LEW KLEIN COLLEGE OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION
Learn more about the Master of Arts in Media Studies and Production.
About the Program
In the Media Studies and Production master's program, we study and create media with an eye to the global media environment. We research new and legacy forms of media and media-related technologies; study industry practices and how they interact with governments, communities, other industries and social forces; and examine audiences and their dynamic relationships with media. We design and produce media that reflect big ideas about individual, community and cultural experience in a program that provides pathways to leadership in numerous careers: corporate and nonprofit communication, marketing and research, media production, media management, academic research, and media publicity and advertising.
Time Limit for Degree Completion: 5 years
Campus Location: Main
Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.
Interdisciplinary Study: Departmental courses must constitute a minimum of 19 of the 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 Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), International Communication Association (ICA), and National Communication Association (NCA).
Study Abroad: Students can pursue opportunities for study away during the Summer semester.
Areas of Specialization: The program focuses on three areas of interest:
- 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 media and communications technology, particularly as related to their impact on everyday life; and the analysis of the behavior and management of communications systems, particularly in terms of the media, telecommunication industries, digital platforms and institutions.
- Media Business covers corporate and nonprofit communications; media management, marketing and research; and media publicity and advertising.
- Media Production covers TV, radio, digital platforms, multimedia production, gaming and emergent communication technologies.
Job Prospects: Given that all institutions engage with media in today’s society, graduates find positions in academia, the corporate sector, government/public service, nonprofit organizations, journalism and entertainment media. Expertise gained in this program positions graduates for leadership positions.
Internships: The Media Studies and Production Master’s Program offers specialized, career-related internships. Through Klein Connect, our exclusive internship and job portal, students can view a list of current opportunities to help explore future career options. Internships are taken for a variable number of credits.
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 policy, students are permitted to take up to 9 credits before deciding whether to apply formally to the program.
Financing Opportunities: Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis by the admissions committee.
Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadline:
Fall: February 15
Admission is open for the Fall term only. Applications are accepted after the deadline, but late applications cannot be guaranteed merit scholarship consideration.
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. At least one letter should be from an academic reference.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree in Communication, Media Studies, or the Humanities or Social Sciences is required.
Statement of Goals: In approximately 1,000 words, explain:
- How the MA in Media Studies and Production will advance your research goals, career goals and intellectual objectives; and
- Your interests, experiences, and academic or research achievements that you bring to the program.
This statement is used to assess your institutional fit, i.e., how you will benefit from our program and what you will contribute to our learning community. Toward this end, please review the descriptions of our program, curriculum and faculty, and incorporate this content into your statement. The strongest statement integrates your answers to the above prompts into a coherent essay.
Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Optional. Scores that are submitted are preferred to be at least 60% verbal and at least 25% quantitative. A writing score of at least 3.5 is recommended.
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:
- TOEFL iBT: 100
- IELTS Academic: 7.0
- Duolingo: 110
Resume: Current professional resume or curriculum vitae is required.
Writing Sample/Production Portfolio: If you elect to not submit GRE scores, you are required to submit one of the options below so that your readiness and ability/potential to engage rigorously with graduate-level work can be assessed:
- A formal academic paper from your undergraduate work that represents your best academic writing. Please include a cover sheet on which you indicate:
- your name,
- the institution where you took the course for which the paper was produced,
- the course number and title of the course for which the paper was written,
- the professor for whom you wrote the paper, and
- the term in which you took the course.
- Professional writing samples that you produced in a professional capacity, such as published news articles or press releases. Please include a cover sheet indicating in what publication and on what date the material was published.
- A production portfolio that includes professionally or academically produced video, audio or web material. Please submit an academic essay that explains how theory and research inform the production portfolio, indicating your role in the production, where the material was produced, and the date.
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 "Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit" form, found in TUportal under the Tools tab within "University Forms," to Klein's Office of Research and Graduate Studies during the first term of matriculation so that their future curriculum can be properly planned. Additional details on credit transfer are available in the MA manual. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 8.
Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 36
Required Courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| MSP 5011 | Introduction to Communication Concepts | 3 |
| MSP 5114 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| MSP 9845 | Masters Colloquium | 1 |
| Select at least one of the following: | 3 | |
| Media Institutions 1 | ||
| Media Technology and Culture | ||
| Courses in Area of Interest 2 | 20 | |
| Research Course | ||
| MSP 9996 | MA Thesis/Project | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
- 1
MSP 5021 is only offered in the Fall term.
- 2
When required courses have been completed, students may pursue coursework in a focal area of their choice: Communication Scholarship, Media Business, or Media Production.
