Admission to the major and initial requirements

Note: Only Media Arts (MRTS) and Converged Broadcast Media (CBCM) majors can take MRTS courses.

Entering students interested in majoring in MRTS must fulfill initial requirements and will be advised by the Department of Media Arts . Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the MRTS major. Admission to the major is highly competitive and is limited by the number of applicants and available resources.

The Department of Media Arts’ initial requirements must be fulfilled before a student can apply for MRTS major status.

Entering students who elect to pursue the MRTS-BA major will not be classified as MRTS majors until they fulfill the initial requirements. To do this, a student must successfully complete 42 hours of college courses including the MRTS requirements listed below with a UNT grade point average of 2.75 or better and a C or better in the MRTS courses. A student may apply for major status when all of the required classes have been completed.

Before applying for MRTS major status, a student must first:

• Complete at least 42 hours of college courses including:
  1. COMM 1010  or equivalent (contact department);
  2. The Communication (English Composition and Rhetoric) requirement of the University Core Curriculum with a grade of C or better;
  3. The Mathematics requirement of the University Core Curriculum;
  4. The foreign language requirement through at least the 1020 level (or the placement equivalent); and
  5. The following courses, all with a grade of C or better.
  • MRTS 1310 - Introduction to Broadcast, Cable and Internet Technology    
  • MRTS 1320 - Introduction to Film Studies    
  • MRTS 2010 - Introduction to Media Arts Writing  

Note: Students earning less than a C in any one of these three courses will be allowed to repeat that course only once. Students failing to earn a C or better on the second attempt will not be allowed to repeat MRTS 1310 , MRTS 1320  or MRTS 2010  for a third time and will not be awarded MRTS major status in the department.

Requirements to enroll in MRTS 1310, MRTS 1320 or MRTS 2010

Students who wish to enroll in MRTS 1310 , MRTS 1320  or MRTS 2010  must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Entering freshmen with no college credit must successfully complete at least 12 hours UNT course work with a UNT GPA of 2.75 or better.
2. Transfer students with college credit must transfer a minimum of 12 hours of course work accepted by UNT with a GPA of 2.75 or better. Students who do not meet this requirement must successfully complete at least 12 hours of UNT course work with a GPA of 2.75 or better.

Note: Students may not register for any upper-level MRTS courses until full-major status is attained.

Minimum standards for continued enrollment in MRTS courses

Have at least a 2.75 UNT GPA.

MRTS majors must maintain a UNT GPA of 2.75. MRTS major students whose GPAs fall below this standard will be informed of their status by the Media Arts department and will not be able to take any classes in the Media Arts department until they return their UNT GPA to 2.75 or better.

Degree requirements

Hours required and general/college requirements

A minimum of 120 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as specified in the University Core Curriculum  in the Academics  section of this catalog and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences  requirements.

Students interested in a BA with a major in media arts must apply to the department after successfully completing the initial requirements specified under “Admission to the MRTS Major,” above.

Major requirements

Students must complete 42 hours (at least 30 advanced) in the major, including:

Other course requirements

• COMM 1010 - Introduction to Communication or equivalent.

Minor

Optional.

Electives

Hours required for electives may vary based on course selection and the University Core Curriculum requirements . Electives may be required to satisfy the advanced hour requirement (42) and/or the minimum total hours required for the degree. For specific information, see an academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Other requirements

A minimum 2.0 cumulative UNT GPA is required to graduate. Only 12 hours of MRTS courses taken at other institutions may be applied toward the 42-hour requirement.

Students majoring in media arts are required to have a minimum grade of C in all MRTS courses to receive MRTS credit. Students may have only two attempts for a grade of C or better for each required MRTS course.

Students must observe prerequisites for each MRTS course. If a student has not completed prerequisites for a course with a grade of C or better, the student is subject to administrative drop from the course without notice. Prerequisites are listed with individual course descriptions.

Because of the high demand for many MRTS courses, students who miss the first class without consent of the instructor are subject to be dropped from the course so that other students may be added. Students who miss the first day of class because of illness or some other acceptable excuse should notify the department office the day of the absence.

Students may register for only one section of a course at a time. Students registered for more than one section of a course will be dropped from all sections of that course without notice. The policy does not apply to courses such as special topics, which may bear the same course number but are different courses.

Aural competency in distinguishing discrete sounds, and visual competency in distinguishing shapes, forms, colors and movements are required to complete MRTS critical studies courses. Additional visual competency to utilize studio and location equipment and manual dexterity to operate equipment are required to complete MRTS production courses. Articulation competency to achieve broadcast industry standards may be required. Specific competency and departmental approval for internship, seminar and special problems courses are required.

Four-year degree plan (example)

The following four-year plan is one example of a variety of ways in which you can complete your chosen degree in four years, and will serve as a guide for you to design your pathway to degree completion. Variations will depend on whether you need to take prerequisites or have college credit from exams or dual enrollment.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4