Master of Fine Arts in Media Studies
(M.F.A.)

Description

The M.F.A. in Media Studies is designed for individuals already engaged in some form of media-based social and human service ministry in a professional field relevant to print, radio, film, television, video, internet, or multimedia. The purpose of this degree is to enrich and enhance those professionals who are already actively working in these cognate areas of media and desire to further refine and develop their understanding and involvement in media presentations. Three concentrations are available with this degree:Journalism and Religious Issues, Visual Media and Social Values, and Applied Media Studies. A student selects a field of concentration during the course of fulfilling the residency requirements and demonstrates by way of the Master’s Project the particular
concentration chosen for this degree, which is then noted on the transcript.

Time Frame and Tuition

The usual time frame for degree programs is a minimum of eighteen months and a maximum of forty-eight months for completion.

Tuition: $6,250.00
Project Processing: $200.00
Graduation: $100.00

Admission Requirements

Baccalaureate degree or equivalent validated by a transcript.
Five years of accumulated experience in a human social services ministry which incorporates media (print, radio, film, television, video, internet, multimedia).
Completion of the Application Procedure.

Orientation

Residency and Response Papers

The student completes four Units of Study at approved educational venues. Each Unit of Study must consist of 40 contact hours or three semester credits. All courses must be graduate-level, and sponsored by a graduate, professional, or denominationally approved institution with academically qualified faculty. A response paper of 1,750-2,500 words (7-10 pages) must be submitted for each Unit of Study. Response papers should be analytically reflective regarding the relevance of each Unit’s content to the exercise of the student’s ministry. Papers are evaluated by the Foundation’s faculty and an acknowledgement letter is sent to the student. If further development of the paper is deemed necessary, the student will be notified. All academic work must be completed by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

NOTE: Click Here For Paper Guidelines.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit does not require a paper.

Project Consultant

Option A: Students may select a faculty member of the Foundation to serve as Project Consultant. This option enables the student to receive helpful and pragmatic evaluative feedback from a member of the faculty in the developmental process of producing the Exit Project. The role of the faculty Project Consultant is responsive and suggestive rather than “supervisory” as is the case with academic thesis writing. The faculty person is encouraged to limit feedback to pragmatically helpful hints and suggestions and not to attempt any censorship of the project. The exercise of discretion with respect to time demands is very important for both the student and faculty member. The faculty Project Consultant must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Project Consultant’s Report Form. The assessment from the Project Consultant is due by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

Selection of Faculty Consultant and Nomination Procedure:

The student peruses the Faculty Details page and makes a selection.
The student completes the Faculty Project Consultant Nomination Form 107 (Forms).
Student Services provides the nominated faculty member with Form 107.
The selected faculty member notifies Student Services of acceptance of student nomination.
Student Services informs the student and faculty member of relationship approval and contact information is provided.

Option B: Students are at liberty to select a Project Consultant who is not on the faculty of the Foundation. In that event, the Project Consultant must hold a comparable degree to that being pursued by the student. The student must nominate the Project Consultant by submitting a letter of nomination to the Foundation along with a C.V. of the nominee. The student is notified upon approval of the Project Consultant by the Academic Affairs Committee. The Project Consultant must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Project Consultant’s Report Form. The assessment from the Project Consultant is due by
February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

Master’s Project

The Master’s Project should be praxis-oriented and address some topic, issue, or problem in the field of media – print, radio, film, television, video, internet, multimedia – in which the student demonstrates knowledge of the topic by the use of narrative, audio, or visual presentation. The Master’s Project is not a thesis, though library research may be an essential ingredient in a specific undertaking. The project may be submitted in written form or in the relevant medium dictated by the subject being treated. If submitted as a written project, the final form must be 25,000-30,000 words (100-120 pages) in length and must have a table of contents as well as a bibliography of a minimum of 35 sources. It is also a recommendation to have annotations for the 10-12 most important sources for the project. If the project is submitted in some other medium, there must be an attachment which includes a Prospectus, Table of Contents, and Resource Bibliography in the topic being treated. One copy of the project must be submitted to the Foundation by February 1 prior to graduation.

Graduation Requirements

Viewing of the Foundation's instructional Orientation video.
Completion of four Units of Study at any approved educational institution.
Submission of four response papers of 1,750-2,500 words (7-10 pages) on topics related to the units completed.
Completion of the M.F.A. project and submission of one copy including the Project Consultant’s evaluation forms. All academic requirements must be met by February 1 prior to graduation.
Attendance at the Convocation/Graduation. (Non-US residents are exempt from this requirement.)

M.B.A./M.F.A. Dual Program Option

Students interested in focusing on media management, entertainment management, or communication management may simultaneously earn the M.B.A. and the M.F.A. degrees by fulfilling residency requirements for both degrees. Students must create one Master’s Project (in any applicable medium) in the chosen field. Individuals in the M.B.A./ M.F.A. Dual Program receive the Orson Welles Memorial Scholarship in Media Studies in the amount of $2,000.00 against the tuition cost of this combined program, making the total tuition of the Dual Program $10,800.00, including fees for Project Processing and Graduation.

Professional Associations in Media

Alliance for Community Media
Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA)
Association for Applied Interactive Multimedia (AAIM)
Film Arts Foundation (FAF)
International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)
Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts (ISEA)
International Radio and Television Society Foundation, Inc.
National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC)
National Association for Catechetical Media Professionals (NACMP)
National Communication Association (NATCOM)
National Religious Broadcasters (NRB)
National Writers Union (NWU)
The Online News Association
Religion Newswriters Association (RNA)
Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS)
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Women In Film and Television International (WIFTI)

Master of Fine Arts in Media Studies (M.F.A.)