Master of Arts, concentration in Media Studies

Courses offered in the History and Criticism cluster examine film, television, radio, gaming and digital media across the globe through a rich variety of methodological frameworks and critical lenses. A wide range of courses survey the historical contexts of media in relation to topics such as identity, region, audiences, genre, industry, stardom, and storytelling. We offer courses emphasizing the importance of historical context, aesthetic analysis, and critical theory.

RTF graduate students benefit from access to several archival collections, including the Harry Ransom Center (site for the Robert De Niro, David O. Selznick and newly acquired Mad Men collections, among others), the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, and the LBJ Library. They can also take advantage of proximity to Austin’s vibrant media industries.

Courses in the Identity and Representation cluster examine film, television, digital media, and mediated culture in relation to the construction and politics of gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality, nationality, citizenship and other axes of identity.

Topics addressed in these courses include representation, authorship, production and activism within media industries/cultures and social life more broadly, and community identities and formation in relation to popular and subcultural media.

Courses within the cluster are decidedly interdisciplinary and intersectional, with theoretical roots in critical and cultural studies, historical studies, critical race studies, feminist studies, queer studies, transgender studies, postcolonial studies, global studies, and other theoretical perspectives.

Students can specialize in areas that include Latina/o film and media studies, fandom studies, television and digital media studies, South Asian film and media studies, sports media, and gender/sexuality and media in a global context. RTF students engaged with this cluster frequently take courses in other departments and programs across the University, including Women’s & Gender Studies, LGBTQ+ Studies, Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies, Asian American Studies, English, the LBJ School of Public Policy, Anthropology, and Theater and Dance, as well as in departments that focus on area studies outside the U.S.

This cluster provides students with exposure to histories, structures, and creative practices of the media industries from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives. Topics such as creative labor, production, distribution, infrastructures, regulation, and exhibition are examined in a wide range of media industry sectors including film, television, radio, gaming, and digital media. Courses such as Global Media Industries and Cultures; Race & Ethnicity in the Media Industries; Authorship, Industry and Archival Research; and Media Industries explore the media industries from a variety of local, regional, and global contexts, as well as through hands-on engagement with archival materials at UT-Austin’s Harry Ransom Center and Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. The vibrant media and technology industries in Austin provide additional opportunities for both research and internships.

Graduate students also can participate as fellows or associates with the new Moody College Center for Entertainment & Media Industries (CEMI). Among the activities offered by CEMI include the Media Industry Conversations speaker series, which hosts industry-oriented guests, and the Global Media Industry Speaker Series, which features prominent industry-oriented scholars from around the world. The RTF Department also serves as an institutional member of the peer-reviewed Media Industries Journal editorial collective.

The Digital Media cluster explores the histories, social functions and cultural dynamics associated with digital media technologies. Courses address interactive and participatory media texts and cultures, social media, new media industries, social justice movements, and also examine ethical issues such as copyright, fair use, privacy and free speech developing around the digital media environment.

Courses in this cluster focus on global perspectives in media as well as specific regional and national contexts. Topics include film, television, digital and social media, as well as development, politics, and immigration, among others. Courses in global settings engage subjects in regions such as Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and nations such as Mexico, Brazil, India, China, and the UK.