School of Communications
Media Communications (M.A.)
Locations
Media communications degree programs are offered at the following locations:
Continental United States
- Jacksonville Metropolitan Campus, FL
- Little Rock Metropolitan Campus, AR
- Louisville Metropolitan Campus, KY
- St. Louis, MO
International
In addition, the M.A. in media communications with an emphasis in communications management is available online. For more information, please visit online.webster.edu.
Program Description
The media communications degree is for students who have both an interest and background in communications. Students may choose to earn a master of arts (M.A.) in general media communications or an M.A. in media communications with one of the following areas of emphasis: advertising and marketing communications, public relations, communications management, or media literacy. Selection of an emphasis area is optional and is recommended only for students with interests in one of these specific programs of study.
The M.A. in media communications is a specialized concentration available to individuals who qualify for the program. Qualifications include an educational background in their intended area of graduate communications study or professional experience in their area of interest. Students without educational background or experience in the communications field are required to enroll in 6 credit hours of prerequisite coursework. The selection of prerequisites will depend on the student's area of academic interest in communications and will be determined through consultation with an academic advisor. Students must earn a grade of "B" or better in the prerequisite courses before they will be allowed to enroll in graduate courses. The prerequisite courses do not count toward the 36 credit hours required for the degree, nor will they be considered as part of the credit hours required for advancement to candidacy.
Program Curriculum
M.A. in Media Communications without an Emphasis
The 36 credit hours required for the M.A. degree without an emphasis must include the following courses (21 credit hours):
- MEDC 5000 Media Communications (Requisite Course)
- MEDC 5310 Media and Culture
- MEDC 5350 Media Organization and Regulations
- MEDC 5360 International Communications
- MEDC 5400 Media Production Management
- MEDC 6000 Seminar in Media Communications
- MEDC Elective—One additional core course from MEDC electives, as determined through consultation with an academic advisor
In addition to the seven core courses, the student can choose elective courses offered in the media communications major and/or from the program curricula of other majors, if appropriate and approved.
MEDC 5000 Media Communications is the requisite course in the media communications program, examining communications theory and its application in mass media as well as introducing students to the graduate program, describing program expectations, and discussing academic preparation for MEDC 6000 Seminar in Media Communications. Therefore, students must take this course even if they have academic and/or professional experience in media communications.
The required courses and electives listed in this core may be taken as Directed Studies, subject to the conditions stated in the Directed Studies section listed under Academic Policies and Procedures.
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Special Study Opportunities
Master of business administration (M.B.A.) students may elect an area of emphasis in media communications or communications management. Students are required to complete the program curriculum for the emphasis in media communications and the degree requirements for the M.B.A. for a total of no less than 48 credit hours. Students who require prerequisite courses may have to complete more than the 48 credit hours to receive the M.B.A. with an emphasis in media communications.
Areas of Emphasis
Advertising and Marketing Communications
Students choosing this emphasis may focus on either advertising or marketing communications or both, and must have a minimum of 6 credit hours of undergraduate coursework in advertising and marketing communications. The course of study for media communications students with an emphasis in advertising and marketing communications is as follows:
Core Courses (21 credit hours)
- MEDC 5000 Media Communications (Requisite Course)
- MEDC 5310 Media and Culture
- MRKT 5940 Promotional Management
- MEDC 5321 Advertising Decision-Making
- MEDC 5350 Media Organization and Regulations
- MEDC 5400 Media Production Management
- MEDC 6000 Seminar in Media Communications
Emphasis Courses
A minimum of 15 credit hours must be completed from the following:
- MEDC 5300 Strategic Communications
- MEDC 5301 Marketing Communications: Sales Promotion
- MEDC 5302 Marketing Communications: Product Publicity
- MEDC 5303 Marketing Communications: Merchandising and Point-of-Purchase Advertising
- MEDC 5304 Marketing Communications: Direct
- MEDC 5305 Marketing Communications: Business-to-Business
- MEDC 5322 Public Communications: Public Relations
- MEDC 5341 Writing for Media Communications: Advertising
- MEDC 5360 International Communications
- MEDC 5430 Media Communications Technology
- MEDC 5440 Media Buying and Market Analysis
- MEDC 5460 Media Research
- MEDC 5500 Professional Seminars
- MEDC 5501 Creative Planning and Strategy in Advertising
- MEDC 5502 Multinational Advertising
- MEDC 5600 Introduction to Interactive Communications
- MEDC 5650 Special Topics in Interactive Media
- MRKT 5000 Marketing
- MRKT 5950 Consumer Behavior
- ADVT 4200 Media Planning, Buying, and Selling
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Communications Management
This emphasis is appropriate for students working in any communications-related field, who are seeking to advance to a position with broader managerial responsibilities. Students in this emphasis need a strong educational or professional background. A student may be required to take 6 hours of undergraduate coursework, as determined by an academic advisor.
