M.A. in Media Arts & Sciences

A culture of perpetual discovery

Start your journey toward a Ph.D., or prepare for a career as an industry analyst or researcher. Our research M.A. in media arts and sciences gives you the opportunity to experience our diverse approaches to media and find a niche that works for you.

M.A. students’ courses of study share one common trait: media research. From there, they follow their own paths. Our M.A. students study topics as varied as classical Hollywood cinema, representations of labor, and voice and autonomy in the Middle East.

Our flexible curriculum, expert faculty and robust research technology combine to provide an environment of endless curiosity to support the graduate school experience you need.

Curriculum

The M.A. shares two core courses with the Ph.D., offering a foundation in media research and theory. From there, you’ll work with your advisory committee to customize your choice of courses.

See degree requirements

Courses

Tailor your M.A. to suit your academic and career goals. The program features small classes in a variety of media topics. You’ll also complete a thesis under the guidance of a faculty advisor.

Here are a few courses you might take:

Communication, Technology & Society

Consider the impact of new communications technologies on society — and society’s impact on them — by combining theories of technology at the social level of analysis in this research seminar.

Media Audiences

Study audiences in the context of film, television, new media and other media forms.

Images & Critique in Public Culture

Examine and assess contemporary critical thought about visual and nonvisual images, especially their role in politics.

Join our community of student scholars who are asking and answering the questions that matter to them.

Learn about student research opportunities

What are the ecological implications of smartphones? How effective are online support communities for cancer patients? How can radio commercials break through the advertising clutter?

Faculty

You’ll work with internationally ranked faculty whose wide range of expertise will allow you to hone your research and critical thinking skills. Faculty areas of study include horror cinema, human-machine relationships, and societal trust in news media, to name a few.

Once you get familiar with The Media School, you’ll select a faculty advisor and nominate an advisory committee who will guide you through your graduate school career.

Meet Media School faculty

Research centers

The Media School is home to several centers and institutes that focus on specific areas of study and fields of expertise — expanding your opportunities for research and education.

Institute for Communication Research

The Institute for Communication Research is your gateway to pioneering social science media research. The ICR supports survey research, focus groups and content analysis of media in addition to psychophysiology labs to measure heart rate, skin conductance, facial muscle coding and eye tracking.

Learn more about the ICR

Black Film Center & Archive

The Black Film Center & Archive is a resource for scholars, students, and researchers studying films and related materials by and about Black people. Included are films that have substantial participation by Black writers, actors, producers, directors, musicians, and consultants, as well as those that depict some aspect of black experience.

Visit the BFCA’s website

Center for Documentary Research and Practice

The Center for Documentary Research and Practice serves as a research hub for historical, theoretical and critical research on nonfiction film and video, and hosts visiting artists and scholars who are working on projects with nonfiction media components.

Visit the CDRP’s website

Center for International Media Law and Policy Studies

The Center for International Media Law and Policy Studies researches the legal protection of media rights in Indiana, the United States and the world. The center studies free expression rights, educates the public and develops opportunities for students.

Visit CIMLAPS’s website

Careers

This degree provides the perfect entry into a Ph.D. program or a career as an industry analyst or researcher.

Explore media research careers

There is little doubt that I wouldn’t be doing what I am today without the people, education and environment that made IU so special.
Nicky Lewis, MA’11, PhD’15, associate professor, University of Kentucky

M.A. in Media Arts & Sciences

A culture of perpetual discovery

Curriculum

Courses

Communication, Technology & Society

Media Audiences

Images & Critique in Public Culture

Faculty

Research centers

Institute for Communication Research

Black Film Center & Archive

Center for Documentary Research and Practice

Center for International Media Law and Policy Studies

Careers

The Media School social media channels