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800 level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double-counted.

Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students are expected to complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.A. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied.

Joint Degrees

Joint J.D./M.A. with Penn State Law

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-211 Joint Degree Programs.

Admission Requirements

Students applying to the joint degree program must be admitted separately into both PSL and COMM. Admissions requirements and applications for admission for Penn State Law are listed in the J.D. Admissions section of the Penn State Law website. The admission requirements for the Media Studies graduate program are listed on the Admission Requirements tab. Students must first be admitted to the law school and must complete the required first-year curriculum in the J.D. program before commencing the Media Studies M.A. component. Application to the M.A. program must take place through the Graduate School Application. Formal admission to the M.A. program would normally take place during the student’s first year of law, but COMM may extend admission to the M.A. program at the time an applicant applies to PSL particularly where an applicant’s law school choice depends upon admission to the J.D./M.A. joint degree program. At the student’s request, the LSAT may replace the GRE for joint degree admission purposes.

Residency: A typical J.D./M.A. joint degree student will be in residence at PSL for six semesters and at COMM for two semesters.

Liaisons: The department and faculty liaisons for PSL shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the student adviser shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or such other faculty member(s) as may be designated by the Dean. The liaison for COMM shall be the Joint Degree J.D./M.A. Program Faculty Adviser.

Inter-Program Transfer of Credits

Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the J.D. program are listed on the Penn State Law website. Degree requirements for the M.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab.

Penn State Law: A maximum of twelve (12) 500-level credits for Media Studies M.A. course work may be transferred for credit toward the J.D. degree at PSL. Students must obtain a grade satisfactory to PSL for the course work to be credited toward the J.D. degree. The following COMM courses may qualify for credit toward the PSL J.D.:

Donald P. Bellisario College of Communication: A maximum of twelve (12) credits of PSL course work will be counted for credit for the minimum requirements for a master's degree. These courses must be approved by the student's advisory committee and Joint Degree Program Faculty Adviser in COMM, normally during the Program Proposal Meeting.

The J.D. seminar requirement and the Media Studies thesis requirement must be fulfilled separately, using unique research topics.

Course Sequencing: The sequence of courses will be determined by the student and their adviser(s). However, students must successfully complete the first-year curriculum with PSL before beginning the M.A. Media Studies program. In compliance with ABA Standards and Rules law students may not enroll for more than 17 credits per semester at Penn State as a law student; the maximum credit load for graduate students is 15 credits per semester. It is expected that most joint degree students will complete the first two semesters of the M.A. consecutively in either the first or second year after completion of the first-year curriculum with the Law School.

Recommended Program of Study and Advising

All students in the program will have two advisers, one from PSL and one from COMM; the adviser from COMM may be any member of the Graduate Faculty in the College. Periodic interaction between the two advisers is encouraged. A program of study is developed for each student, taking into account the fact that some courses at both locations are offered on a rotating or intermittent basis. Many courses are offered every year but some are offered every two or three years. Advisers will have available a list of projected relevant courses or educational experiences in order to work with the student on an individualized program of study. The standard committee structure will apply to the COMM M.A. program.

Tuition

Students will be charged the applicable PSL tuition to cover the J.D. program and the applicable graduate tuition to cover the M.A. degree program. PSL tuition will be paid for the semesters in which the student is registered for PSL courses, and graduate tuition will be paid for the semesters in which the student is registered for graduate courses in the M.A. program. A student may take up to one course (3 credit hours) per semester in the program where the student is not primarily registered without any change in tuition, but must pay additional tuition to the program that the student is not primarily registered if he or she wishes to take additional course work pursuant to that program during the semester.

Financial Aid and Assistantships

Decisions on financial aid and assistantships will be made by each school according to that school’s procedures. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by The Graduate School.

Fulfillment of Degree Requirements and Graduation

A student in the program may complete the requirements for one of the degrees and be awarded that degree prior to completing all the requirements for the other degree; provided, however, that the student shall have successfully completed at least two semesters of work towards the other degree. All courses in one program that will count towards meeting the requirements of the other must be completed before the awarding of either degree. Students will be required to fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the inter-program transfer of credits. If students accepted into the joint degree program are unable to complete the J.D. degree, they are still eligible to receive the M.A. degree if all M.A. degree requirements have been satisfied.

Important Note: If the joint degree student is using law (900-level) credits toward the graduate degree during their last semester of enrollment, they should be prepared to extend their graduate degree graduation to a subsequent semester (the following semester at a minimum). This is due to the graduate degree approval deadline falling before the law (900-level) course grading processes are complete.

Minor

A graduate minor is available in any approved graduate major or dual-title program. The default requirements for a graduate minor are stated in Graduate Council policy GCAC-218 Minors.

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the Tuition & Funding section of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by the Fox Graduate School.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Communications (COMM) Course List

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to distinguish among the major perspectives, theoretical concepts, and professional associations of mass/mediated communications research.
2. Students will be able to design and complete an original research study in mass/mediated communications.

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