Documentary (M.F.A.)
The Department of Cinematic Arts and the Department of Journalism and Media Management offer a 54-credit, two-year, MFA degree in Documentary. This interdisciplinary degree provides students with advanced skills in non-fiction creative storytelling and knowledge in documentary production and distribution delivered across a range of platforms.
By building on the School of Communication’s strengths in both cinematic and journalistic documentary, the Documentary in MFA program distinguishes itself by converging disciplines and promoting experimentation with the goal of producing forms that best serve story content. Students will be exposed to a variety of documentary styles, including observational, expository, reflexive, performative, participatory, and poetic (e.g., impressionistic, associative, or affective modes). While immersed in a wide range of approaches, the program emphasizes the social responsibility of the storyteller and explores the standards and ethics of journalism.
Graduates from this program will gain knowledge in how to cast a light on under-represented issues or topics of social relevance in ways that are visceral and impactful. The curriculum is designed to balance documentary film with journalism, and encourages students to focus on one of an array of academic disciplines found at UM in order to better understand and communicate through documentary. It provides a coherent structure along with the flexibility to achieve personal freedom of expression. Students must complete a minimum of 54 credit hours with the approval of the faculty advisor.
Journalism (M.A.)
Journalism is an intensive program of academic study and hands-on practice designed to develop competitive, high-level, cross-platform digital media skills appropriate for today's media landscape. Students take a common core of courses designed to provide a foundation in all aspects of contemporary journalism (e.g., writing, reporting, multimedia, data visualization, broadcasting, media law and ethics). In addition, students have the opportunity to focus their work in various areas of study, including broadcast journalism, news and feature writing and various aspects of multimedia journalism. Through a combination of journalism courses and related courses offered by other programs, students may also concentrate some of their work in particular areas of interest (e.g., sports reporting and, travel and features). The program begins in the fall semester and lasts 18 months. No prior training or experience in journalism is required though students with substantial professional experience in a subject may apply to substitute other courses for basic courses in that subject. The program begins in the fall semester. Students can complete the degree in twelve months provided they attend full-time and complete 36 credits as advised. Other students prefer to attend part-time to accommodate employment or other interests. Some summer courses are required whether the student is full-time or part-time. Part-time students typically complete the program in 18-to-24 months.
Media Management (M.S.)
This 32-credit interdisciplinary graduate program is designed for students who seek new or advanced opportunities in the various and expanding areas of the media industry, such as content distribution, news and entertainment programming, research, and analytics. Students complete courses in the Miami Herbert Business School to learn or strengthen their knowledge of business fundamentals, including managerial strategy, accounting, and marketing. At the same time, students take courses in the Department of Journalism and Media Management to apply business principles to media situations and evaluate critically how technological and regulatory trends, changing business models, emergent content applications, and new audience measurement techniques influence decision-making in media operations. Students can also customize their coursework by selecting electives in the School of Communication that best match their personal and career interests.
Students can study full time or part time. The program begins every fall and lasts one year for full-time students or two years for part-time students. No prior business or media management experience or education is required.
Certificate in Media Management (G.C.M.M.)
This 12-credit non-degree graduate certificate allows professionals to take four courses related to media management within a year and discover, or expand on, key business areas of the media sector. Certificate graduates have the option to apply to the Master of Science in Media Management and transfer their successfully earned certificate credits toward the degree upon admission.
Applications are accepted every fall and spring. No prior media management experience or education is required.
JMM 601. Editorial Interpretation of Contemporary Events. 3 Credit Hours.
Critical examination of fundamental issues in public life. Preparation of edito rials and interpretive articles for mass media are included.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 609. Internship in Journalism and Media Management. 1-3 Credit Hours.
Prescribed study and supervised work with professional in print, broadcast, online, and other media organizations.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.
JMM 610. Latin American Journalism and Media Systems. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines journalism and society in the countries of Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean. We are especially concerned with how journalism intersects with democracy, sustainable living, social justice and rights.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 612. History of Journalism Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.
The development and impact of journalism in America traced through industry leaders and events.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 613. Computer-Assisted Reporting. 3 Credit Hours.
