Master of Arts in Research and Theory

The School of Journalism and Media's graduate program at The University of Texas at Austin is among the premier graduate programs in the country. It offers three distinct degrees: a Ph.D. degree, a Master's Research and Theory degree, and a Journalism Professional-track Master's degree. The MA Research and Theory is a two-year degree designed to provide students with additional depth in media and journalism studies. While our MA Pro Track degree focuses on preparing people who want to create media, our Research and Theory MA students can gain additional methodological expertise alongside knowledge of journalism and theory, which can help them to move toward doctoral degrees or a variety of analytic careers with media organizations. Methodological preparation includes opportunities to acquire skills to undertake qualitative and quantitative work, including working with ‘big data’ generated by Internet platforms and sites, as well as qualitative data often used by organizations ranging from the medical field to politics to survey researchers.The graduate internship required by the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations is meant to enhance the classroom education with practical, applied experience in the real world.

ResuméProvide an official transcript from every senior college you have attended. Even if courses taken at one institution are recorded on another college's transcript, transcripts must be submitted from the institution at which the courses were taken. Failure to list all colleges on the application and provide those transcripts will be considered an intentional omission and may lead to the cancellation of your application for admission or withdrawal of your offer of admission.Three Letters of RecommendationStatement of Purpose for Doctoral and MA R&T students - Write a 500-word statement of purpose about your research interests, how your professional experience ties in with that, and which faculty members you would like to study with.Master's applicants typically submit a research paper (R&T tracks) or three to five published articles (professional and tracks).A grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or a comparable GPA in upper-division work—junior- and senior-level courses—and in any graduate work already completed is also required.The Graduate School requires applicants to have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a comparable degree from a foreign academic institution