MA, Media, Culture, and Communication

About This Degree

The MA degree trains you to think critically from diverse perspectives about changing industries, technologies, and cultures. You will work closely with our diverse and renowned media studies faculty, which include historians, anthropologists, media scholars, and sociologists. Our research and curriculum foreground the study of global media and culture, digital media and new technologies, media history and theory, visual culture, race, and politics.

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Official title: Master of Arts in Media, Culture, and Communication

Format: Full-time or Part-time
Credits: 36

Fall Start

Application deadline

January 15

While our department's graduate courses are primarily theoretical, the Media, Culture, and Communication curriculum is flexible, allowing electives from across the University to align with your personal academic and professional trajectories.

Situated in the heart of Greenwich Village, we capitalize on New York's media and cultural eminence. With frequent guest lectures and public events, MCC serves as an intellectual hub for visiting scholars, artists, activists, and media experts.

Graduates of MCC's media studies master's build careers as astute analyzers of the global media landscape. Alumni find themselves well positioned for careers at the intersections of media, culture, and tech — ranging from research to creative, strategy to policy. Those who pursue doctoral study enroll in top-tier PhD programs.

You'll benefit from the MCC Alumni Network as a student, and be part of this impressive community after you graduate.
Our active MCC Alumni Council will invite you to events throughout the year.
As a student, you can apply to our MCC Alumni Mentor Program.
And in our MCC Alumni Masterclass series, you'll learn from alums of the program about the industry applications of your intellectual studies.

The MA in Media, Culture, and Communication offers a theoretical foundation for examining global media within political, social, and cultural contexts. We do not provide practical training in media production, publicity or marketing. MCC MA students can use some of their electives to enroll in such classes elsewhere at NYU, but those seeking a purely practice-based degree should consider applying to the School of Professional Studies' MS in Integrated Marketing or MS in Public Relations, or Tisch's MA in Interactive Media.

Review our FAQs to learn more about our media studies degree program.

If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Most students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization. F-1 students in our program may also be eligible for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) OPT extension, allowing you to extend your time in the United States to pursue degree-related work experience for a total of 36 months or 3 years. For more information on who can apply for this extension visit NYU’s Office of Global Services: STEM OPT.