Media Management, M.S.

Graduate Program

About the Program

Build an Exciting Future for Yourself.

Professional headshot of University of Miami alumnus Trevon James

“The MS Media Management program here at the University of Miami has helped me beyond my furthest expectations. [M]y advisors, professors, and the wonderful people associated with the Toppel Career Center worked with me every step of the way on building lasting connections that would lead to tangible results.”
– Trevon James, MS Graduate, Class 2021

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 and media 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 or career interests.

Most required classes are held on Saturdays or weekday evenings to provide flexibility for working professionals. 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.

For a complete list of courses, please visit the UM Bulletin website at http://bulletin.miami.edu

JMM 614 Law and Ethics in Journalism and Media Management (3 credits)

This course focuses on two critically important areas of the law for both aspiring 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.

JMM 632 Current Issues in Media Management (3 credits)

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.

JMM 636 Content Strategy in the Media Industry (3 credits)

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.

JMM 642 Media Management Research and Analysis (3 credits)

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.

ACC 600 Accounting for Decision-Making and Control (2 credits)

The course focuses on the use and understanding of basic financial and managerial accounting reports. The course is oriented to the user of financial data rather than the preparer of the data. Coverage of basic accounting assumptions and current issues affecting accounting processes and reporting are included, but detailed accounting procedures are not emphasized. Completion of the course should permit students to understand accounting information and to communicate with professional accountants. Does not satisfy any accounting requirements needed to sit for the CPA exam in Florida.

BUS 610 Communicating for Career Success (2 credits)

The modern businessperson faces a constantly evolving environment and must be able to confront and respond to an array of business issues. At the heart of an effective response is a critical, comprehensive analysis coupled with the ability to meaningfully and persuasively communicate that assessment and recommendations to a variety of constituencies. This course prepares business students for this by exposing them to a three-step process of problem solving in which they critically analyze the problem, and then communicate their analysis both in writing and orally. The critical thinking and communication elements of the course are supplemented with additional practical applications relating to career readiness, job search, and job procurement.

FIN 641 Valuation and Financial Decision Making (2 credits)

Basic financial valuation. This is one of the core classes in finance for our regular MBA program. Topics include the financial environment; the time value of money; capital market efficiency; basic security valuation; risk, return and asset pricing; cost of capital; and an introduction to capital budgeting.

MAS 631 Statistics for Managerial Decision Making (2 credits)

This course aims to familiarize the student with statistical theory, tools, and methods required for business systems analysis and improvement. Topics include descriptive methods, elementary probability, random variables and the distributions, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, statistical modeling, and regression.

MGT 620 Managing Through People (2 credits)

This core course in the MBA program introduces students to some of the key behavioral topics necessary to manage oneself and others in organizations. Specific ally, the topics covered include individual attributes (personality, perception, motivation, relationship building), group processes (norms, roles, and team basics), leadership views, and organizational culture/change. An understanding of the relationship between each of these areas and organizational outcomes is enhanced through lecture, cases, and interactive exercises.

MGT 677 Corporate Strategy and Organization (2 credits)

This capstone course focuses on the perspective and skills of the general manager. Its purpose is to provide practice in diagnosing and identifying realistic solutions to complex strategic and organizational problems. Course builds on previous coursework by providing an opportunity to integrate various functional areas by providing a total business perspective. Since the course focus is on pragmatic, action-oriented general management skills, the course is taught primarily through the case method and requires both written analyses and case presentations.

MKT 640 Foundations of Marketing Management (2 credits)

Course introduces students to the analytical concepts and tools of marketing management. Special emphasis is placed on the relationships between marketing and overall company strategy, the development of a customer orientation, the integration of marketing throughout the organization, and the implementation of systems for planning and controlling the marketing effort. Students consider problems of consumer analysis, product planning, integrated communication, distribution, and pricing. Data and analysis required to make effective marketing decisions are also examined. The discovery and application of marketing management skills are developed through the use of readings, case exercises, and class discussions.

Showcase Your Talents

The Media Management Association (MMA) offers students opportunities to network with local industry professionals at monthly meetings and run for office in early fall. The MMA Awards competition is held in late spring to recognize the outstanding work of students in the area of media management. Every semester, Orange Umbrella, the media consultancy housed in the University of Miami’s School of Communication, invites students to apply for various positions, including account managers, and work on real-life projects for clients. Students in Media Management can also join the executive boards of UMTV and WVUM, the University of Miami’s award-winning cable channel and FM radio station, respectively.

Featured Projects

A few of our media management projects, all done by our very own students and faculty.

View all of our Projects

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