Critical-Cultural Studies | Department of Media Arts
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Critical-Cultural Studies

The Critical-Cultural Studies side of the Master of Arts program is led by a small dynamic faculty who work closely with graduate students as they develop their degree plans, theses, or exams. Seminar courses provide students with unique opportunities to engage in critical discussion and cultural debate with faculty and peers.

The Critical-Cultural studies area is designed for students who wish to develop their critical thinking, research, and writing skills and offers students a solid foundation for a PhD program or career in qualitative research in a variety of sectors (NGOs, media industries, non-profits, etc.).

The area values and encourages an interdisciplinary approach in course selection. As applicable, additional faculty are drawn from outside departments such as English, History, Journalism, Inforamtion Science, and Women's Studies, as well as from other local media studies programs to serve on students' theses projects.

To find out more about admissions or the program, contact Dr. Jacqueline Vickery, Director of Master of Arts program.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS (33-36 hours)

1. REQUIRED COURSES (9 hours)

  • MRTS 5100: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Media Arts
  • MRTS 5120: Critical/Cultural Media Theory
  • MRTS 5121: Digital Media Studies

2. PRESECRIBED CRIT/CULT ELECTIVES (9 hours)

(offerings subject to change with approval from faculty advisor)

  • Gender, Race & Digital Media
  • History of the Documentary
  • Contemporary Documentary
  • African-American Film
  • Teen Media
  • Gender & Sexuality in the Horror Film
  • Special Topics in Media/Genre Authors
  • Affect/Emotion in Film
  • Cinema Video Verite
  • Lesbian, Gay, Queer Film & Video

3. OPEN ELECTIVES (12 hours)

  • These can include up to (but not required):
    • 6 credit hours from graduate courses in other departments at UNT as approved by the faculty advisor
    • 3 credit hours practicum OR 3 hours internship
    • 3 credit hours special problems (with faculty approval)

4. CAPSTONE (3-6 hours)

The Master of Arts degree offers the option of a written thesis or a comprehensive exam. Full details outlined in the MA Handbook.

  • Thesis Option (6 hours)
    • Of the required minimum of 36 graduate hours, 6 hours must be thesis credit. The student must have departmental approval for this option, including the approval of a Media Arts graduate faculty thesis advisor. The student must successfully complete and orally defend a written thesis.
  • Comprehensive Exam Option (3 hours)
    • Of the required minimum of 33 graduate hours, 3 hours must be a exam credit with the successful completion of a comprehensive examination. The student must have departmental approval for this option, including the approval of a Media Arts graduate faculty examination advisor. Students are eligible to complete the exam once they have a degree plan approved and have completed 21 hours of graduate course work.

RECENT CRITICAL-CULTURAL STUDIES THESES

Thesis works completed by graduate students in Critical-Cultural Studies traverse issues of history, representation, multiculturalism, film theory, discursive analysis, television studies, and digital media studies.