M.A. IN MEDIA ARTS

The Master of Arts degree offers students individiaulized degree plans, small seminar classes, and personal academic attention from dedicated faculty members. Students may choose to focus their degree in one of two tracks: Critical-Cultural Studies or Industry Studies. The Critical-Cultural Studies area encourages students to critically engage with current debates in historical, ideological, and cultural discourses and produce high quality academic writing on topics such as race, class, gender, sexuality, fandom, globalization, and convergence culture. The Industry Studies area is designed for students with interests in media management, economics, entrepreneurship, law and regulation, and programming, as well as new media, and audience research.

Each track requires the completion of at least 30 hours of graduate course work and takes approximately two years to complete. A student may elect 6-12 hours in a minor area. Both pathways have an optional written thesis.

Several graduate assistantships, graduate fellowships, and scholarships are awarded each year to new and continuing students.

For more informaiton about the Master of Arts degree options contact Dr. Xiaoqun Zhang, Director of M.A. Program in Industry and Critical-Cultural Studies.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

You must meet the requirement of both the Toulouse Graduate School and the Department of Media Arts. If applicants are accepted by the Graduate School, their files are forwarded to the Graduate Committee in the Department of Media Arts for further evaluation.

The following may be considered the department's minimum requirements:

• Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
• Completion of a minimum of 24 hours of undergraduate courses in MRTS or related field of study such as media studies, media production or mass communication.

To apply, the following materials should be sent directly to the Toulouse Graduate School:

• Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
• Official GRE scores sent from the Educational Testing Service.
  • COVID-19 UPDATE: Due to the ongoing health crisis, we are waiving the GRE requirement for Spring 2021 applications only.
  • For Fall 2021 applicants, the GRE is required; at-home testing options are available if testing centers remain closed in your area and/or you do not feel safe taking the exam at a testing center.
• A completed Toulouse Graduate School application form.
• Application fee.

In addition, the following items should be emailed directly to Dr. Xiaoqun Zhang, Media Arts Director of M.A. Graduate Studies:

1. A statement of purpose. In addition to indicating the semester and year you would like to enter the program, the statement should: indicate your purpose in pursuing a graduate degree at UNT in Media Arts, specifically address your research interest, idicate your intended track (Critical/Cultural Studies or Industry Studies), identify experiences that have served as a foundation for graduate work in Media Arts, and how communicate how pursuing a graduate degree in our department will aid in your professional plans and/or career aspirations.
2. A minimum of two current letters of recommendation. For most applicants, the letters must be provided by current or former professors. An applicant who has worked professionally in media may submit one of these letters from a person who has supervised his or her work. If an applicant has been out of school for several years, both letters may be from people who can evaluate his or her work in these fields. Letter writers should send their recommendation letters directly to Dr. Zhang via email.
3. A writing sample representative of the applicant's best academic work in media studies or a related field. No page limit, we recommend something at least 5-10 pages long.
4. An applicant from outside the United States must demonstrate proficiency in oral and written English prior to admittance. In addition to GRE scores, non-native speakers must submit TOEFL scores.

DEADLINES

The admissions committee will not consider an application until all required materials have been submitted.

Admission for Fall semester: You should submit all required materials by January 15. If spots remain, a second round of reviews is available for completed packets received by March 15.

Admission for Spring semester: You should submit all required materials by Augutst 15. If spots remain, a second round of reviews is available for completed packets received by October 15.

Note: to be considered for an assistanship, you should submit a completed application by the earliest deadline.

By virtue of submitting an application to the Master of Arts Program at UNT, I certify what follows:

• I prepared, wrote, and submitted all of my own materials
• The information supplied in this application is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge

HELPFUL LINKS

UNT Graduate Catalog (You will need to choose Graduate Catalog from the dropdown menu.)
Toulouse Graduate School
Department of Media Arts Graduate Studies general information