Proposed Plan of Study Outlined by Year and Term
It is recommended that full-time students adhere to the following timeline for degree completion:
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| MSP 5011 | Introduction to Communication Concepts | 3 |
| MSP 5021 | Media Institutions 1 | 3 |
Or one course in area of interest 2 | ||
| MSP 5114 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| MSP 9845 | Masters Colloquium | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| MSP 5042 | Media Technology and Culture 3 | 3 |
| Select two courses in area of interest 4 | 7 | |
| Credit Hours | 10 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select three courses in area of interest 4 | 10 | |
| Credit Hours | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| Research Course: | 6 | |
| MA Thesis/Project | ||
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
- 1
MSP 5021 is only offered in the Fall term. If selected, MSP 5021 must be taken in the Fall of Year 1.
- 2
Coursework is taken in a focal area of the student's choice: Communication Scholarship, Media Business, or Media Production. One such course is taken in the Fall of Year 1 if the student does not choose to enroll in MSP 5021. All full-time students are required to take 10 credits in their first semester of study.
- 3
Students who did not take MSP 5021 in the Fall are required to enroll in MSP 5042 in the Spring. Those who have taken MSP 5021 and do not elect to also take MSP 5042 are required to take three courses in their area of interest, i.e., Communication Scholarship, Media Business, or Media Production, in the Spring of Year 1.
- 4
Students who elect to take comprehensive exams complete these credits through coursework taken in a focal area of the student's choice: Communication Scholarship, Media Business, or Media Production.
Culminating Events:
Master's Thesis or Project:
Students can elect to complete a thesis or master's project.
Comprehensive Examinations:
Upon completion of all or most coursework and all other requirements, students who elect to not 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 students near coursework completion, they should discuss with their advisor the constitution of the Comprehensive Examination Committee and the topics of the examinations. During this period, students are 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 students' third term of study. The comprehensive exams are taken during the final term of study.
The examinations cover the discipline of media and communication, not the precise coursework taken by a given student. Students are examined in three areas that they determine in conjunction with their 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 Communication Behavior, Communication History, Communication Institutions, Communication Message Systems, Communication Research Methodology, Communication Theory and an optional area.
The form of the examinations is determined by the student and the Comprehensive 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.
Students 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 Comprehensive 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 Comprehensive Examination 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 they fail the comprehensive examinations.
The examinations are scheduled by the student and their 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 beginning. Examinations may be scheduled any time during the regular academic term, either Fall or Spring.
Accelerated Programs
Undergraduate students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route.
The accelerated pathway for the Media Studies and Production MA is available to students in the following programs:
- Communication Studies BA
- Media Studies and Production BA
Cohort Code: XMAMSP
Minimum Cumulative GPA: 3.25
Graduate Courses Approved to Count for Both Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MSP 5011 | Introduction to Communication Concepts | 3 |
| MSP 5701 | Producing and Directing | 4 |
| MSP 8252 | Law and Ethics of Digital Media | 3 |
| MSP 8254 | Public Information Media Campaigns | 3 |
| MSP 8441 | Media and Children | 3 |
| MSP 8457 | Political Communication | 4 |
| MSP 8473 | Information Society | 3 |
| MSP 8614 | Creating a Media Business | 3 |
Suggested Academic Plan
| Year 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Credit Hours | |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Producing and Directing | ||
| Law and Ethics of Digital Media | ||
| Media and Children | ||
| Creating a Media Business | ||
| Credit Hours | 3-4 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MSP 5011 | Introduction to Communication Concepts | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6-8 | |
| Producing and Directing | ||
| Law and Ethics of Digital Media | ||
| Public Information Media Campaigns | ||
| Media and Children | ||
| Political Communication | ||
| Information Society | ||
| Creating a Media Business | ||
| Credit Hours | 6-8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 12-15 | |
Admissions Criteria
Candidates for the +1 program must:
- apply in Fall of junior year by October 1.
- have completed 45 credits of coursework at Temple University to apply.
- include the following when applying:
- Statement of goals
- Resume
- Two letters of recommendation from full-time Klein College of Media and Communication faculty members.
Application: https://form.jotform.com/62155949771164
Contact Information
Kaitlin Pierce, Director of Graduate Admissions
kaitlin.pierce@temple.edu
215-204-8560
Jan Fernback, Program Director
fernback@temple.edu
Learn more about the accelerated Media Studies and Production program.
Contacts
Program Web Address:
https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/media-studies-and-production-ma-co-msp-ma
Department Information:
Lew Klein College of Media and Communication
Office of Research and Graduate Studies
2020 N. 13th Street, 344 Annenberg Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6015
215-204-8560