Graduate Bulletin

Media Studies and Production, M.A.

SCHOOL OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: February 15

Applications are processed through the deadline.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty, professional supervisors, or others familiar with the applicant's academic or professional competence.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

A baccalaureate degree in Communication, Media Studies, the Social Sciences, or the Humanities is required.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be approximately 500-1,000 words and should include the following elements: your specific interest in Temple's program; your research goals; your future career goals; and your academic and research achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required. A score of 500 or higher on each section is preferred on the older GRE. On the revised GRE exam, a verbal percentile of at least 60% and a quantitative percentile of at least 25% are preferred. A writing score of at least 3.5 is recommended.

Minimum TOEFL score needed to be accepted: 100 iBT or 600 PBT.

Resume:

A resume is required.

Transfer Credit:

Up to 8 credits of graduate coursework may be transferred into the master's program, subject to the approval of the department's Graduate Faculty. To request the transfer of credits, a student must complete and submit a Petition for Transfer Credit Form (Appendix A of the M.A. manual) to the school's Graduate Office during the first semester of matriculation so that her/his future curriculum can be properly planned. Additional details on credit transfer are available in the M.A. manual. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 8.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 36

Required Courses:

MSP 5011:  Introduction to Communication Concepts (Communication Theory)

MSP 5114:  Communication Research Methods

MSP 9845:  Masters Colloquium

At least one of the following:

MSP 5021:  Communication Institutions

MSP 5041:  Communication Content and Behavior

We recommend that our students adhere to the following timeline for the degree. Once required courses have been taken, students are free to pursue a concentration in communication scholarship or media production and business:

Semester 1 (Fall):  Core Courses MSP 5011 and MSP 5114 (6 credits) and MSP 9845 (1 credit)

Semester 2 (Spring):  Core Course MSP 5021 or MSP 5041 and two other courses (12 credits)

Semester 3:  Three courses (9 credits)

Semester 4:  Two courses, including preparation for a master's thesis or project (9 credits)

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Culminating Events:

Comprehensive Examinations:

Upon completion of all or most coursework and all other requirements, the student who elects not to complete a thesis or master's project must take comprehensive examinations. The comprehensive examinations are a set of written tests on several subjects, that may, if necessary, be followed by oral discussions. As the student nears coursework completion, s/he should discuss with the advisor the constitution of the Examination Committee and the topics of the examinations. During this period, the student is also advised to check with prospective faculty members concerning their willingness and ability to serve as members on the committee. This should be done sometime during the student's third semester of study. The comprehensive exams are taken during the final semester of study.

The examinations cover the discipline of mass media and communication, not the precise coursework taken by a given student. The student is examined in three areas that s/he determines in conjunction with her/his committee. Each area is represented by the question(s) of one committee member. The questioner in each examination area may be understood to be the lead or main reader for that area. The three areas are chosen from the following: Communication Theory, Communication Research Methodology, Communication History, Communication Institutions, Communication Message Systems, Communication Behavior, and an optional area.

The form of the examinations is determined by the student and the Examination Committee. Each of the three examinations can be taken either in office or at home, either with or without the use of notes and/or books, and for a period of a few hours to a week. In all cases, the written portion of the examination must be completed within a 14-day period. In-office examinations may not exceed four hours.

The student must answer every question on the examination in order to be evaluated. Evaluators look for an understanding of core concepts, application of relevant materials, informed responses, and careful writing. Additional standards may be applied by individual faculty members. All members of the Examination Committee evaluate each answer and convey their assessments to the committee chair within three weeks of receiving the examinations. First, each content area is graded on a pass/fail basis. To pass in a given area, the majority of committee members (i.e., no fewer than two) must accept the answer(s). Included in this majority approval must be that of the area examiner (i.e., the lead reader). Second, to pass the comprehensive examinations, the committee must also determine that the overall written (and oral, if required) performance across all questions and areas is adequate. Thus, it is possible that a student may discharge each area just passably but have such a weak overall performance that s/he fails the comprehensive examinations.

The examinations are scheduled by the student and her/his committee members. The student must complete all of the examinations within the 90 days following the approval of the student's comprehensive examination committee; if 90 days elapse from the approval-of-committee date without completion, the process must be started again from the very beginning. Examinations may be scheduled any time during the regular semester, either Fall or Spring.

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

http://smc.temple.edu/msp/masters-program/

Department Information:

M.A. in Media Studies and Production

Graduate Office

314 Annenberg Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19122
nmckenna@temple.edu
215-204-1497

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Nicole McKenna
nmckenna@temple.edu
215-204-1497

Graduate Chairperson:

Jan Fernback
fernback@temple.edu
215-204-3041

Chairperson:

Patrick Murphy
murphy.p@temple.edu
215-204-5401

About the Program

The master's program in Media Studies and Production provides graduate students with both scholarly and professional training. Many students concentrate wholly on the department's scholarly curriculum as excellent preparation for doctoral training. Others desire professional media training. This may involve preparation for a number of career options, including mass media and new media production, corporate communication, media management, marketing and research, and media publicity and advertising.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years

Campus Location:

Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are able to complete the degree program through classes offered before and after 4:30 p.m.

Department Information:

M.A. in Media Studies and Production

Graduate Office

314 Annenberg Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19122
nmckenna@temple.edu
215-204-1497

Interdisciplinary Study:

Departmental courses must constitute a minimum of 19 credits out of 36 credits required to graduate. Provided this requirement is met, students are free to take courses in other departments and pursue an interdisciplinary focus.

Affiliation(s):

Department faculty members and students regularly present research at established communications associations, such as the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR), Broadcast Education Association (BEA), Eastern Communication Association (ECA), International Communication Association (ICA), and National Communication Association (NCA).

Study Abroad:

Students can register for the Summer program at Temple London.

Ranking:

Not applicable.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

The program offers two concentrations: Communication Scholarship and Media Production and Business. Communication Scholarship covers the history, economics, law, regulation, and policy pertaining to broadcast, cable, and new technology industries in both national and international contexts; social processes such as the psychology, sociology, cultural study, and politics of both mass media and communications technology, particularly in terms of their impact on everyday life; and the analysis of the behavior and management of communications systems, particularly in terms of mass media and telecommunication industries and institutions.  Media Production and Business covers TV, radio, computer, and multimedia production; corporate communications; media management, marketing, and research; and media publicity and advertising.

Job Placement:

Graduates find positions in academia, private media, and nonprofit or government/public service.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy:

Non-matriculated students are encouraged to begin with introductory and required courses. If accepted to the program, those courses may be applied toward the degree program, provided grade requirements have been met. Consistent with Graduate School regulations, students are permitted to take up to 9 credits before deciding whether to apply formally to the program.

Financing Opportunities

Funding is currently unavailable.

Updated 11.7.12