NYU media culture and communication MA

Last Updated on December 25, 2022

I am a Media Culture and Communication MA Student at NYU and I am currently taking an Intro to Digital Content Strategy course. While I don’t have professional experience in content strategy, I have more than enough relevant academic experience to be of help.

The MA degree trains agile researchers to think critically from diverse perspectives about changing industries, technologies, and cultures. You will work closely with our diverse and renowned media studies faculty. 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.

Right here on College learners, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on media culture and communication nyu requirements, nyu media culture and communication courses, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

Marilyn

NYU media culture and communication MA

I am so excited to be joining the new cohort at NYU’s MA in media studies. My educational background is in literary and cultural studies, with a focus on 20th-century American literature—and I’ve spent most of my career as a writer and editor working in the tech industry. So this is an opportunity to bring my two passions together in one place, where I can write about how technology shapes culture and how we communicate with each other.

And that’s what I’ll be focusing on during my time here: how tools like social media have impacted the way that people interact with each other, and how they consume information, entertainment, and news. It will also be interesting to see how those trends (and our behavior) change as technology evolves—or as we evolve to adapt it to our needs. While we’re changing fast as a society, technology is evolving even faster—which means it can feel like we’re trying to catch up with our own creations.

Degree Details

Official Degree Title

Master of Arts in Media, Culture, and CommunicationFormatFull-time or Part-timeCredits36Start DateFallApplication DeadlineFebruary 1

  • Media Studies at NYU

While our department’s graduate courses are primarily theoretical, the MCC curriculum is highly flexible, allowing numerous electives from across the University aligning with your personal academic and professional trajectories.

Media business at NYU Stern, media law at the NYU School of Law, digital design and interactive technology at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and media ethnography in NYU Anthropology are just some of the many elective options made available to you. We also offer graduate study abroad courses in Europe, Asia, and Latin America that examine media in comparative contexts.

Media Studies in NYC

Situated in the heart of Greenwich Village, MCC capitalizes 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.

Careers and Alumni

Graduates of MCC’s media studies master’s build careers as astute analyzers of the global media landscape.

MCC 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.

Understanding the intersections of media, culture, and communication is critical in our increasingly interconnected world. In this master of arts program, you’ll examine global and digital media and culture in the context of globalization – with significant opportunities to study abroad – and prepare for a career in fields such as media, technology, academia, law, government, and nonprofit work.

Degree Name: Media, Culture, and Communication

Academic Plan Code: MDCC

Degree: MA

Credits: 36

Academic Load: Full-time or part-time. Students have up to six years to complete the program.

Application Deadlines
Spring: 
n/a
Summer: n/a
Fall: February 1

Program Information
Program Website | 212-998-5191 | [email protected]

How to Apply

These instructions and requirements are for all applicants. If you are not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, please read the special instructions for international applicants.

Your application will require the following items. The following are acceptable document types for uploads: .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .gif, .tiff, .png, .doc, .docx, and bitmap.

1. Prepare Your Application

Résumé/CV

You are required to upload a copy of your most recent résumé or curriculum vitae as part of your application.Statement of Purpose

You are required to upload a typed statement of purpose, comprised of three parts: 

  1. Describe relevant aspects of your educational and career background that have prepared you for graduate study in MCC. (no more than 500 words).
  2. Describe your scholarly interests and objectives for undertaking graduate study in MCC. You may include scholarship, books, and creative works that have shaped your thinking. (800-1,000 words).
  3. Describe your goals after completing the MA program. (no more than 250 words).

Letters of Recommendation

Submit two letters of recommendation. Be sure to request them well in advance of the deadline. Read detailed instructions.Transcripts

Upload one official copy of transcripts from every postsecondary school you have attended or are attending. Make sure to request them in advance of the deadline.

If you completed or are completing a degree at an institution outside of the US or Canada, you are required to provide a WES or ECE evaluation. Please review our requirements for translation and a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts.

See detailed instructions.GRE

Not required.

Although the GRE is typically required for this program, for the 2022 admissions cycle GRE scores will not be required. For more information see testing requirements.Proficiency in English

2. Apply

Application

After you fill in and upload the required information, you can submit your completed application. Your application must be completed, dated, electronically signed, and submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST of the stated deadline.Application Fee

You will be prompted to pay a $75 application fee, payable by major credit card only. After submitting your payment, you will see your application status change from “saved” to “submitted.” Please print this screen for your records, as it confirms that your application has been successfully sent to our school. If you have problems submitting your payment, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions. Learn more about our fee waiver policy.Mailing Additional Items

If any remaining application materials need to be mailed to our office, mail the materials together in a single mailing using this document cover sheet. Items received without the cover sheet take longer to process and match to your application. Please do not mail your materials in binders or folders. Any mailed materials must be received by, not postmarked by, the stated deadline. Only completed applications will be considered and reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt of mailed materials.

