Department of Media Arts

Main Departmental Office
Radio, TV, Film and Performing Arts Building, Room 262

Mailing address:
1155 Union Circle #310589
Denton, TX 76203-5017
940-565-2537
Fax: 940-369-7838

E-mail: MediaArts@unt.edu
Web site: www.mediaarts.unt.edu

Harry Benshoff, Chair

Tania Khalaf, Associate Chair

Radio, television, film and digital media platforms play a significant role in society by providing both entertainment and information in a constantly changing world. The Department of Media Arts prepares students with a wide range of knowledge and skills for careers in traditional media (broadcasting, film production, editing, on-air talent, audience research, media management) and emerging media (writing and producing for social media and digital media platforms).

Media Arts students engage in a curriculum that combines a liberal arts education with hands-on experience utilizing similar tools used by industry professionals. The Media Arts department equips students with the foundational principals, critical thinking, skills and opportunities they need to succeed in today’s ever-changing media world. Courses afford students unique opportunities to learn from expert faculty members who are committed to readying students for future careers in the media industry or academia.

Located within the thriving Dallas–Fort Worth market (currently ranked 5th in the U.S.) the department frequently hosts professionals who serve as guest speakers and adjunct professors. The location within the DFW market offers numerous internship and part-time employment opportunities while students are pursuing their degrees.

The department offers two degrees:

a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Media Arts (MRTS)
a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Converged Broadcast Media (CBCM)

The MRTS undergraduate major provides comprehensive hands-on experiences in media production along with courses devoted to writing, industry practices, broadcast and film history, digital media, film styles, genres and critical/cultural studies. The CBCM undergraduate major provides extensive background in media convergence, web-based production of news and information, as well as courses devoted to covering sports, entertainment and politics, and interviewing and on-air performance.

With more than 1300 undergraduate students, Media Arts is one of the largest and most active programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Students have the opportunity to work for the local television news station, ntTV, or the radio station, KNTU. Students can also join a variety of film clubs, a student-run organization focused on peer mentorship and production opportunities.

The Department of Media Arts also offers opportunities to join a Living-Learning Community, a residency program designed to enhance students’ education by creating learning opportunities outside of the classroom.

The department’s diverse faculty include top research scholars and media practitioners with many years of experience. Faculty frequently publish monographs, anthologies, textbooks, and articles in top-tier journals and present research at top-ranked national and international conferences. Our creative faculty have produced multiple award-winning narrative films and documentaries that are screened in local, national, and international festivals. Students also gain expert knowledge from faculty who have years of professional experience working in the media industry.

Admission to the major

Only MRTS and CBCM majors can take MRTS courses. Entering students interested in majoring in MRTS or CBCM must fulfill initial requirements and be advised by the advising office. Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to either major. Admission to both majors is highly competitive and limited by the number of applicants and available resources. This means that if space or technical resources availability is declining, applications for MRTS or CBCM major status may be submitted to a departmental admissions committee for review. For further information on Admissions and requirements see Media Arts, BA and Converged Broadcast Media, BA .

Suggested minors for BA with a major in Media Arts

Students majoring in Media Arts may choose a minor field of study. Suggested minors coordinated with student career goals are art/photography (for careers in film), business (marketing and management), theatre (production/performance), foreign language, and social sciences (general).

KNTU-FM

KNTU-FM 88.1/kntu.com, UNT’s own 100,000 watt FM radio station, serves the McKinney–Denton–Dallas–Fort Worth area 24 hours a day with educational, news, sports and entertainment content. All students at UNT are eligible to work at KNTU/kntu.com, where they can participate in creating content for KNTU’s broadcast and Internet platforms. More information is available at www.kntu.com.

North Texas Television

ntTV (North Texas Television) is a nationally recognized, award winning student-run television operation. ntTV offers all UNT students the dynamic opportunity to produce, write, direct and broadcast their work across the DFW area. Content areas include news, sports, entertainment and marketing, as well as long-form live productions.

Organizations

The department participates actively as an institutional member of the Broadcast Education Association; the University Film and Video Association; the Texas Association of Broadcast Educators; Society for Cinema and Media Studies; and the Radio, Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) student chapter.

Scholarships

The Department of Media Arts scholarships are awarded each year in the spring semester. Information for applications is posted in January. Scholarship money is applied toward tuition in the following fall term/semester.

Alan and Beverly Albarran Scholarship is a fund to provide scholarships for undergraduate or graduate students in the Department of Media Arts who are pursuing an industry studies emphasis in their degree.

Bud Buschardt Endowed Scholarship is for an entering or current junior in the Department of Media Arts whose major is converged Broadcast Media. The memorial scholarship honors adjunct professor Bud Buschardt who taught in the department for 46 years.

Cindy Coyle Memorial Scholarship is an academic scholarship for a student in the Department of Media Arts who has expressed a career interest specifically in radio.

Country Radio Broadcasters Scholarship is a fund to provide scholarships for undergraduate students interested in a career in radio.

Edwin L. Glick Scholarship is an academic scholarship award to recognize demonstrated excellence and promise in the study of broadcasting and cable at the University of North Texas.

First Broadcasting Scholarship is an academic scholarship for a student in the Department of Media Arts who has demonstrated an interest in radio broadcasting as a career through participation with either KNTU or off-campus internships.

Kathleen Woodby Scholarship is a scholarship for undergraduate students in the Department of Media Arts.

Mark Rybczyk Scholarship is a fund to support undergraduate students in the Department of Media Arts who have demonstrated merit, motivation and talent with the means to complete their education at the University of North Texas.

Media Arts Executive Board Scholarship is a fund for undergraduate students demonstrating academic excellence in the department of Media Arts.

Paramount Pictures Undergraduate Scholarship is an academic scholarship award to recognize demonstrated excellence and promise in the study and production of electronic media and film at the University of North Texas.

Staples Graduate Scholarship is an academic scholarship awarded to a graduate student in the Department of Media Arts.

Westcott Foundation Scholarship is a fund to support undergraduate students in the Department of Media Arts who have demonstrated merit, motivation and talent with the means to complete their education at the University of North Texas.

Walter P. Deed Scholarship is an academic scholarship awarded to a student in the Department of Media Arts who has expressed a career interest in television engineering.

Requirements

Meet minimum entrance and academic performance standards of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Department of Media Arts.
Students must be enrolled for at least 12 hours of study in both the spring and fall terms/semesters.
Enroll as full-time undergraduate major in the Department of Media Arts.
Minimum of 60 hours of course work toward a degree completed at the time of application.
Minimum GPA of 3.0 for courses taken at UNT.

Application

Applications are accepted in the spring term/semester after the call for applications is posted. An application must include the student’s name, ID number, hours completed through fall of the previous year, UNT GPA, overall GPA and name of a media arts faculty familiar with your work. The following questions need to be addressed in a typed letter of application:

What are your professional goals upon graduation from UNT?
How have you prepared to accomplish these goals through your education and extracurricular activities?
How will this award help you accomplish your goals?

Programs

Majors

Undergraduate Academic Certificates

Courses

Media Arts

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