• MDST 8004

    Master's Thesis Development
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     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Students meet as a cohort to translate their intellectual interests into a specific thesis project through iterative development, critique, and refinement of their research questions and proposed methods. Students will read and critique published work, gaining a sense of best practices in research design. This course is heavily reliant on peer feedback and collaboration. The culmination of this class is a thesis proposal.

  • MDST 8600

    Media Studies Pedagogy
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     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    Focuses on strategies for teaching media (screenings, using media in class, production). Uses pedagogical strategies like backwards course design, universal design for learning, and enhancing diversity. Covers FERPA, Title IX, and other university policies. Assignments include designing, presenting, feedback on lesson plans, assignments, and syllabus design.

  • MDST 8900

    Graduate Independent Study
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     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    A single semester of independent study under faculty supervision for MA or PhD students doing intensive research on a subject not covered in available courses. Requires approval by a Media Studies faculty member who has agreed to supervise a guided course of reading and research.

  • MDST 8998

    Non-Topical Research
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     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    This is a variable credit course that gives students the opportunity to do supervised or unsupervised research toward their degree. These hours fulfill enrollment credits but do not count toward graded credit requirements.

  • MDST 9000

    Colloquium
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     GPA

    Last Taught

    Fall 2025

    The graduate colloquium builds an intellectual community and offers professionalization opportunities. Students learn the field, norms of scholarship, and the variety of research topics and approaches through presentations by faculty and visiting faculty. Advanced students will have the opportunity to present and hone research projects, course plans and lectures, and receive feedback on teaching and application materials, formal research talks, and interview practices.