Terminal MA

The Film and Media Studies Program is not currently accepting external applications for admission to the terminal MA.  This degree will be granted only to students who have been admitted to the doctorate in Film and Media Studies but are subsequently unable to finish the program. The terminal MA in Film and Media Studies provides this group of doctoral students the possibility of a terminal degree that acknowledges their time of study. A total of 25 credits is needed.

Course Work

  1. Core Courses in Film and Media Studies (7 credits): Must be completed with a grade of B or higher
  2. A two-course (6 credit) sequence taken in any order:
    • Film History/Theory I ENGFLM 2451
    • Film History/Thoery II ENGFLM 2452
  3. 1 credit Film Studies Proseminar FILMG 2905
  4. Of the total five Film and Media Studies courses, the student must take:
    • two taught by members of his/her associated department (and receive a grade of B or higher in those classes)
    • two taught by members outside of his/her associated department.
    • One additional elective course – inside or outside the Film and Media Studies Program (3 credits)
    • Research Paper (MA Comprehensive Equivalent)

The Master’s paper is required for a terminal MA in Film and Media Studies. This project can be based on a paper prepared for a film class. It should be between 6,000-8,000 words following MLA format. One Film and Media Studies faculty member will supervise the paper (most likely the instructor for the class in which the paper was written). Two other faculty members (including the student’s AOC Department faculty advisor and one other Film and Media Studies faculty member) will serve as readers. All three must approve the paper for it to fulfill the Film and Media Studies Terminal Master’s paper requirement. To pass, a paper should provide coherent and original textual analysis, provide historical contextualization (if appropriate), and incorporate primary research in a cogent scholarly argument relating to Film and Media Studies.

Note: Students receiving a MA degree in the associated department along with a Terminal MA in Film and Media Studies must meet the following:

  1. Students are required to complete all the degree and credit requirements for both degrees (30 credits for the Film and Media Studies MA, and the required credits for the MA in the associated department). Six credits will be allowed to count for both degrees.
  2. Students must complete a comprehensive for each degree. The master’s paper in Film and Media Studies and the comprehensive requirement in the associated department.
  3. Associated Departments and/or the Film and Media Studies Program may waive duplicate course requirements for the MA degrees, but degree credits cannot be waived. Students would be required to enroll in the appropriate number of credits for each degree. Waived course credits cannot be substituted with under-1000-level courses or independent study.
  4. Students will be required to have a least twelve 2000/3000-level seminar credits (excluding independent study, directed study and teaching credits) with at least a grade B or above for each degree.