Application Policies

Application deadlines are “in-office” deadlines, not postmark deadlines. It is your responsibility to ensure that all materials are in the Office of Graduate Admissions by the appropriate deadline, and we reserve the right to return any application that arrives after the deadline. Only completed applications will be considered. Should a deadline fall on a weekend, the in-office deadline will be the next business day. We advise you to apply early.

Please check the online system to confirm that you have successfully submitted your application. Due to the volume of applications and related materials received, the Office of Graduate Admissions will only contact you if your application was successfully submitted and is deemed incomplete because of missing required materials. Otherwise, you will hear from us when the admissions committee has made its decision.

Deferral policy: NYU Steinhardt does not allow deferrals. Applicants who wish to be considered for a future semester must reapply by submitting a new application with all supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, by the application deadline.

3. Receive Your Admission Decision

Decision

You will be notified about your decision by email. Typically, decisions will start going out in late November for Spring semester enrollment and in late March or early April for Summer or Fall enrollment. You may learn of your decision before or after this timeline.

Financial Aid

All US citizens and permanent residents who wish to be considered for scholarship funding must submit a FAFSA by March 1, 2020. Details and a complete list of Steinhardt scholarships are available on the financial aid website. Each year, our department selects a recipient for the MCC Department Impact Award, offered to incoming students who demonstrate exceptional academic promise and the potential to enrich the cohort with a diversity of intellectual perspectives and experience. No additional application is needed to be considered.

Media, Culture, and Communication | NYU Steinhardt

media culture and communication nyu requirements

On this blog, I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on writing, content strategy, and all things culture and media. Since I’m currently pursuing my MA in Media Culture and Communication at NYU, my mind is always racing with ideas about the future of media and the evolving role of content creators. I can’t wait to share what’s on my mind with you!

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

MCC-GE 2001Media, Culture and Communication Core4 Credits

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.

Media, Culture, and Communication Alumni | NYU Steinhardt

nyu media culture and communication courses

Courses examine the challenges that the global circulation of media raises for citizenship and identity, immigration and diasporas, human rights and social movements, political-economic inequalities, and geopolitics.

Framing Courses

  • MCC-UE 1300   Media and Globalization
  • MCC-UE 1037   Music and Media
  • MCC-UE 0005  Language and Communication

Focus Courses

  • MCC-UE 1002   Space and Place in Human Communication
  • MCC-UE 1005   The Culture Industries
  • MCC-UE 1011   Media and Migration
  • MCC-UE 1016   Media Audiences
  • MCC-UE 1020   The Business of Media
  • MCC-UE 1022   Latino Media
  • MCC-UE 1023   East Asian Media
  • MCC-UE 1302   Global Television
  • MCC-UE 1304   Global Media and International Law
  • MCC-UE 1305   Communication and International Development
  • MCC-UE 1306   Global Media Flows
  • MCC-UE 1310   Culture and Media in Urban China
  • MCC-UE 1314   South Asian Diaspora: Media and Cultural Politics
  • MCC-UE 1340   Religion and Media
  • MCC-UE 1341   Middle East Media
  • MCC-UE 1342   Sounds In and Out of Africa
  • MCC-UE 1351   War As Media
  • MCC-UE 1352   Revolution and Media
  • MCC-UE 1400   Culture, Media, and Globalization         
  • MCC-UE 1401   Global Cultures and Identities
  • MCC-UE 1403   Postcolonial Visual Culture
  • MCC-UE 1405   Copyright, Commerce, and Culture
  • MCC-UE 1407   Gender, Sex, and The Global
  • MCC-UE 1410   Global Visual Culture
  • MCC-UE 1413   Cultural Memory
  • MCC-UE 1431   Topics in Digital Humanities: Street Food and Urban Family (Shanghai)
  • MCC-UE 1451   Global Media Seminar: Media in China
  • MCC-UE 1452   Global Media Seminar: TV and Democracy in Italy
  • MCC-UE 1453   Global Media Seminar: Post Communist Media Systems
  • MCC-UE 1454   Global Media Seminar: France and Europe
  • MCC-UE 1455   Global Media Seminar: Latin America
  • MCC-UE 1762   Cultural Geography of Commodities

Visual Culture and Sound Studies 

Courses focus on the ways that visual and sound media shape everyday life on and offline, especially through politics and power.

