4-1 Policies for Selected Journalism and Multimedia Arts majors

rev 11/02/09

Overview

Qualifying students take 12 graduate credits while an undergraduate. Those 12 credits will apply to the undergraduate major and to the Master of Science in Media Arts and Technology. After completing the bachelor’s degree program, students take an additional 24 graduate credits to fulfill the requirements for the degree.

Criteria and Eligibility

The College BA/MS committee, augmented by the department chair of Journalism and Multimedia Arts, developed the following criteria:

• Student must be a JMA undergraduate major and have completed at least 15 credits in the major
• Student will not be accepted into the program until he/she  has completed 90 credits
• Students may not take graduate courses until approved by their mentor and advisor
• The student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.25
• The student must have at least a 3.75 GPA in the major

To continue in the master’s degree program, students must have completed the indicated graduate courses with B’s or better by the time they have completed their undergraduate program; then, they fulfill the remainder of the appropriate graduate degree requirements during the 5th year.

Course progression (listed by Undergraduate Major):

• Digital Media Art (Web Design and Development Concentration)
• Digital Media Arts (Multimedia Development Concentration)
• Journalism (Broadcast Concentration)
• Journalism (Print Concentration)
• Public Relations and Advertising

Student may not take a cross-listed course twice, once as an undergraduate student (400-level) and again as a graduate student (500-level).

Application Materials

• Online application
• 3 letters of reference
• Portfolio: Web site URL, or  DVD/CD  of sample work, or self-nomination letter ⁽¹⁾
• Official transcript, which includes second semester junior grades
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Scores

The application requirements need to be sent to Ms. Linda Rendulic, Liberal Arts Graduate Office, 215 College Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15282 by the application deadline. The deadlines are:

Fall Semester Start - August 1
Spring Semester Start - November 1

 

⁽¹⁾ Letter to the chair, include: How you feel you would benefit from the degree, and what you feel are your strengths, which you could contribute to the degree program.