Masters Degree in Media Studies ... Worth it?

<p>I'm a rising junior at Stanford, majoring in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. The Communications Department offers juniors the opportunity to apply to a coterminal program, allowing students to work towards a BA and an MA simultaneously. Should I get into the program this year, I'll be graduating in senior year with both degrees. However, it's kind of a big deal, courseload wise. </p>

<p>I'm applying to law school senior year for entertainment law, hopefully getting into a JD/MBA program. My general interests in the entertainment industry are entertainment marketing and clientele services. I plan on taking a gap year or two to work in the industry before I go to law school. I'm wondering if getting an MA in Media Studies will do any good in these endeavors, and if it's even worth it.</p>

<p>The best way to find out is to look for people who already work doing what you do, and see if they have a master’s degree in that field (or what degrees they have in general).</p>

<p>Given that your major is in a non-media/communications field, it may help you to acquire an MA in media studies especially since it doesn’t seem like you have to pay any extra money for the program. It’ll show that you understand media at least from an academic standpoint. And for law school, it’ll show you have some long-standing interest in your field. However, even BETTER would be getting an internship in the field.</p>

<p>If you are really set on going to law school, you are probably aware that your undergrad GPA plays a very significant role in where you get into. The graduate GPA will be ignored for admissions purposes. If, as you mentioned, the coursework becomes too much and your undergrad GPA suffers it will really hurt your chances. Furthermore, the MS degree would be totally useless with your current JD/MBA goal, both in terms of admissions (for law school, at least) and your career.</p>

<p>If law school truly is your intended path, the MS would be pretty useless and a complete waste of your effort. Don’t sacrifice your undergrad GPA for it.</p>