Schools Offering the Best Graduate Programs in Media Studies
Higher Education Articles August 23, 2015This article talks about schools that offer the best graduate degree programs in media studies and information about those schools.
Leading Schools Offering Media Studies Graduate Programs
The two best graduate media studies programs in the United States are available through the schools of communication at the University of Texas at Austin and Pennsylvania State University. Master’s programs in the field are at both schools; a Ph.D. program with full tuition coverage is also at the University of Texas at Austin.
The University of Texas at Austin
The U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Texas at Austin (UT) 45th on its 2011 list of Best National Universities. Students keen on pursuing media studies at the highly-rated school should enroll into UT’s Moody College of Communication. The school is home to the university’s media studies program and the Department of Radio-Television-Film (RTF). Master’s and Ph.D. programs are offered in media studies by RTF, with research area options in communication technologies, film, and television, and gender and sexuality issues in the media. Students may end the master’s degree with a report option (33 credit hours) or a thesis option (30 credit hours). Guaranteed tuition funding is given to Ph.D. students to complete the required dissertation and 48 credit hours.
Pennsylvania State University in University Park
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Pennsylvania State University (PSU) 37th on its 2014 list of Best National Universities. A Master of Arts (M.A.) in Media Studies is offered at PSU’s College of Communication, examining the role and implications of mass media in society. A research thesis is a requirement in this program. The thesis trains students for employment business positions, where these professionals need a grasp of the mass media’s cultures, systems, and processes, or in government. Alternatively, students may choose to pursue doctoral studies in mass communication.
List of Schools Offering Graduate Programs in Media Studies
| Name of School | Distinction | Campus Location |
| Arizona State University | The Speaker Series at Arizona State University is hosted by media and film studies program that brings well-known directors, actors, along with other media artists. | Tempe, AZ |
| Brigham Young University | Brigham Young University hosts a Mormon media studies conference. | Provo, UT |
| Indiana University – Bloomington | There are several media archives at Indiana University – Bloomington that includes the Kinsey Institute Archives and the Black Film Center & Archives. | Bloomington, IN |
| Michigan State University | The College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University has an on-campus TV and Radio Station (WKAR). | East Lansing, MI |
| New York University | Students in Media graduate program can study abroad in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. | Washington, D.C. |
| University of Florida | Students who wants to produce their own films are able to use the equipment from the University of Florida’s Center for Film and Media Studies Department. | Gainesville, FL |
| University of Georgia | The Peabody Awards is given by the Grady College of Communications at the University of Georgia that recognize excellence in electronic media storytelling. | Athens, GA |
| University of Minnesota – Twin Cities | In 2014, the U.S. News and World Report ranked this school 25th among leading public schools within the U.S. | Minneapolis, MN |