Use of computer applications for newsgathering with emphasis on the World Wide Web, commercial online services, and database tools.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 614. Law and Ethics in Journalism and Media Management. 3 Credit Hours.
This course focuses on two critically important areas of the law for both aspiring news media professionals and those seeking management opportunities. Principles of free speech, deeply rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, delve into such topics as defamation, privacy, access to information, obscenity, and intellectual property. The course also introduces students to the fundamentals of business law as it pertains to the media industry with an emphasis on employment, workplace management, and business contracts. Ethical issues are addressed throughout the course.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 615. Writing and Reporting Across Platforms. 3 Credit Hours.
An introduction to professional operating practices in multimedia journalism wi th emphasis on news writing and news production skills.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 616. Evolution and Impact of Television Content: The American Sitcom. 3 Credit Hours.
The seminar will examine how social, economic and political factors impacted the development and evolution of the content of sitcoms, as well as the impact such content had on American society.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 617. Television News Reporting. 3 Credit Hours.
Gathering and preparation of news stories for presentation in news programs. Includes field reporting, editing, preparation of visual and aural elements, writing, producing and performing for on-air presentation.
Components: STU.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.
JMM 618. International Journalism. 3 Credit Hours.
News gathering, transmission, and distribution outside the United States, with emphasis on Latin America.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 619. Interactive Storytelling. 3 Credit Hours.
Digitization allows us to merge several forms of media that were not connected in the past. This course is intended as an exploration of how storytelling is r e-inventing itself utilizing the new digital communication tools available to u s today. This course will cover linear and non-linear storytelling techniques a nd production processes.
Prerequisites: JMM 628 and JMM 622 and JMM 630 and CIM 690.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 620. Reporting and the Internet. 3 Credit Hours.
Overview of uses of online computer services for newsgathering and distribution with emphasis on the Internet.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 621. Global Media. 3 Credit Hours.
An analysis of issues and practices surrounding globalization, regionalization, and global/local as they relate to media industries, journalism, and communica tion.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 622. Introduction to Infographics and Data Visualization. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is an introduction to the visual display of information with a special focus on the encoding of data by means of graphs, charts, maps, and diagrams.
Components: LAB.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 623. Sports Reporting. 3 Credit Hours.
A hands-on sports journalism course that will develop students' skills in sports reporting and sports writing. Discussions range across the entire field of sports reporting, including broadcasting, but the greatest emphasis is concentrated on sports reporting and writing for print, online, social media and media relations. Students will go off-campus to cover professional and college sporting events live on deadline, hear from guest speakers across the industry, and cover on-campus UM sports beats.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 625. Advanced Newsgathering and Writing Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.
Refining news writing and reporting skills for the media.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 627. Television News Producing. 3 Credit Hours.
Studio anchoring, newscast producing and field reporting for news and public affairs programming. Live field reporting and field and studio interviewing techniques are covered.
Components: STU.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.
JMM 628. Seminar in Visual Storytelling. 3 Credit Hours.
An advanced seminar class designed to enhance the knowledge and practice of the visual storytelling narrative. This seminar stresses the importance of converg ing media, still images, video, and sound. Particular emphasis will be placed u pon the creation of a multimedia portfolio.
Components: LAB.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 629. Advanced Infographics and Data Visualization. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is a seminar designed to introduce interactive data visualization concepts in a web environment. Students will be introduced to code libraries which assist in this task, best practices for interactivity and data visualization. The course will also briefly cover working with data (i.e., how to find sources, cleaning and preparing data for visualizations, etc.).
Pre- Requisite: JMM 622.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.
JMM 630. Programming for Interactivity. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is a multimedia class that will teach the fundamental programming s kills required to create compelling online multimedia stories.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 631. Storytelling with Data. 3 Credit Hours.
This course teaches how to extract meaning from data for more powerful reporting.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 632. Current Issues in Media Management. 3 Credit Hours.
This course addresses how recent developments in media technology, regulation, content, and measurement have influenced the structure and economics of the media industry. Given the rapid evolution of the media business across platforms, topics are likely to vary from year to year. Media cases are used to discuss appropriate strategies and decision-making and help students think as media managers.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 633. Social Media. 3 Credit Hours.
