Department of Media Studies
Department of Media Studies

Distinguished Majors Program

 

Media Studies majors with superior academic performance are invited to apply to the Distinguished Majors Program (DMP), which provides an opportunity to pursue in-depth research under the mentorship of a Media Studies faculty member that culminates in a high-quality written thesis or comparable creative project of personal interest. DMP students are expected to pursue a more rigorous course plan and to maintain a higher level of academic performance than students in the traditional Media Studies track. As a Distinguished Major, students will be able to take advantage of:

  • A small intellectual cohort of other DMP students who share small seminar classes
  • Priority enrollment in most MDST courses
  • Faculty mentorship and support during 4th year research and thesis projects
  • Graduation with distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction (as determined by the quality of thesis and academic performance during the program)
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Eligibility and Program Structure

  • Applicants must have been accepted to the Media Studies program, be in their 3rd year, and have a cumulative College GPA of 3.400 as well as a 3.000 in all completed Media Studies courses. Application announcements will be emailed to majors with a GPA of 3.4 or higher. Students will have their applications reviewed by the Distinguished Majors Committee. (See below for more information on the application process.) 
  • Students selected to be a part of the DMP program will be automatically enrolled in MDST 4000 and MDST 4970 in the fall of students’ 4th year. (Note: Distinguished Majors are exempt from having to take MDST 4510 as MDST 4970 fulfills the requirement. DMP students may take MDST 4510 in addition to MDST 4970 if they wish). At the end of fall semester, DMP students will participate in a project review presentation with the DMP committee and faculty advisors wherein they will present a progress report and plan for the spring semester.
  • In Spring of 4th year, DMP students will be automatically enrolled in MDST 4980. DMP students will also participate in two thesis workshops in February and March of 4th year attended by their supervisors and the DMP committee to reinforce a scholarly cohort and to ensure they are making satisfactory progress towards completion of their theses.
  • A draft of the thesis must be completed and delivered to the DMP student’s advisor and second reader by mid-April. At the beginning of exam week, DMP students will present their completed thesis to the DMP committee and faculty advisors, taking questions and comments during a departmental symposium. The final version of the thesis will be due by the end of exam week.
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Application to the Distinguished Majors Program 

The online application form will be available here typically in late February before spring break. It will be due immediately following spring break. The application will consist of the following:

  • 2-3 page description of proposed thesis with preliminary thesis statement; rough idea of methodology; why student wants to undertake this project; why the project is significant to scholarly field of media studies
  • one-page list of sources/literature
  • unofficial transcript
  • confidential letter from one MDST faculty member 

The DMP committee evaluates proposals and selects a cohort of no more than 14 students to enter the program. The committee will also approve and, in some cases help assign, advisors for each student.

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Distinguished Majors Program Requirements 

Students are expected to have a 3.400 GPA overall as well as a 3.000 GPA in the major upon entrance to the program. Students will be expected to maintain a 3.4 GPA or they will be dropped from the DMP and returned to the traditional Media Studies track, thus graduating without distinction. DMP students are also expected to complete a minimum of 36-37 credits for the major including:

  • MDST 2000 – Introduction to Media Studies (3-4 credits)
  • MDST 3050 – History of Media (3 credits)
  • MDST 3504 - Topics in Global Media (3 credits)
  • Five MDST Electives (15 credits), with four (4) at the 3000 level or above. The five (5) electives must include courses that fulfill the following criteria:
  • MDST 4000 – Media Theory and Methods (3 credits) (taken in fall of a student's 4th year)
  • MDST 4970 - DMP Thesis Research (3 credits) (taken in fall of a student’s 4th year)
  • MDST 4980 – DMP Thesis Writing (3 credits) (taken in spring of a student’s 4th year)
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Thesis / Portfolio Project Requirements

DMP students are expected to complete a written thesis or comparable portfolio project that contributes to and advances knowledge of Media Studies in a meaningful way. The written thesis / portfolio project requirement allows students to explore areas of personal academic interest in greater depth than is possible in a single course. Generally speaking, a written thesis is a scholarly work of approximately 50 pages. A portfolio project is a production of work (such as a film, digital work, or other media project) with an appropriate intellectual accompaniment (an essay or research statement of 3,000-5,000 words). Students will be expected to make a presentation of their thesis or project at a capstone DMP Symposium in the Spring of their 4th year. Copies of all theses and projects will be archived in the Media Studies Office. 

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Graduating with Distinction

In awarding distinction, the Media Studies faculty and DMP committee consider the quality of the student’s overall performance in the major as well as the work done on the thesis or project. Students may receive distinction (but not high or highest distinction) if they discontinue enrollment in the DMP but have completed their degree with a grade point average of at least 3.400. The award of high or highest distinction is at the discretion of the Media Studies faculty and the Distinguished Majors Committee, which votes on distinction following the DMP Symposium presentations held during exam week in May. Additionally, the DMP committee, with feedback from thesis advisors, chooses the year’s outstanding DMP thesis, which is awarded a departmental prize given at the Media Studies Department’s graduation diploma ceremony.

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