Brand and Media Strategy, M.A.

General Program Information

Dr. Susan Waters, Graduate Coordinator Media and Communication
519 Warf Pickel
Box 70669
423-439-7912
e-mail: watersse@etsu.edu

Web address: https://www.etsu.edu/mcom

The Master’s of Arts in Brand and Media Strategy is a workforce-driven degree, providing students with cross-disciplinary theoretical and applied approaches in content creation, content distribution, media and campaign planning and execution, and brand and audience insight and analytics.  
 
This degree will appeal to any media, communication, or marketing professional interested in brand and media management/production as well as scholars in digital journalism, film, social media, public relations, advertising and/or brand communication. Students learn through curriculum and client experiences converging communication, media, marketing, design, research, analysis, art, and technology. Topics in the program include advertising, audience research and analytics, branding and brand storytelling, brand films, crisis communication, digital marketing, event planning, media strategy, native advertising, public relations, and social media.  
 
The program differs from most as it provides students the opportunity of earning professional certifications in addition to providing real-world, portfolio-building, and resume-enhancing industry experiences while earning their degree. Possible industry certifications include the Digital Marketing Institute’s Digital Marketing Associate Certification, Adobe’s Creative Cloud solution certifications, and certifications from Google, HubSpot, the Brand Storytelling Network, and others.  
 
The program’s interdisciplinary approach is built on a faculty mentoring foundation that provides students the opportunity to build their own unique program regarding their own desired professional outcomes.  

Articulation Agreement

Students enrolled in the Brand and Media Strategy M. A. may enroll in and apply up to 12 hours of the following coursework-MCOM 5080 , RTVF 5100 , RTVF 5100 , and RTVF 5300 -to the Graduate Certificate Program in Film Production. Likewise, students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Film Production may enroll in and apply up to 12 hours of the certificate to the Brand and Media Strategy M. A.

Program Admission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted using the ETSU Graduate School’s online application system and will be vetted by the program for originality using Turnitin. Applications deemed to have been plagiarized will automatically be rejected and not be admissible to the University in the future.

In addition to the materials required by the Graduate School, applicants for the M.A. in Brand and Media Strategy are required to submit the following to the Graduate School:          

1. Statement of Purpose: This approximately 1000-1500 word essay describes the applicant’s goals for their graduate research and/or creative work. The committee uses this information to determine if faculty skills are a good match for the applicant’s interests and to see if the applicant’s agenda is reasonable
2. Recommendations: Three (3) academic and/or professional recommendations
3. Portfolio: A sample of at least three separate examples of past academic or professional work, submitted as a single PDF document, that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability and current capability for professional work.   If file size is too large, please include a link to those assigments. 

Brand and Media Strategy, M.A. Degree Requirements: 36 credits

Thesis: The thesis option requires 36 total credits. This includes 12 credits of advisor approved electives.

Non-Thesis: The project option requires 36 total credits. This includes 18 credits of advisor approved electives.

Brand and Media Strategy Core Requirements: 18 credits

• MCOM 5080 - Media Law & Ethics (3 credits)
• MCOM 5085 - Media Theory (3 credits)
• MCOM 5100 - Brand Content Strategy (3 credits)
• PUBR 5310 - Media Management (3 credits)
• PUBR 5320 - Public Relations Case Studies (3 credits)
• PUBR 5325 - Brand Insight & Analytics (3 credits)

Thesis Option: 18 credits

• Advisor Approved Electives (12 credits)

• MCOM 5960 - Thesis (3-6 credits) (Take for 3 credits for two consecutive semesters for a total of 6 credits)

Non-Thesis Option: 18 credits

• Advisor Approved Electives (18 credits)