This emphasis is also available online. Online courses require excellent organizational skills, self-direction, and motivation to master the challenges of this new learning environment. The course of study for media communications students with an emphasis in communications management is as follows:
Core Courses (21 credit hours)
- MEDC 5000 Media Communications (Requisite Course)
- MEDC 5300 Strategic Communications
- MEDC 5310 Media and Culture
- MEDC 5323 Public Communications: Organizational Communications
- MEDC 5350 Media Organization and Regulations
- MEDC 5400 Media Production Management
- MEDC 6000 Seminar in Media Communications
Emphasis Courses
A minimum of 15 credit hours must be completed from the following:
- BUSN 5000 Business
- BUSN 5680 Issues in Business: Project Management
- MNGT 5000 Management
- MEDC 5322 Public Communications: Public Relations
- MEDC 5360 International Communications
- MEDC 5430 Media Communications Technology
- MEDC 5451 Stakeholder Management: Financial Communications
- MEDC 5452 Stakeholder Management: Government Communications
- MEDC 5453 Stakeholder Management: Non-Profit Communications
- MEDC 5460 Media Research
- MEDC 5465 Crisis Management Communications
- MEDC 5500 Professional Seminars
- MEDC 5600 Introduction to Interactive Communications
- MEDC 5650 Special Topics in Interactive Media
- HRDV 5680 Ethics, Values, and Legal Issues in Human Resources Development
- HRMG 5000 Managing Human Resources
- INTB 5000 International Business
- INTB 5650 International Business Management
- MRKT 5000 Marketing
- PBRL 4190 Public Relations Research
Media Literacy
The emphasis in media literacy provides students with a critical perspective that will enable them to decipher the information they receive through the channels of mass communications and to develop independent judgments about media content. This emphasis examines the cultural, political, and economic context of media, which affects media programming. The media literacy emphasis focuses on research strategies for the systematic analysis of content and provides opportunities for fieldwork experiences in different sectors, including education, community, professional, and media arts. In the case of media communicators, the media literacy emphasis facilitates the ability to produce effective and responsible media messages. Finally, students in the master of arts in teaching (M.A.T.) program may apply specific courses from the following list toward an emphasis in media literacy.
The course of study for media communications students with an emphasis in media literacy is as follows:
Core Courses (24 credit hours)
- MEDC 5000 Media Communications (Requisite Course)
- MEDC 5310 Media and Culture
- MEDC 5350 Media Organization and Regulations
- MEDC 5360 International Communications
- MEDC 5460 Media Research: Media Literacy
- MEDC 5480 Comparative Approaches to Media Literacy
- MEDC 5981 Integrated Studies in Media Literacy
- MEDC 6000 Seminar in Media Communications
Emphasis Courses
A minimum of 12 credit hours must be completed from the following with no more than 6 credit hours from the 4000-level coursework:
- MEDC 4220 Genre Studies
- MEDC 4420 Patterns of Media Ownership
- MEDC 5250 Visual Communications in the Media
- MEDC 5331 Media Communications Production: Video (3-6 credit hours)
- MEDC 5985 Media Literacy Fieldwork
- PSYC 4500 Methods of Research
- JOUR 4500 Media Criticism for Publication
- COMM 5340 Language Arts Seminars
- COMM 5440 Integrated Language Arts
- COMM 5460 Curriculum Design
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Public Relations
Students choosing this emphasis must have a minimum of 6 credit hours of undergraduate coursework in public relations or three years of applied experience to be determined by an academic advisor. The course of study for media communications students with an emphasis in public relations is as follows:
Core Courses (21 credit hours)
- MEDC 5000 Media Communications (Requisite Course)
- MEDC 5310 Media and Culture
- MEDC 5322 Public Communications: Public Relations
- MEDC 5342 Writing for Media Communications: Public Relations or MEDC 5344 Writing for Media Communications: Speechwriting
- MEDC 5350 Media Organization and Regulations
- MEDC 5360 International Communications
- MEDC 6000 Seminar in Media Communications
Emphasis Courses
A minimum of 15 credit hours must be completed from the following:
- MEDC 5300 Strategic Communications
- MEDC 5321 Advertising Decision-Making
- MEDC 5323 Public Communications: Organizational Communications
- MEDC 5342 Writing for Media Communications: Public Relations
- MEDC 5343 Writing for Media Communications: Scriptwriting
- MEDC 5344 Writing for Media Communications: Speechwriting
- MEDC 5345 Writing for Media Communications: Journalism
- MEDC 5400 Media Production Management
- MEDC 5430 Media Communications Technology
- MEDC 5451 Stakeholder Management: Financial Communications
- MEDC 5452 Stakeholder Management: Government Communications
- MEDC 5453 Stakeholder Management: Non-Profit Communications
- MEDC 5460 Media Research
- MEDC 5465 Crisis Management Communications
- MEDC 5500 Professional Seminars
- MEDC 5600 Introduction to Interactive Communications
- MEDC 5650 Special Topics in Interactive Media
- MEDC 5770 Multinational Public Relations
- PBRL 4190 Public Relations Research
- PBRL 4800 Media Relations