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Scripps College of Communication
Schoonover Center
1 Ohio University
Athens OH 45701-2979
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Media Transformation and Innovation
Master of Arts
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Media Transformation and Innovation Master's Degree

The Media Transformation & Innovation Master of Arts degree prepares students for leadership in a media landscape reshaped by digital disruption, emerging technologies, and shifting audience expectations. Blending foundational media expertise with cutting-edge digital innovation, the program develops professionals equipped to navigate and shape complex, fast-moving media environments, and to do so with a clear understanding of the ethical responsibilities that role carries.

Students can pursue either a research route, culminating in a thesis, or a production route, culminating in a professional capstone project. Full-time students can complete the degree in three semesters (fall, spring, summer).

Choose an Area of Study

Students tailor the program to their interests through one of three areas of study.

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    Leadership and Innovation in Digital Media

    The Leadership and Innovation in Digital Media area of study coves strategic leadership, digital transformation practices, and fostering innovation within organizations.

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    Data Analytics, AI, and Visual Data Storytelling

    The Data Analytics, AI, and Visual Data Storytelling area of study ranges through data-driven research and storytelling for analytically focused theses or professional projects.

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    Media Production and Digital Content Creation

    The Media Production and Digital Content Creation area of study focuses on hands-on audio-visual production and digital content creation across platforms.

Careers with a Media Transformation and Innovation Master's Degree

Media is pervasive, and graduates of the M.A. in Media Transformation & Innovation are prepared for leadership roles across a wide range of industries and organizations. Career paths include digital media management, content strategy and innovation, social media analytics, audience research, media consulting, and emerging technology communication, in sectors spanning entertainment, advertising, corporate communications, technology, healthcare, education, and the public sector.

Graduates with a production focus pursue careers in audio-visual storytelling, digital content creation, and multimedia production, while those with an analytics orientation move into data-driven roles in media research, consulting, and the tech industry.

Entrepreneurial graduates have launched startups and media ventures at the intersection of technology and communication. Those whose interests extend beyond industry find the program's research and strategic communication skills equally valued in government, policy, advocacy, and mission-driven organizations worldwide.

The program's emphasis on original research and critical inquiry also prepares students who wish to pursue doctoral study or contribute to scholarship in media, communication, and emerging technology.

Illustration of multiple screens

Admissions Requirements

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  • Bachelor’s degree with GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Three letters of recommendation with at least one from an individual who has mentored or taught the applicant.
  • Personal statement of purpose
  • English Proficiency: Please review information about Ohio University's minimum English Language Proficiency requirements for graduate study.

View More About Media Arts Graduate Admissions

International Students

This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.

  • Tuition & Fees

    Tuition and fees are assessed based on the number of credit hours of enrollment, Ohio residency and program.

    Graduate Tuition and Fees

  • Financial Aid & Scholarships

    Financial aid for graduate study is available in the form of student loans. To begin the loan application process, you need to complete and submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The school code for Ohio University is 003100.

    To learn more about loans, scholarships and grants, visit Ohio University's Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. Another good resource is The College Board.

  • Media Arts Graduate Assistantships

    Graduate Assistantships are competitively awarded based on academic record, professional experience, recommendations and current needs of the School of Media Arts and Studies. All GAs are required to work 15 hours in exchange for a stipend and full tuition waiver and may be assigned as teaching assistants, research assistants, or instructors. Stipend levels are reviewed annually; for the 2020-21 academic year, doctoral students received $15,000 and master's students received $12,000.

Media Transformation and Innovation M.A. Courses & Degree Requirements

View Courses & Requirements in the Academic Catalog

The M.A. program of study includes a minimum of 32 credit hours, including 12 hours of foundation courses plus 16 hours of electives selected with the student's advisor and approved by their committee.

The elective area may include graduate certificate options:

Master's Advisory Committee

During the first semester of study, master's students select a School of Media Arts & Studies (MDIA) faculty member to serve as their advisor and committee chair. The Program Committee includes a minimum of two additional members with credentials appropriate to the student's area of study, at least one of whom must be an MDIA faculty member. The committee guides course selection, approves the program of study, and plays a central role in the culminating experience, whether approving the capstone proposal, administering and evaluating the thesis defense, or approving the final draft.

Program Highlights

  • 32 Credit Hours

    The curriculum is structured so that each requirement contributes directly to professional readiness, without extraneous coursework.

  • Built for AI and Emerging Media

    Coursework engages AI-driven content creation, social data analytics, and immersive media production, addressing the technologies currently reshaping how media is produced, distributed, and evaluated. These competencies form the foundation of the degree rather than an optional area of study.

  • Integrated Graduate Certificate Options

    A student leaves with the M.A. degree plus a Scripps College certificate at no extra credit hours.

  • Capstone Project or Thesis

    Students complete the degree with either a professional capstone project or a master's thesis. The professional project produces portfolio-ready work for industry careers, while the thesis supports students preparing for doctoral study or research-oriented positions.

Trung Nguyen: From Fulbright to Media Arts & Studies

Trung Nguyen is a 2024–2026 Fulbright Foreign Student Program grantee who graduated with a Master of Arts in Media Arts & Studies. At OHIO, he was an active researcher in the SMART Lab.
Connect with Trung Nguyen on LinkedIn
The SMART Lab

The SMART Lab

Students in the M.A. in Media Transformation and Innovation can engage directly with the Social Media Analytics Research Team (SMART) Lab, an interdisciplinary hub in the Scripps College of Communication dedicated to research on social media analytics. Directed by the program's own Dr. Laeeq Khan, the lab gives students hands-on experience collecting, analyzing, and visualizing social and platform data, and a setting to turn coursework into real research and professional projects. Its work spans digital inequality, audience engagement, health and crisis communication, media literacy, and artificial intelligence, and it hosts various events such as the SMART Research Symposium and the SMART Dialogue Series for graduate students.

SMART Lab student discusses research on conversations in the news

Media Arts & Studies Graduate Programs

Our Media Arts & Studies graduate research programs focus on critical media studies, emerging media and society, media industry studies, data analytics, international media, and media and development. Students may choose to emphasize either the social science or humanities traditions, and they have the opportunity to employ both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The school usually has 30 to 40 students enrolled at the graduate level and maintains quality through selective admissions. Admission is granted only in the fall semester of each year.

An Ohio University student in front of multiple screens in a media lab

Meet the Director

Dr. Laeeq Khan's scholarly interests include social media analytics, audience engagement, ethical AI in communication, health and crisis messaging, misinformation and media literacy, and digital inequality. As Founding Director of the SMART (Social Media Analytics Research Team) Lab and Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Intersections: Social Media in Society & Culture, he brings the program's emphasis on data, innovation, and emerging media into both research and teaching.

Laeeq Khan

  • Contact Us

    For more information about the Media Transformation and Innovation M.A., contact the program director, Dr. Laeeq Khan, at khanm1@ohio.edu.

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