Degree Offered
- Master of Science in Journalism
Nature of the Program
The Media Solutions and Innovation graduate program explicitly prepares students to become media strategists and futurists who can function as change agents and adaptive leaders within the industry. Our 15-month online master’s degree program helps students learn about the disruptions in the media industry and how to build industry partners to assist in research and development, discovery, and creating targeted solution pathways to address some of the most challenging media problems.
This master’s program is designed to fill an identified need in the market by offering a flexible innovation program that focuses on individual entrepreneurship as an alternative to existing skills-focused “new media” programs, and as a unique graduate-level program that challenges/extends existing “teaching hospital” models in schools of journalism. The program is taught by a diverse faculty who are recognized leaders in their fields.
Publisher Path
Students focus on an individually designed, hands-on immersion in addressing emerging challenges in media publishing, from how to create a start-up digital media product to enhancing skills in media leadership, news product development, audience engagement and analytics and more. After completing their core courses, students will apply course learning in a comprehensive project addressing a unique challenge for a start-up, a new media product or an existing real-world media publication.
Graduate Assistantships
Students in the Media Solutions program who secure a graduate assistant position at any academic or non‐academic unit on campus will be eligible to receive a waiver of University tuition for Media Solutions courses, as well as any stipend/compensation offered by the unit hosting the position. For complete information on graduate assistant options at WVU, please visit the Graduate Education Assistantships webpage.
Program Format
The program’s academic schedule consists of 6 terms completed over 15 months: Early Fall (August–October), Late Fall (October-December, Early Spring (January–March), Late Spring (March-May), Summer (May–June) and Fall (August-December).
Admissions for 2025-2026
Admission to the Innovations and Media Solutions – Publishing Path program is based on a holistic, case-by-case analysis of the applicant’s WVU Graduate Application for Admission, academic record (undergraduate transcript), years of relevant professional experience (resume), and writing ability and intent (personal statement)..
Students are admitted to the program once per year in the Summer admission term. All applications received by the application priority deadline will be considered, and accepted students will be notified by the corresponding priority acceptance notification date.
Major Code: 3748
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation. | ||
| A grade of C‐ or better is required in all courses. | ||
| MDIA 610 | Disruptions & Trends in Media Enterprise | 3 |
| MDIA 612 | Emergent Issues in Media Ethics and Law | 3 |
| MDIA 614 | Audience Development | 3 |
| MDIA 618 | Community Journalism | 3 |
| MDIA 619 | Product Development for Newsrooms | 3 |
| MDIA 620 | Next Gen News Analytics | 3 |
| Community Based Field Experience | 6 | |
| Community Based Field Experience | ||
| MDIA 695 | Independent Study | 2 |
| MDIA 697 | Research | 4 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Program
- B.S.J. in Journalism/M.S.J. in Media Solutions and Innovation
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 28 | |
| Non-Journalism/Media Requirements | 27 | |
| School of Media and Communications Core Requirements | 12 | |
| Journalism Major Requirements | 53 | |
| MESO Requirements | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 136 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 6, and 7 | 16 | |
| MDIA 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| General Electives | 10 | |
| Total Hours | 28 | |
Non-Journalism/Media Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 153 | Making of Modern America: 1865 to the Present | 3 |
| ECON 200 | Survey of Economics | 3 |
| BCOR 350 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| POLS 102 | Introduction to American Government | 3 |
| STAT 111 | Understanding Statistics | 3 |
| English literature or Creative Writing course | 3 | |
| Two semesters of any foreign language/computer coding course or one language/coding course +study abroad | 6 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Total Hours | 27 | |
School of Media and Communications Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MDIA 101 | Media and Society | 3 |
| MDIA 215S | Media Writing | 3 |
| MDIA 225S | Media Tools & Applications | 3 |
| JRL 528 | Media Ethics and Law | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
BSJ Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required in Journalism Major Requirements. | ||
| Select three one-credit-hour JRL skills courses, which include, but are not limited to, the following options: | 3 | |
| Podcast Producing | ||
| Podcast Producing | ||
| Advanced Video Editing | ||
| Voice Performance for Broadcasting | ||
| Immersive Storytelling: AR/VR | ||
| Take each of the following: | ||
| JRL 318S | Beat Reporting | 3 |
| JRL 319S | Editing and Curation | 3 |
| JRL 341S | Data and Design | 3 |
| JRL 458 | Interactive Media and Audience Building | 3 |
| Select one of the following capstones: | 3 | |
| Multimedia Reporting | ||
| Advanced Video Reporting and Producing | ||
| Multimedia News Publication | ||
| Select two advisor-approved "track" electives from the following or from other advisor-approved upper-level JRL electives: | 6 | |
| Advanced Photojournalism | ||
| Media Design | ||
| Investigative Reporting | ||
| Video and Audio News Writing | ||
| Advanced Video Storytelling | ||
| Beginning Video Reporting | ||
| Social Media and Journalism | ||
| Documentary Storytelling | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Required Minor | 15 | |
| Shared Graduate Electives | ||
| MDIA 528 | Emergent Issues in Media Ethics & Law | 3 |
| MDIA 510 | Disruptions & Trends in Media Enterprise | 3 |
| MDIA 518 | Community Journalism | 3 |
| MDIA 519 | Product Development for Newsrooms | 3 |
| MDIA 595 | Independent Study | 2 |
| Total Hours | 53 | |
MESO Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses | ||
| A grade of C‐ or better is required in all courses. | ||
| MDIA 514 | Audience Development | 3 |
| MDIA 520 | Next Gen News Analytics | 3 |
| Community Based Field Experience | 6 | |
| Community Based Field Experience | ||
| MDIA 697 | Research | 4 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 191 | 2 | ENGL Literature or Creative Writing course | 3 |
| MDIA 101 (GEF 4) | 3 | Language Course | 3 |
| MDIA 215S | 3 | GEF 2B | 4 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
| Language Course | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| One-credit-hour JRL Skills course | 1 | JRL 318S | 3 |
| MDIA 225S | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | HIST 153 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| BCOR 350 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| One-credit-hour JRL Skills Course | 1 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 319S | 3 | STAT 111 | 3 |
| GEF 7 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| JRL 341S | 3 | Electives | 3 |
| POLS 102 | 3 | ECON 200 | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | JRL "track" elective | 3 |
| One credit-hour-hour JRL Skills Course | 1 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| JRL 458 | 3 | JRL Capstone Course | 3 |
| JRL 528 | 3 | Minor Course | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | MDIA 519 | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | JRL "track" elective | 3 |
| MDIA 514 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 12 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MDIA 595 | 1 | Field Experience | 6 |
| MDIA 518 | 3 | ||
| MDIA 510 | 3 | MDIA 697 | 4 |
| MDIA 520 | 3 | MDIA 595 | 1 |
| 10 | 11 | ||
| Total credit hours: 136 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Media Solutions and Innovation
- Understand the basic principles of innovation theories as applied to media practice.
- Understand current and emerging technology and digital platforms and their implications for media practice.
- Understand problems in law and ethics in media practice related to new technology.
- Solve problems in content acquisition and creation in media production using new technology.
- Solve problems in audience development, monetization and distribution using new technology.
- Practice advanced project management across diverse teams in media organizations.
- Produce innovative media products using advanced digital storytelling techniques such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and other interactive media.
- Design and conduct research to solve current and emerging industry problems.
- Communicate key insights and forecasting data regarding adoption of new technology and new digital practice to decision makers.
- Explain how media organizations use current methods such as social media, mobile-first content, algorithms, AI and ‘bots’, and a range of industry-standard analytics tools to conduct audience-building.