• MDST 3504

    Topics in Global Media
     Rating

    3.67

     Difficulty

    2.88

     GPA

    3.71

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    This course offers historical, comparative, critical, and media industry perspectives on global media. It explores how capital, geopolitics, new technologies and forms of production and consumption impact global media flows. Topics include studies of media systems, textual traditions, media circulation, globalization, the role of media technologies in international affairs, and the role of transnationalism in national and international affairs.

  • MDST 2690

    Sports Journalism
     Rating

    5.00

     Difficulty

    2.00

     GPA

    3.71

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    This course will cover all manner of media as it relates to sports journalism. Students will analyze published work across various mediums, learn the tools for reporting and writing different types of coverage, including features, profiles, long-form, game stories and more. Students will write articles, interview subjects, analyze sports journalism, participate in peer reviews and hear from some of the most prominent figures in sports journalism.

  • MDST 3742

    Athletes, Activism and the Media
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.77

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    This course examines the history of athletes as activists and the media's coverage and understanding (and at times, misunderstanding?) of those movements. How did the media cover early protests and activism from athletes? How has that coverage changed in subsequent years? How have movements paralleled larger movements (MeToo, Black Lives Matter)? We will also look at political ties to athlete activism, examining how each sphere affects the other.

  • MDST 3510

    Topics in Media Research
     Rating

    4.30

     Difficulty

    2.67

     GPA

    3.77

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    This hands-on course prepares students to read, evaluate, and design research in media studies. Drawing on critical, historical, administrative, and industrial traditions in the field, students will learn to assess the validity and anticipate the ethical requirements of various methods & data collection procedures. Following a theme selected by the instructor, the course culminates with each student proposing a new, original research study.

  • MDST 2200

    Introduction to Film
     Rating

    3.80

     Difficulty

    2.00

     GPA

    3.77

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    This course explores the world of cinema through storytelling, technique, and cultural influence. It covers key concepts in film analysis, including cinematography, editing, sound, and lighting, helping students understand how filmmakers craft powerful narratives. Students exploring how films reflect societal values and address complex issues. The course traces the history of cinema and offers hands-on experiences in writing and production.

  • MDST 3490

    Just Kiddin': Comedy & Humor Across Media
     Rating

    4.67

     Difficulty

    1.50

     GPA

    3.80

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    This course explores humorous and comedic texts and performances across a variety of media forms in America. We will begin by understanding theories of comedy and the logic of jokes alongside histories of comedians and humorous tropes and aesthetics. Examining a variety of content, we will discover how American comedy offers a rich relationship between creative expression and sociopolitical critique across different media and contexts.

  • MDST 4510

    Capstone Topics
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.80

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    A capstone seminar, this course offers students a supervised opportunity to pursue original research in media studies. Related to a theme selected by the instructor, the project will entail design of a research question, extensive collection and analysis of literature and data, and completion of a 15-20 page paper that provides new, critical insight or information on the subject examined.

  • MDST 2508

    Topics in Media Practice
     Rating

    4.67

     Difficulty

    2.25

     GPA

    3.82

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    This course will provide practice-based learning opportunities for students in various forms of media, including video, podcasting, film, etc.

  • MDST 2710

    Screenwriting
     Rating

    3.67

     Difficulty

    1.50

     GPA

    3.83

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    An introduction to the art and craft of screenwriting through the writing and discussion of short scripts. Will involve study of screenplays and films, and focus on the basic elements of screenwriting, including story structure, creation of character, and formatting. Prerequisite: Media studies major or instructor permission.

  • MDST 7220

    Documentary and the Politics of Truth
     Rating

     Difficulty

     GPA

    3.83

    Last Taught

    Fall 2026

    In an era of AI-generated content, deepfakes, and algorithmic bias, documentary media plays a crucial role in interrogating the politics of truth. This seminar explores how documentary engages with truthmaking and emerging technologies. Through key studies and films, students will examine how filmmakers expose and hide infrastructures of control, while provoking ethical dilemmas.