Communication Division

Master of Arts in Media Production

Our master’s degree in Media Production provides graduates with a competitive edge, the ability to produce and market their stories to existing media conglomerates or to start their own businesses incorporating the newest technology. Our program is ideal for self-starters who grasp the storytelling process from concept through distribution, and who are looking for training as new media leaders with distinctive values and a firm grasp of “The Big Picture.”

Malibu is the home to the most powerful media moguls in the world. They don’t just make movies, they run studios, networks, and record labels. Our students have already been inspired by classes with Randall Wallace, the screenwriter of Braveheart; Tom Shadyac, the director of Bruce Almighty; Sheryl J. Anderson, producer of Charmed; and Don Ohlmeyer, broadcast producer of the Olympics and the Super Bowl. God gathered these world-renowned resources as our neighbors and friends. Pepperdine’s graduate program offers remarkable access. Pepperdine professors bring their considerable connections to class in an approachable and personable manner. We aim to forge long-term relationships with people who can turn your dreams into realities.

Click here for information on how to apply to the program. For specific questions about the Communication Division Graduate Programs, please contact Judith Tapper at jtapper@pepperdine.edu.

Graduate Application Deadlines

The application deadline for the fall term of the Master of Media Production is March 31st. Students wishing to apply for scholarships and assistantships must submit all application materials by February 1st. This application may be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator in the Communication Division.

Course Requirements

M.A. in Media Production students must complete a minimum of 29 units of core coursework designed to provide the necessary background and context for their program. An additional one to three courses (4 to 12 units) are then taken from a selection of Communication Division courses offered at the 500 or 600 level. Students are required to complete a minimum two-unit internship, attend 2 seminar courses featuring screenings and conversations with media producers and executives, and complete a capstone project that is a narrative short, a documentary, a complex strategic communication campaign (like a weblaunch), or a musical project (CD or recorded concert). The final project will be presented to a jury of professionals and faculty.   A written explanation of the research, theory, and process leading to the creation of the capstone project will also be required for final submission to the Dean’s office.

Required Courses: (29–39 units)

COURSE ID	Course Name	Units
MPRD 600	Stories that Matter	(4)
MPRD 602	Visual Design	(4)
MPRD 610	Media Production: Tools and Techniques	(4)
MPRD 612	Media Post-Production	(4)
COM 630	Qualitative Com. Research Methods	(4)
COM 640	Communication Ethics and Values	(4)
COM 692	Seminar in Communication Studies	(2-4)
COM 695	Graduate Internship and Fieldwork	(2-4)
COM 698	Graduate Project	(1-6)

 

Electives (select 4 to 12 units from the list below)

Additional courses may be chosen, with consent of the student’s adviser, from:

MPRD 590         Topics in Media Production                                    

(Rotating topics may include Sports production, Music and Sound Recording, Live Video and Music Production, Advanced Studio Production, Advanced Cinematography and Lighting, Internet Creation and Development, Internet Advertising Creation and Metrics, Documentary Production, and Creating & Managing Social Media Campaigns)

ADV 575            Advertising Campaign Management (pre-requisites required)

ADV 561           Advertising Account Planning and Research (pre-requisites required) 

COM 506          Media Worldwide 

COM 507          Public Opinion, Propaganda, and Attitude Change 

COM 512          Media Impact and U.S. Minorities

COM 519          Communication and Conflict

COM 570          Media Law

COM 590          Seminar in Communication

JOUR 590         Topics in Journalism

MSCO 560        Philosophy and Effects of Mass Communication

MPRD 550        Entertainment Industry Strategies

PR 555             Advanced Case Studies in Public Relations (pre-requisites required)

PR 505             Public Relations Management (pre-requisites required)

Admission Requirements

A bachelor's degree with a cumulative as well as a major grade point average of 3.0 is required. The degree may be in communication areas such as advertising, art, broadcasting, computer science, creative writing, film, graphic design, integrated marketing, journalism, mass communication, multimedia, music, new media, public relations, telecommunications, or theater. Students who do not have a bachelor's degree in Communication or a related discipline may be required to complete up to twenty units of undergraduate course work to get to a masters entry level proficiency. The exact requirements will vary, depending upon previous academic and professional work. A student with exceptional professional credentials or academic promise will on occasion be considered for admission, even though the grade point average or the score on the Graduate Record Examination is somewhat below the desired admissions level.

Note: Current Seaver undergraduate students in the Communication Division are eligible to apply for admission to the Accelerated Master of Arts Program (MA.). If granted provisional admission into the Master of Arts in Media Production program, undergraduate communication students would be eligible to enroll in three courses (nine to 12 units) of 500-level course work in communication that would be applied both to the units required for the BA. in communication and to the units required for the MA in Media Production.