Curriculum

You are required to take the Media, Culture, and Communication Core Seminar (MCC-GE 2001) your first semester. This core seminar is only offered during the Fall semester and introduces you to the field by examining theoretical approaches that are central to media studies.

You must also take one 3-4 credit designated Research Course.

Area of Study Coursework

At least 16 credits must be MCC coursework. Of those credits, at least 12 must be taken within one Area of Study: Global Communication and Media, Visual Culture and Sound Studies, Interaction and Experience, Media Industries and Politics, Technology and Society.

Electives

You are allowed 0-12 elective credits. Internship credit, non-MCC study abroad courses, and/or graduate-level classes offered by another NYU department can be considered electives. In the past, students have successfully found suitable elective classes in the following schools within NYU: Tisch School of the Arts, the School of Professional Studies, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, the Graduate School of Arts and Science, the Law School, and the Stern School of Business.

MA Culminating Experience

You must complete a culminating experience (0-4 credits) in order to graduate. You will meet this requirement by applying either for the Thesis, Professional Writing course, Theoretical Synthesis course, or the MA Exam.

MA Exam

The MCC exam offers you an opportunity to synthesize your coursework and write about your understanding of significant scholarship in communication, media studies, and related fields acquired during your MA career. It is offered both fall and spring semesters. 

Theoretical Synthesis for Research, Writing, and Teaching

This course focuses on a series of intensive exercises designed to develop students’ ability to synthesize and represent key theories and concepts in the study of media, culture, and communication. This course works toward the goal of developing a portfolio of public scholarship that students could use after graduation. It is offered during the fall semester.

MA Professional Writing and Research Applications

Professional Writing and Research Applications (MCC-GE 2174) is offered every Fall, and enrollment is available through application only. This course functions like a writer's workshop. Students actively engage in reading and responding to each other's work to expand, develop, and polish an existing paper into a sophisticated and well-formed piece of writing. 

MA Thesis

The MCC MA thesis is a piece of original scholarship written under the guidance of an MCC Faculty advisor. The master’s thesis constitutes an analysis of a specific topic that engages with the existing literature and which makes an argument supported by evidence and using the methodologies of the discipline. MCC offers an optional thesis class in the fall to guide you through the thesis writing process. View previous MA Thesis Abstracts.