Journalism and Strategic Media, (MA)

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MA Degree Program

Students in the MA program may take courses in advertising, news, new and emerging media, public relations, and visual communication in keeping with their needs and interests. The curriculum is designed for undergraduates interested in advanced study, practicing professionals looking to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their skills, workers changing careers, and those who anticipate going into teaching. Students should consult with the coordinator of graduate studies and with faculty advisors in designing individual course plans.

Program objectives are: (1) understanding and application of First Amendment principles and the law appropriate to professional practice, the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications, and the diversity of groups in relationship to communications; (2) understanding the concepts and being able to apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information; (3) developing the ability to work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity; (4) developing the ability to conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work; and (5) cultivating the ability to write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, their audiences, and the purposes they serve.

Program Admission and Prerequisites

Applicants to the program are evaluated on a monthly basis. Students may be admitted for the fall or spring semesters or for the summer session. Admission to the journalism program is competitive. Multiple criteria are considered and include cumulative grade point averages, relevant employment history in the form of a resume, and a personal goal statement.

Applicants whose highest degree is from a foreign university must have their credentials evaluated. The university will accept evaluations done by any credentialing agency listed on the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services web site (http://www.naces.org).

Program Requirements

Courses and credit hours. Students will complete their degrees with a minimum of 33 hours of graduate credit. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the graduate faculty of the department. Student work must be completed at a level of performance satisfactory to the graduate faculty. Students must complete all journalism courses with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Course work taken outside the department must be approved by the student’s advisor. No more than 9 credit hours of coursework may be taken at the 6000-level.

Students with graduate credit earned at another institution may petition to have it applied toward their degree requirements at the University of Memphis. Such credit is not transferred automatically and must be approved by the graduate faculty. A maximum of 6 semester hours earned at another regionally accredited university may be applied toward the master’s degree requirements at the University of Memphis.
Students will choose one of four emphasis areas: Integrated Strategic Media (21 hours), Visual Media (21 hours), News and Storytelling (21 hours), or Mass Media Research (21 hours, which includes a six-hour thesis).
Required Courses. All students are required to complete a nine-hour core consisting of Pro Seminar, Mass Communication Theory, and one Mass Communication Research Methods course. Students must complete Pro Seminar by the end of their first semester. Students must also complete a capstone, which can be a thesis, practicum, professional project or conference presentation.

Students are encouraged to prioritize the core courses, and complete them as soon as possible. No more than three hours in either JRSM 7700 or JRSM 7800 , but not both, may be applied to the degree. No more than three hours in either JRSM 7600 or JRSM 7650 , but not both, may be applied to the degree. All requirements for the degree must be completed in eight years. Courses older than eight years will not be allowed as credit toward the master’s degree. Additionally, students who entered the program without an undergraduate degree in journalism and mass communication or a similar field are required to take JRSM 6700 ,JRSM 7320 , and JRSM 7000 .
Master’s Thesis ( JRSM 7996 - Thesis ** ). Students who anticipate continuing with doctoral study or who are interested in academic research or in college teaching should complete an independent research project culminating in a master’s thesis. A thesis uses the academic research method to examine a phenomenon in mass communication, or to consider a legal, historical, or visual issue related to journalism and mass communication. It must collect and analyze original data, and discuss how the research fits in with established knowledge. A thesis might use content analysis, survey, experiment, focus groups, in-depth interviews, document analysis, ethnography, legal analysis, historical analysis, or visual analysis.On completion of a thesis, a student will take an oral examination with a three-person faculty committee that assesses the thesis and the student’s broader awareness of theoretical and empirical issues in his or her field. The student must defend both the thesis proposal as well as the final document. He or she is responsible for assembling a committee, which should consist of at least 3 faculty members (a minimum of 2 from Journalism and Strategic Media). Students must take 6 credit hours of thesis credit, and cannot count more than 6 toward graduation, but may take more if needed. Graduate assistants on the thesis path may take only 6 hours of thesis credit in their final semester and remain on their assistantship.

Original data collection for a thesis might need approval from the Institutional Review Board, depending on the type of research. Students should familiarize themselves with the Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide before starting to write the thesis.
Professional Project ( JRSM 7998 - Professional Project ** ). Students seeking master’s degrees to enhance career progress may complete a professional project under the direction of a faculty committee. In a project, students create an original work that can be used by a professional outlet. The way a project is completed depends on the type of work being done. Students are expected to complete a project that would be useful in their careers.

A professional project can take many forms. It might be a marketing plan, business startup, a communications plan for a nonprofit organization, a series of research-based journalism articles, or a visual creative project. Students will determine the expectations and guidelines for the project with the committee chair. The quality of work in a project is expected to be equal to a thesis.

On completion of a professional project, a student will take an oral examination that assesses the project and the student’s broader awareness of theoretical and empirical issues in his or her field. The student must defend both the project proposal as well as the final document. He or she is responsible for assembling a committee, which should consist of at least 2 Journalism faculty; additional outside members are welcome at the students’ choice.

Students must take 3 credit hours of project credit, and cannot count more than 3 toward graduation, but may take more if needed.

A project might need approval from the Institutional Review Board, depending on the type of research.
Practicum (JRSM 7600) Students may fulfill their capstone with a Graduate Media Practicum, and the writing of a report analyzing their practicum experience taking media theory in consideration. The report must be defended orally in front of at least two Journalism and Strategic Media faculty members. Although all graduate students are encouraged to work in internships, students may only count one for the graduate media practicum experience and may not otherwise earn internship credit. Students must write a proposal for the practicum and defend it to their committee before completing the practicum. Then, students must defend their final report to their committee to earn credit for the capstone.
Peer–reviewed published or presented research. Students may fulfill the capstone by presenting a solo or double-authored research paper at a full-paper, peer-reviewed, regional, national, or international journalism, communication, or media conference, or publish research in an academic journal, in place of a thesis. In this event, the student will fill the remaining hours of the degree with elective courses.