Master of Science in Media

An education that works for you

Expand your knowledge and practical skills in a specialized area of the media industry. The Media School’s professional master’s degree will provide you with a comprehensive set of technological and practical tools to launch you to the next level of your career.

The Master of Science in media is ideal for media practitioners seeking new skills, recent college graduates ready for the next level of training, and nonmedia professionals looking to make a career change.

Choose one of five concentrations

No matter which concentration you choose, your coursework will combine hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art facilities with the study of the latest theories, techniques, and trends related to your chosen field.

• Data journalism
• Documentary/nonfiction production
• Journalism
• Management
• Strategic communication

Data journalism

Boost your watchdog credentials with data science

Gain competency in storytelling using data science tools and technology. In the data journalism concentration, you'll gain proficiency in coding, data visualization, ethics, interviewing, journalistic research methods, machine learning, and web scraping.

This interdisciplinary concentration — offered in collaboration with the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering — allows you to expand your skills and knowledge to complement your existing levels of education and expertise, preparing you to enter newsrooms and other creative spaces where fluency in data science principles and numeracy are highly prized alongside writing and story ideation. Like other journalism programs in The Media School, data journalism at IU retains a strong emphasis on writing and visual communication.

You’ll graduate with a portfolio, pursue a high-level industry internship, work alongside peers in the Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism and grow as a critical thinker.

Documentary/nonfiction production

Hands-on training in documentary filmmaking

Makers of documentary and other nonfiction media are a vital cornerstone of social engagement. They give visual life to stories about science, history, and politics. Their films extend the reach of musicians and artists. They give voice to the voiceless, they enlighten, and they inform. They foster a civic conversation that can help us see the world, our communities, and ourselves in new ways.

Enhance the quality and scope of your documentary storytelling with a concentration in documentary/nonfiction production. Whether you aspire to create short or feature-length content for broadcast, web, or social media, you'll gain the aesthetic, conceptual, business, and technical skills you need to achieve your vision. And you'll connect with world-class experts in the sciences, humanities, arts, and industries who can increase the importance and depth of your work.

Journalism

A career with purpose

Join the ranks of the journalism industry’s most revered professionals by launching your career as an investigative journalist. The Media School’s M.S. concentration in journalism offers specialized training in watchdog reporting with hands-on opportunities to produce meaningful public service journalism as a fellow in the Michael I. Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism.

Management

Take charge of your career

Navigating the world of media is a daunting prospect, but a concentration in management will give you an understanding of the broad industry-level mechanics and the specific intricacies of each field. You’ll become a proficient communicator and manager in the overlapping and complicated worlds of media and management.

Media leaders are innovators and improvers. Whether you’re managing projects at a media company or running your own, you’ll leave with a foundational understanding of the industry and the entrepreneurial spirit to advance it.

Strategic Communication

A communication skill set every employer needs

Top-notch communication skills are vital across today’s industries. With a concentration in strategic communication, you’ll cultivate the tools you need to be an efficient communicator and an effective storyteller. Whether you want to orchestrate major campaigns for corporations or aid nonprofits in cementing a brand and getting the word out, our M.S. concentration in strategic communication is the place to start.

We’ll train you to write on deadline, cultivate an eye for strong visuals, conduct in-depth research and develop best practices in communication campaign management.

The M.S. in Media Arts and Sciences is designed to prepare students for professional careers in media design, production, and management.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 30 credit hours, including

1. Core course(s) corresponding to a chosen concentration area, with a grade of B (3.0) or above:

• Design and Production Concentration: T522 Media Management, T532 Media Law, at least 9 credit hours in the Production Practicum.
• Management Concentration: T505 Media Organizations and two of the following: T502 Introduction to Research Methods in Telecommunications, T504 Introduction to Telecommunications Policy Studies, T522 Managing the Creative Process, T532 Economics of Media Industries, T571 Cognitive and Emotional Psychology, T610 The Networked Society;
• Journalism Concentration: J505 Intensive Reporting, Writing and Editing Workshop, J510 Media and Society, at least 9 credit hours in the Arnolt Center Practicum.
• Public Relations Concentration: J560 Principles of Strategic Communication, T511 Research Methods in Audience Analysis.

2. Program of Study listing all courses toward the degree, approved by the student’s Advisory Committee;

3. At least 21 credit hours must be taken within the Media School, with no more than 3 credits of independent study (J804).

4. Thesis (up to cr. 6 of M699 taken after an approved thesis proposal) including an oral defense administered by the student’s Advisory Committee OR comprehensive examination (written and oral, administered by the student’s Advisory Committee) OR capstone project (up to cr. 6 of T540 taken after an approved project proposal) including an oral defense administered by the student’s Advisory Committee;

This 30-credit program consists of specialized tracks designed to prepare students for careers in documentary/nonfiction production, journalism, management, and strategic communication.