Framing Courses

  • MCC-UE 1006   Television: History and Form
  • MCC-UE 1015   Advertising and Consumer Society
  • MCC-UE 1037   Music and Media
  • MCC-UE 1412   Introduction to Visual Culture

Focus Courses

  • MCC-UE 1007   Film: History and Form
  • MCC-UE 1008   Video Game Economies
  • MCC-UE 1009   Psychoanalysis: Desire and Culture
  • MCC-UE 1012   Crime, Violence, and Media
  • MCC-UE 1021   Dead Media Research Studio
  • MCC-UE 1022   Latino Media
  • MCC-UE 1024   Amateur Media
  • MCC-UE 1029   New Media Research Studio
  • MCC-UE 1030   Architecture as Media
  • MCC-UE 1031   Digital Media: Theory and Practice
  • MCC-UE 1036   On the Phone: Telephone and Mobile Communication
  • MCC-UE 1043   Queer and Trans Games Studies
  • MCC-UE 1065   Media Events and Spectacle
  • MCC-UE 1140   Screening History
  • MCC-UE 1141   Hollywood Films and American Life
  • MCC-UE 1142   Critical Video: Theory & Practice
  • MCC-UE 1151   Media History of New York
  • MCC-UE 1152   Cultural Capital: Media and Arts in NYC
  • MCC-UE 1162   Cultural Capital: Food and Media in NYC
  • MCC-UE 1171   History of Computing
  • MCC-UE 1302   Global Television
  • MCC-UE 1339   Theory of the Digital
  • MCC-UE 1342   Sounds In and Out of Africa
  • MCC-UE 1345   Fashion and Power
  • MCC-UE 1346   Fame
  • MCC-UE 1347   Cultural History of the Screen
  • MCC-UE 1351   War As Media
  • MCC-UE 1352   Revolution and Media
  • MCC-UE 1403   Postcolonial Visual Culture
  • MCC-UE 1409   Consumption, Culture, and Identity
  • MCC-UE 1410   Global Visual Culture
  • MCC-UE 1411   Visual Culture in Science and Technology
  • MCC-UE 1413   Cultural Memory
  • MCC-UE 1517   Photography and the Visual Archive
  • MCC-UE 1717   Listening: Noise, Sound, and Music

Technology and Society

Courses focus on information and communication technologies and their social, political and ethical implications.

Framing Courses

  • MCC-UE 1034    Media, Technology, and Society
  • MCC-UE 1349    Data and Society

Focus Courses

  • MCC-UE 1006   Television: History and Form
  • MCC-UE 1007    Film: History and Form
  • MCC-UE 1008    Video Game Economies
  • MCC-UE 1012    Crime, Violence, and Media
  • MCC-UE 1020    The Business of Media
  • MCC-UE 1021    Dead Media Research Studio
  • MCC-UE 1024    Amateur Media
  • MCC-UE 1026    Disability, Technology, and Media
  • MCC-UE 1028    Ethics and Media
  • MCC-UE 1029    New Media Research Studio
  • MCC-UE 1030    Architecture as Media
  • MCC-UE 1031    Digital Media: Theory and Practice
  • MCC-UE 1032    Social Media Practicum
  • MCC-UE 1033    Critical Making
  • MCC-UE 1036    On the Phone: Telephone and Mobile Communication
  • MCC-UE 1037    Music and Media
  • MCC-UE 1043    Queer and Trans Games Studies
  • MCC-UE 1141    Hollywood Films and American Life
  • MCC-UE 1142    Critical Video: Theory & Practice
  • MCC-UE 1151    Media History of New York
  • MCC-UE 1171    History of Computing
  • MCC-UE 1300    Media and Globalization
  • MCC-UE 1303    Privacy and Media Technology
  • MCC-UE 1305    Communication and International Development
  • MCC-UE 1339    Theory of the Digital
  • MCC-UE 1347    Cultural History of the Screen
  • MCC-UE 1349    Data and Society
  • MCC-UE 1402    Marxism and Culture
  • MCC-UE 1405    Copyright, Commerce and Culture
  • MCC-UE 1406    Hacker Culture and Politics
  • MCC-UE 1411    Visual Culture in Science and Technology
  • MCC-UE 1431   Topics in Digital Humanities: Street Food and Urban Family (Shanghai)
  • MCC-UE 1508    Print: History and Form
  • MCC-UE 1571   The Rise of Internet Media
  • MCC-UE 1585   Creative Coding
  • MCC-UE 1717   Listening: Noise, Sound, and Music
     

Media Industries and Politics

Courses examine the political economy of media and information industries, the use of media to shape and mobilize public opinion, social movements, and electoral politics.