This course looks at social media from an organizational perspective: best practices for news and media organizations; building digital communities; monitoring/listening to user-generated content; and branding and marketing through social media.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 634. Media Distribution for Film and Television. 3 Credit Hours.
This course covers the various aspects of the distribution process for films and television programs through conventional and emerging channels.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 635. The Broadcasting, Cable, and Electronic Media Industry. 3 Credit Hours.
Examination of broadcasting, cable, and related electronic media from a business perspective.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 636. Content Strategy in the Media Industry. 3 Credit Hours.
What distinguishes the media industry from other sectors is the primacy of content. This course examines the practices involved in developing, distributing, scheduling, and monetizing media content, especially in the video space. Programming strategies are discussed across traditional and emergent media platforms.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 637. The Business of Modern Journalism. 3 Credit Hours.
The course examines the evolving business models for legacy news organizations as well as discusses entrepreneurial opportunities for news content in new media and digital platforms.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 638. Infographics and Data Visualization Studio. 3 Credit Hours.
A studio course in which the student will design a large visualization project that meets the standards of quality for professional publication. The student will be required to learn new technologies and to apply tools learned in previous classes.
Prerequisites: JMM 622 and JMM 629 or JMM 650 or JMM 631.
Components: LAB.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 639. Travel Journalism. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is designed to teach travel journalism, which includes travel storytelling through writing, photography and videography.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 640. Web Design. 3 Credit Hours.
This course covers the basic aspects of interaction design and web development, focusing on production processes. It provides an overview of web design concepts including usability, accessibility, information architecture, basic animation, and graphic design; all discussed in the context of the web environment. This course further offers an introduction to fundamental and emerging web trends.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.
JMM 641. Advanced Audio Video Narratives. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines uses of audio and video to communicate journalism. Student s learn to investigate, gather content, and produce documentary stories primari ly for online distribution.
Prerequisite: JMM 628.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 642. Media Management Research and Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.
This course covers the primary research methods, such as survey research and qualitative analysis, used to collect data about media audiences and address media management issues. Applications or small-scale projects are conducted for practice.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 643. Media Industry Trends. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines the organizational and economic issues that influence today’s mass media environment.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 644. Feature Writing. 3 Credit Hours.
Analyzing and writing feature articles for magazines, newspapers, and other new s media.
Components: LAB.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 645. Children and the Media. 3 Credit Hours.
This class will explore issues relating to children and impact or influence the various types of media have on children. Do violent video games really create violent teenagers and adults? How do the various social media platforms and applications affect children? Do the media contribute to health problems in young people, such as eating disorders? More generally, how do the media affect issues of child development, identity, violence, learning and consumerism? We will also try to look at how adults determine advertising, marketing, educational, or entertainment programming directed at children. There will be an emphasis on keeping an open mind and employing critical thinking skills.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 646. Travel Writing. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of the major types and styles of travel news and features stories for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and websites.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 647. Magazine Planning. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is a magazine planning class where students will create a 32-page print/digital cross-platform niche publication from scratch. It will be based on a business model creating a design and content for a specific audience.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 648. Sports and the Media. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines the relationship between sports and the media, including stakeholders and the financial component of sports and media, sports production and content, and sports media audiences. The course provides an understanding of the social and economic relationships between sports and media and the effects those relationships have on sports consumers.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 649. Team Multimedia Project. 1-3 Credit Hours.
Students will work in a team to produce a documentary multimedia project in con junction with one or more partner universities. Students will study the genre of documentary multimedia storytelling, research their assigned topic(s), conte nt-gather, edit, wireframe, design and program the project and produce it on mu ltiple platforms depending on the topic and intended audience. Students will u se audio, photographic, video, infographic and text reporting tools in producin g the project. They will also study methodologies for evaluating multimedia an d beta test the site using established research methodologies.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Summer.
JMM 650. 3D Design and Graphics. 3 Credit Hours.
