iMedia admissions requirements and procedures
The admissions policy for the iMedia program is designed to select outstanding students who have demonstrated academic ability, professional leadership and managerial promise. Each applicant is considered in light of all completed academic work, test scores, evidence of motivation, credentials and letters of recommendation. Experience will be considered for prospective students returning to academe from the professional world.
Application materials are available from the Office of Graduate Admissions, 2750 Campus Box, Elon, NC 27244, on the iMedia website at www.elon.edu/imedia.
The iMedia program enrolls cohorts each July/August. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis throughout the year. Please submit all required application materials as early as possible prior to enrollment, but no later than May 1. Completed applications should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions and must include:
- Evidence of an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Recommended GPA of 3.0 or higher for undergraduate work.
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate studies completed or taken.
- A recommended combined verbal and quantitative score of 297 or higher on the Graduate Record Exam, a score of 3.5 or higher on the 6-point analytical writing scale taken within the last five years OR a recommended Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score of 400 or higher taken within the last five years.
- In certain instances, a student’s portfolio of work may be considered in addition to or instead of scores on standardized tests. Please contact Graduate Admissions if you have questions about whether your portfolio work could be used in lieu of test scores.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- A completed application form and personal statement with a $50 nonrefundable fee (paid online or with a check or money order made payable to Elon University).
- Resume.
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required unless English is the student’s native language or the language of instruction. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (Internet-based) is required. English translations of transcripts and explanations of grading systems are required.
Exceptions to these requirements may be considered under special circumstances.
Transcript requests
Contact the registrar of each college or university attended to have an official copy of all transcripts mailed to Elon University. Transcripts should be mailed directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions, 2750 Campus Box, Elon, NC 27244. Applicants currently enrolled should request a transcript showing completed academic work through the most recent semester of enrollment; a final transcript will also be required.
Recommendations
Applicants should send recommendation forms to each designated individual. Those requested to provide recommendations should be aware of the applicant’s academic abilities and professional potential; supervisors are preferred, not family and friends. Recommendations are confidential.
Testing for iMedia students
Applicants to the iMedia program are required to take either the GRE or the MAT. Elon’s GRE program code is 5183 and the MAT program code is 1355.
International students
Because several months may be required to receive and process forms from international applicants, applications and complete documentation should be submitted as early as possible. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required unless English is the student’s native language or the language of instruction. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (Internet-based) is required for admission to any graduate program at Elon. Exceptions to this requirement may be considered under special circumstances.
Requirements for International Students on F-1 Visas
In addition to iMedia Admissions Requirements, F-1 student applications must include:
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required unless English is the student’s native language or the language of instruction. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (Internet-based) is required.
- An original bank statement or letter issued within the last six months.
- English translations of transcripts and explanations of grading systems are required if the transcripts are from institution(s) outside the United States.
- A completed Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR) is necessary prior to approval of application for admission.
- Medical insurance and immunization records. (Elon requires students to maintain health insurance during the entire period of enrollment.)
To maintain F-1 status, students must:
- Enroll in the program on a full-time basis. F-1 students are required to complete the program in 12 months.
- Maintain continuous enrollment with a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester (fall and spring).
- Report to the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center (Carlton 113) at the beginning of each academic term and at any time that changes in academic or financial status occur.
Continuation standards
Students are expected to complete the iMedia program during one academic year. If for any reason a student is unable to complete the requirements for graduation, the student will need to appeal to the graduate program director for permission to continue studies into a second year. Only in rare cases will continuation be granted.
Graduation and degree requirements
To earn the M.A. in Interactive Media degree, the graduate student must:
- Successfully complete the 37-hour curriculum with no more than 1 L grade per semester and no failing grades. Students who have not taken the prerequisite courses in media law and media writing as undergraduates must complete those respective seminars before beginning the program.
- Successfully complete the capstone project with approval by the instructor of record. The project demonstrates the student’s ability to create an interactive product, communicate clearly, and manage and integrate all aspects of the interactive curriculum appropriately.
It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the preceding requirements for graduation.
Grading system for the M.A. in Interactive Media program
Graduation is dependent upon the quality of work and mastery of material in the 37 hours required to complete the Master of Arts in Interactive Media. Students will be evaluated using the following grade scale:
| Grade |
Evaluation |
Credit |
| H |
Honors |
3 hrs. |
| P |
Pass with mastery |
3 hrs. |
| L |
Low pass |
3 hrs. |
| F |
Failure |
0 hrs. |
| I |
Incomplete |
|
| WD |
Medical withdrawal |
|
| W |
Withdrawal |
|
| NR |
No report |
|
If, in the judgment of the academic program director, faculty and administrators of the School of Communications, a student fails to make satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree or to demonstrate sufficient promise in the discipline, the student will not be allowed to continue in the program. Registration in the following semester for academically ineligible students will be cancelled automatically.
A student becomes academically ineligible to continue in the program for the following reason: He/she receives a grade of F, or more than one grade of L per semester. For iMedia, the August and January terms are considered part of the fall and spring semesters, respectively.