Framing Courses

  • MCC-UE 1013  Political Communication 
  • MCC-UE 1005  The Culture Industries
  • MCC-UE 1008  Video Game Economies
  • MCC-UE 1015  Advertising and Consumer Society

Focus Courses

  • MCC-UE 1010   Censorship in American Culture
  • MCC-UE 1014   Mass Persuasion and Propaganda
  • MCC-UE 1017   Youth Media and Social Change
  • MCC-UE 1023   East Asian Media
  • MCC-UE 1025   Race and Media
  • MCC-UE 1027   Media and the Environment
  • MCC-UE 1028   Ethics and Media
  • MCC-UE 1035   Forensic Media
  • MCC-UE 1040   Media and the Culture of Health and Disease
  • MCC-UE 1042   Advertising for Social Good
  • MCC-UE 1065   Media Events and Spectacle
  • MCC-UE 1140   Screening History
  • MCC-UE 1152   Cultural Capital: Media and Arts in NYC
  • MCC-UE 1162   Cultural Capital: Food and Media in NYC
  • MCC-UE 1304   Global Media and International Law
  • MCC-UE 1340   Religion and Media
  • MCC-UE 1341   Middle East Media
  • MCC-UE 1346   Fame
  • MCC-UE 1402   Marxism and Culture
  • MCC-UE 1404   Media and the Culture of Money
  • MCC-UE 1406   Hacker Culture & Politics
  • MCC-UE 1408   Queer and Trans Identity
  • MCC-UE 1409   Consumption, Culture, and Identity
  • MCC-UE 1419   Mediating Love, Sex, and God
  • MCC-UE 1750   Rethinking Public Relations (formerly PR Theory & Process)
  • MCC-UE 1762   Cultural Geography of Commodities
  • MCC-UE 1800   Political Rhetoric
  • MCC-UE 1821   Media, Policy, and Regulation
  • MCC-UE 1826   Media Activism and Social Movements
  • MCC-UE 1835   Argumentation and Debate (removing from curriculum beginning Fall 2021)

Interaction and Experience

Courses explore how we relate to ourselves, each other, and the material world in various social, cultural, and technological contexts. 

Framing Courses

  • MCC-UE 0005    Language and Culture
  • MCC-UE 1009    Psychoanalysis: Desire and Culture
  • MCC-UE 1019    Media and Identity
  • MCC-UE 1025    Race and Media

Focus Courses

  • MCC-UE 1002    Space and Place in Human Communication
  • MCC-UE 1011     Media and Migration
  • MCC-UE 1013     Political Communication
  • MCC-UE 1016     Media Audiences
  • MCC-UE 1017     Youth Media and Social Change
  • MCC-UE 1018     Kids in Media Culture
  • MCC-UE 1026     Disability, Technology and Media
  • MCC-UE 1027     Media and the Environment 
  • MCC-UE 1032    Social Media Practicum
  • MCC-UE 1035    Forensic Media
  • MCC-UE 1036    On the Phone: Telephone and Mobile Communication
  • MCC-UE 1040    Media and the Culture of Health and Disease
  • MCC-UE 1041    Resisting Dystopia
  • MCC-UE 1105    The Psychic Life of Media
  • MCC-UE 1162    Cultural Capital: Food and Media in NYC
  • MCC-UE 1345    Fashion and Power
  • MCC-UE 1401    Global Cultures and Identities
  • MCC-UE 1404    Media and the Culture of Money
  • MCC-UE 1407     Gender, Sex and The Global
  • MCC-UE 1408    Queer and Trans Identity
  • MCC-UE 1419    Mediating Love, Sex, and God
  • MCC-UE 1508    Print: History and Form
  • MCC-UE 1571    The Rise of Internet Media
  • MCC-UE 1700     Communicating Gender & Identity
  • MCC-UE 1745     Organizational Communication
  • MCC-UE 1826     Media Activism and Social Movements
  • MCC-UE 1830     Interpersonal Communication (removing from curriculum beginning Fall 2021)
  • MCC-UE 1835     Argumentation and Debate (removing from curriculum beginning Fall 2021)

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