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

Harry Benshoff, Chair

Tania Khalaf, Associate Chair

Jacqueline Vickery, Director of MA Program, Jacqueline.Vickery@unt.edu

Tania Khalaf, Director of MFA Program, Tania.Khalaf@unt.edu

The Master of Arts program is designed for persons who wish to pursue research in media arts. Building on a strong undergraduate program, the department has a particular emphasis at the graduate level in the following areas:

Media industry studies: examines the media industry and encompasses several areas of scholarly interest, including managerial, technological, economic, political and social dynamics of various media including radio, television, film, the Internet, social and mobile media.
Critical-cultural studies: examines media culture in relation to topics such as race, class, gender, sexuality, audiences/fandom, techno cultures, cultural history, globalization and production cultures.

The Master of Fine Arts program is designed for persons who wish to pursue a career in documentary production and studies, culminating in the creation of a major thesis production. The Master of Fine Arts degree is a terminal degree, therefore also appropriate for those seeking academic careers. The program emphasizes the following areas:

Documentary pre-production, production and post production; and
Documentary history and theory and contemporary documentary.

Research

Members of the Media Arts faculty include internationally recognized scholars, seasoned media professionals and award-winning documentary filmmakers. Research specialties include media history and criticism, cultural studies, international media and broadcast operations. Books written by media arts faculty are used in university courses throughout the world, and faculty-produced films and television programs have been broadcast on television, selected for film and video festivals and screened at numerous other venues including New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Faculty members also serve on the boards of national and international organizations dealing with media education and film preservation.

Admission requirements

Master of Arts with a major in media industry and critical studies

Applicants must meet the requirements of both the Toulouse Graduate School and the Department of Media Arts. If applicants are accepted by the Graduate School, their files are forwarded to the Graduate Committee in the Department of Media Arts for further evaluation. The following may be considered the MRTS department’s minimum requirements:

Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with an overall GPA of at least 3.0.

To apply, the following materials should be sent directly to the Toulouse Graduate School:

Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
A completed graduate application form.
Official GRE scores sent from the Educational Testing Services (MA only).
Application fee.

In addition, the following items should be emailed directly to the Director of MA Graduate Studies at the email address listed above:

Submit the online Graduate Applicant Questionnaire available on the Media Arts website (results will automatically be sent to the Graduate Director).
A statement of purpose in which the applicant indicates their interest for pursuing a graduate degree at UNT in Media Arts. The statement should specifically address the applicant’s research interests, indicate their intended track (Critical/Cultural Studies or Industry Studies), identify any academic and professional experiences that have served as a foundation for graduate work in Media Arts, and communicate how pursuing a graduate degree in Media Arts will aid in professional plans and/or career aspirations.
A minimum of two current letters of recommendation. Letter writers should send their recommendation letters via email directly to the MA Graduate Director. For most applicants, the letters must be provided by current or former professors. An applicant who has worked professionally in media may submit one of these letters from a person who has supervised their work and is capable of commenting on the applicant’s probability of success in a rigorous graduate program. If an applicant has been out of school for several years, both letters may come from professional colleagues capable of commenting on the applicant’s probability of success in a rigorous graduate program.
A writing sample representative of the applicant’s best academic work in media studies or a related field. There is no page limit; however, we recommend 7-10 pages.
In specific instances, the Media Arts MA Admissions Committee may request an interview with applicants under consideration. This interview may take place in person, via telephone, or video conference.
An applicant from outside the United States must demonstrate proficiency in oral and written English prior to admittance. In addition to GRE scores, non-native speakers must submit TOEFL scores.

After the first 12 semester hours of graduate study are completed, the student and the major professor should prepare a degree plan using one of the options available in the student’s area of concentration. The degree plan must be approved by the department director of graduate studies and the graduate dean. In order to graduate, a student must have an approved degree plan on file with the Graduate School.

The MRTS department curriculum for the MA degree is designed to allow for two-year completion, with course work beginning in the fall term/semester.

Primary consideration will be given to applicants who have provided all required information by March 15.

Master of Fine Arts with a major in documentary production and studies

To apply, the following materials should be sent directly to the Toulouse Graduate School:

Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
A completed graduate application form.
Official GRE scores sent from the Educational Testing Services (Required for International applicants only).
Application fee.

In addition, the following items should be submitted directly to the director of the media arts MFA program at the department’s address above:

A statement of purpose, describing both reasons for pursuing the terminal degree in documentary production and studies and the specific areas of academic and professional interest.
A portfolio of creative work submitted electronically via a password-protected portal. At a minimum, the sample should include one complete production and 10 minutes of excerpts from additional work. If relevant, still photographs or other material that demonstrates the applicant’s creative talents and accomplishments may be submitted following consultation with the director of graduate studies. All materials should be labeled to include length and the applicant’s role in the production.
A writing sample representative of the applicant’s best academic work in the field.
Three letters of recommendation from faculty. If the applicant has not attended an academic institution for the past four years or more, two of these letters may come from professional colleagues capable of commenting on the applicant’s probability of success in a rigorous graduate program.
In specific instances, the Media Arts Graduate Committee may require an interview of applicants under consideration. This interview may take place in person, via videoconference or conference telephone call.
An applicant from outside the United States must demonstrate proficiency in oral and written English prior to admittance. International students must submit TOEFL scores.

Previous academic work and/or professional performance, as demonstrated in the portfolio of creative work submitted with the application, must indicate the potential for graduate work in a rigorous, production-oriented graduate program in the broadly-defined, but clearly focused, documentary genre.

Primary consideration will be given to applicants who have provided all required information by January 15. A second deadline of March 15 will be utilized to consider a second pool of applicants if positions are available.

Graduate assistantships

A limited number of graduate teaching and research assistantships are available for outstanding applicants.

Programs

Master’s Degree

Courses

Media Arts

Quicklinks

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