This course focuses on the use of 3D Design software for communication and how to integrate with other print and digital technologies.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 652. Intolerance and the Media. 3 Credit Hours.
When it comes to people who look, believe, or act differently from you, are you a tolerant person? What does that mean to you? We hear a lot of talk about tolerance and intolerance of those who are different from some of us, such as people from Central and South America seeking jobs or asylum, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with a different political or religious point of view, Muslims from the Middle East, and immigrants generally. Tolerance, in this context, means I don’t like you, I’m suspicious of you, or I’m watching you, but I’ll let you live and work here. The two words – tolerance and intolerance – seem to define the debate. But by allowing these two words to define the debate, have we limited our thinking? In this context, We do not talk about understanding people who are different or accepting them for who and what they are. As George Orwell noted in his once famous and now famous again 1984, by manipulating the language we use, the government can alter the public’s way of thinking. The goal, he wrote, was to so limit language as to make different thinking impossible because people will lack the words to conceptualize it. Similarly, there are those who say certain ways of acting or believing should not even be tolerated, that such things are completely unacceptable.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 653. Practicum in Producing News. 1-3 Credit Hours.
The mechanics of planning and executing professional style newscasts and/or long-form television news program.
Components: STU.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.
JMM 655. Media Technology. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines the deployment, use, and impact of communication technologies in various media contexts from an economic, regulatory, and social perspective.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 656. Podcast Storytelling. 3 Credit Hours.
This course teaches students podcasting concepts and techniques to create podcasts on various topics.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.
JMM 657. Media Entrepreneurship. 3 Credit Hours.
Students generate comprehensive business plans for a proposed media enterprise. Organizational, financial, and marketing aspects of starting a media business are discussed.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 659. Web and Media Analytics. 3 Credit Hours.
This course covers the computations, interpretations, and applications of metrics used to measure media audiences across electronic, print, and online platforms.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 662. Online Journalism. 3 Credit Hours.
A survey of the issues, skills and practices related to the online presentation of news and information in a convergent media environment.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 663. Applied Data Analytics for Journalism and Media Management. 3 Credit Hours.
This course introduces students to the procedures used for extracting, processing, and analyzing datasets on web and social media sites.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.
JMM 670. Public Affairs Research and Reporting. 3 Credit Hours.
This course prepares students to become competent public affairs reporters. Students will review reporting skills and learn advanced techniques for how to conduct story research and find quality sources. Students will sharpen their research, news writing, and reporting skills, with a focus on the public sector.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 679. Advanced Documentary Photography. 3 Credit Hours.
Focused on the great tradition of documentary photography, this course is a hands-on introduction to visual storytelling in which students learn to see their community in a new way and produce a documentary project. The course requires initiative and interaction with residents of Miami. Projects will explore a culture-rich Miami neighborhood and all aspects of life there, from sports and schools to religion, commerce and the arts.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.
JMM 692. Special Topics in Journalism and Media Management. 3 Credit Hours.
This course subject matter varies according to announced special topic. See class schedule for details.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.
JMM 693. Creative Smartphone Photo Illustration. 3 Credit Hours.
This course focuses on creative smartphone photo illustration. You will improve your photography skills on your smartphone while pushing your creative level. We will be breaking a lot of the basic rules of photography while taking and editing images to have an artsy look. Emphasis will be placed on creativity. This class has a heavy workload that is split between taking and editing images. You will use APPs of your choice when editing the photographs. This course will help students acquire and develop analytical, organizational, and technical skills to create photo illustrations. You will learn to work in groups, critique other student work and to take constructive criticism. The purpose of this course is to become aware of both the aesthetic and ethical implications of the visual messages we see. Originality and an interest in visual communication are recommended for this course.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.
JMM 699. Advanced Projects and Directed Research. 1-6 Credit Hours.
Individual study. Course may be repeated to a maximum of six credits.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.
JMM 815. Multimedia Project. 1-6 Credit Hours.
Students, in consultation with program faculty, will complete a final project that reflects in-depth knowledge and analysis of a subject and professional competence in multimedia storytelling. Course may be repeated to a maximum of six credits.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.
