Master of Arts in Social and Emerging Media
The Master of Arts in Social and Emerging Media (MASEM) program introduces students to state-of-the-art research methods, strategies, production and practices for social and emerging media.
Students will learn to plan, research, write, produce and distribute professional media for multiple platforms and to do so strategically. Specific areas of study include emerging media technologies, digital storytelling, visual design, audio-video production, user experience production, audience and user experience research, media strategy and analytics, project management and emerging media policy, law and regulation. The program blends technological expertise with the creative arts and promotes peer engagement and faculty mentoring.
Students will learn to approach media creatively and strategically, to understand and to respond effectively to media audiences and to engage users through compelling storytelling, arresting visual design and adept implementation of the latest interactive technologies. This program will prepare students for work in a variety of fields that value strong written and visual communication skills, professional training in audio and video production, an understanding of new and emerging media platforms, technical savvy, training in research and data analysis, collaboration and team work, critical thinking and creative problem-solving.
Degree Requirements
Core Courses
Students must take all of the following courses:
| MAPC 611 | Emerging Technologies | 4 |
| SEM 601 | Digital Storytelling | 4 |
| SEM 602 | Visual Design for Emerging Media | 4 |
| SEM 603 | Audio and Video Production for Emerging Media | 4 |
| SEM 604 | Social and Emerging Media Strategy and Analytics | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 20 |
Elective Courses
Students must take two elective courses (8 credits) from the following list:
| SEM 610 | User Experience and Audience Research | 4 |
| SEM 611 | Media Creation and Project Management | 4 |
| SEM 612 | Emerging Media: Industry, Policy, and Law | 4 |
| SEM 613 | Advanced Production in Emerging Media | 4 |
| MAPC 612 | Ethics and Communication Law | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 8 |
Capstone Project or Thesis
The capstone experience is the final course for the Master of Arts in Social and Emerging Media, and it culminates in a project that demonstrates the student’s expertise in the field. The capstone experience is largely independent, and students will plan and produce a project under the supervision of a faculty member. Students who choose to do so have the opportunity to coordinate work on their projects with a nonprofit organization or a business in the Tampa Bay area.
After departmental approval, students are required to submit an electronic version of their thesis, dissertation or final project to the Macdonald-Kelce Library for inclusion in the digital repository, which is accessible on the internet.
Embargoes restricting access of full text to only the UT community may be selected for one, three or five years, before the work is released freely on the web through the repository. Students also have the option to release the work for immediate access worldwide.
| SEM 700 | Capstone in Social and Emerging Media | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Total Credit Hours: 32