Creative and Strategic Media

As a student in our creative and strategic media graduate program, you will learn the art of telling good stories through video, sound, text and graphic design. You'll learn which mediums work best for certain stories and how to frame your messaging to capture the attention of the widest possible audience.

While enhancing your appreciation for ethical practices and public goods, you will develop sensitivity to the complex definitions of communities of people in this day of the internet, when messages are carried beyond historic borders and the United States moves rapidly toward a "minority" majority population.

You will leave this graduate program with a degree that optimizes your candidacy in an ever-expanding industry, ready for whatever comes next. 

What you'll learn with an M.F.A. in Creative and Strategic Media

With an M.F.A. in creative and strategic media, you will have the skills needed to achieve your bigger goals, regardless of industry or area of expertise within the media realm and will be able to:

  • Understand the strategies, systems and structures of the media industry, including how media content is designed and delivered.
  • Analyze trends, issues and challenges in media and content design and delivery, applying media ethics, media law and critical media studies.
  • Tell stories through video, sound, text and graphic design, and choose the medium that best fits each story and audience.
  • Apply graphic design, photography, digital video production and campaign planning skills, with specialization in interactive design, interactive media marketing or visual communication.
  • Produce a graduate media project through the Media Project and Thesis Workshop, and implement project workflows in collaborative teams.

 

Program Information

Our robust curriculum teaches students how to craft effective messaging for a wide audience through video, sound, text, and graphic design. Develop skills in multimedia communication across various mediums.

Degree

Master's

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Academic Department

Media

Duration

2.5 Years

Required Credit Hours

42

Modality

In-Person

Growth Alongside Demanding Schedules

Tristen Chang, A'25, GA'27, says the Creative and Strategic Media M.F.A. track at Duquesne University has given her the flexibility to build her skills while managing a demanding schedule.

“The faculty have been incredibly supportive and invested in my goals,” she said. “They take time to understand what I want out of the program and help me shape my path in a way that feels intentional.”

A key part of her experience has been applied learning through advertising courses with real clients. Tristen worked directly with organizations in Pittsburgh, including the Croatian Fraternal Union of America (CFU). One project focused on building an integrated marketing and communication plan to help drive revenue and increase event attendance, which was central to the CFU’s mission.

“That hands-on experience made everything feel real,” she said. “We were creating work that had a direct purpose for actual clients and communities. It pushed me to think strategically across channels and consider how messaging, design, and audience engagement connect to support organizational goals."

Tristen also points to the flexibility of the program as a major strength. While completing her M.F.A., she worked with Duquesne Athletics and created graphics that were used by ESPN during March Madness. She also was a member of the Jamaican Senior Women's Lacrosse Team and represented the nation at the 2025 Pan-American Women's Lacrosse Championship.

“The program made it possible to stay involved in high-level athletics and professional work while continuing to build my creative practice,” she said.

Tristen Chang smiles in front of Rooney Field with College Hall in the background.

Built for Bigger Goals

Balancing graduate study, client work, and athletics.

Curriculum

14 Courses, 42 Credits

View Catalog
  • DMA 501 Introduction to Media Design (3 Credits)
  • MDIA 565 Ethical Issues in Media (3 Credits)
  • ADPR 567 Research Methods (3 Credits)
  • MDIA 582 Media Law and Regulation (3 Credits)
  • MDIA 700 Media Project and Thesis Workshop (3 Credits)
  • ADPR 521 Campaign Planning and Execution (3 Credits)
  • DMA 505 Graphic Design Process (3 Credits)
  • DMA 583 Photography: Concepts and Creation (3 Credits)
  • JOUR 571 Investigative Reporting (3 Credits) or JOUR 569 Magazine Journalism (3 Credits)
  • MDIA 517 Critical Studies in Media (3 Credits)
  • MDIA 541 Multiplatform Storytelling Workshop (3 Credits)
  • MDIA 579 Digital Video Production (3 Credits)
Interactive Design Block
  • DMA 562 Elements of User Experience (UX) Design (3 Credits)
  • DMA 574 Interactive Design Studio - Process (3 Credits)

Interactive Media Marketing Block
  • ADPR 511 Interactive Media Marketing (3 Credits)
  • ADPR 603 Social Media and Digital Marketing (3 Credits)

Visual Communication Block 
  • DMA 522 Kinetic Design Techniques (3 Credits)
  • MDIA 599 Directed Studies in Media (3 Credits)

Learning Outcomes

  1. Develop principals and skills necessitated by the industry.
  2. Gain a solid understanding of the industry strategies, systems and structures.
  3. Understand and analyze trends, issues and challenges involving media/content design and delivery.
  4. Function within collaborative environments to implement project workflows.