Comparative Media Studies/Writing

A smart phone connected to a circuit board lay on top of two open books.

Comparative Media Studies/Writing combines theory and practice in the humanities. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Whitacre.)


MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing offers an innovative program that applies critical analysis, collaborative research, and design across a variety of media arts, forms, and practices.

It develops thinkers who understand the dynamics of media change and can apply their insights to contemporary problems. It cultivates practitioners and artists who can work in multiple forms of contemporary media. Its students and research help shape the future by engaging with media industries and the arts as critical and visionary partners at a time of rapid transformation.

CMS/W is devoted to understanding the ways that media technologies and their uses can enrich the lives of individuals locally, across the U.S., and globally.


Comparative Media Studies/Writing Courses

Course # Course Title Level
21W.011 Writing and Rhetoric: Rhetoric and Contemporary Issues Undergraduate
21W.015 Writing and Rhetoric: Writing about Sports Undergraduate
21W.021 Writing and Experience: MIT: Inside, Live Undergraduate
21W.022.03 Writing and Experience: Reading and Writing Autobiography Undergraduate
21W.035 Science Writing and New Media: Elements of Science Writing for the Public Undergraduate
21W.730-1 Expository Writing: Social and Ethical Issues in Print, Photography and Film Undergraduate
21W.730-1 Expository Writing: Exploring Social and Ethical Issues through Film and Print Undergraduate
21W.730-2 The Creative Spark Undergraduate
21W.730-3 Writing and the Environment Undergraduate
21W.730-3 Consumer Culture Undergraduate
21W.730-3 Expository Writing: Autobiography - Theory and Practice Undergraduate
21W.730-4 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about the Cultures of Food Undergraduate
21W.730-4 Expository Writing: Analyzing Mass Media Undergraduate
21W.730-5 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace Undergraduate
21W.730-5 Writing on Contemporary Issues: Imagining the Future Undergraduate
21W.731-1 Writing and Experience: Exploring Self in Society Undergraduate
21W.731-2 Writing and Experience: Crossing Borders Undergraduate
21W.731-4 Writing and Experience Undergraduate
21W.732 Science Writing and New Media Undergraduate
21W.732-1 Introduction to Technical Communication: Perspectives on Medicine and Public Health Undergraduate
21W.732-2 Introduction to Technical Communication: Ethics in Science and Technology Undergraduate
21W.732-2 Intro to Tech Communication Undergraduate
21W.732-5 Introduction to Technical Communication: Explorations in Scientific and Technical Writing Undergraduate
21W.734J Writing with Shakespeare Undergraduate
21W.734J Writing About Literature Undergraduate
21W.735 Writing and Reading the Essay (Fall 2005) Undergraduate
21W.735 Writing and Reading the Essay (Fall 2004) Undergraduate
21W.739J Darwin and Design (Fall 2010) Undergraduate
21W.739J Darwin and Design (Fall 2003) Undergraduate
21W.741J Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies Undergraduate
21W.742 Writing About Race Undergraduate
21W.742J Writing About Race: Narratives of Multiraciality Undergraduate
21W.745 Advanced Essay Workshop Undergraduate
21W.746 Humanistic Perspectives on Medicine: From Ancient Greece to Modern America Undergraduate
21W.747 Rhetoric (Spring 2015) Undergraduate
21W.747 Classical Rhetoric and Modern Political Discourse Undergraduate
21W.747 Rhetoric (Spring 2005) Undergraduate
21W.747-2 Rhetoric: Rhetoric of Science Undergraduate
21W.749 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion (Spring 2016) Undergraduate
21W.755 Writing and Reading Short Stories (Spring 2012) Undergraduate
21W.756 Writing and Reading Poems Undergraduate
21W.757 Writing and Reading Short Stories (Spring 2012) Undergraduate
21W.758 Genre Fiction Workshop Undergraduate
21W.759 Writing Science Fiction Undergraduate
21W.763J Transmedia Storytelling: Modern Science Fiction (Spring 2014) Undergraduate
21W.765J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice (Spring 2006) Undergraduate
21W.765J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice (Spring 2004) Undergraduate
21W.765J Theory and Practice of Non-linear and Interactive Narrative (Spring 2003) Undergraduate
21W.768 Games and Culture (Fall 2014) Undergraduate
21W.772 Digital Poetry Undergraduate
21W.775 Writing about Nature and Environmental Issues Undergraduate
21W.777 The Science Essay (Spring 2009) Undergraduate
21W.777 The Science Essay (Spring 2008) Undergraduate
21W.780 Communicating in Technical Organizations (Spring 2005) Undergraduate
21W.780 Communicating in Technical Organizations (Fall 2001) Undergraduate
21W.783 Science and Engineering Writing for Phase II Undergraduate
21W.784 Becoming Digital: Writing about Media Change Undergraduate
21W.785 Communicating in Cyberspace Undergraduate
21W.789 Communicating with Mobile Technology Undergraduate
CMS.100 Introduction to Media Studies Undergraduate
CMS.300 Introduction to Videogame Studies (Fall 2011) Undergraduate
CMS.309 Transmedia Storytelling: Modern Science Fiction (Spring 2014) Undergraduate
CMS.333 Producing Educational Videos Undergraduate
CMS.360 Introduction to Civic Media (Fall 2012) Undergraduate
CMS.361 Networked Social Movements: Media & Mobilization (Spring 2014) Undergraduate
CMS.405 Media and Methods: Seeing and Expression Undergraduate
CMS.407 Media and Methods: Sound Undergraduate
CMS.590J Computer Games and Simulations for Education and Exploration (Spring 2015) Undergraduate
CMS.600 Videogame Theory and Analysis (Fall 2007) Undergraduate
CMS.600 New Media Literacies (Spring 2007) Undergraduate
CMS.600 Videogame Theory and Analysis (Fall 2006) Undergraduate
CMS.602 Topics in Comparative Media: American Pro Wrestling (Spring 2007) Undergraduate
CMS.603 American Soap Operas (Spring 2008) Undergraduate
CMS.608 Game Design (Spring 2014) Undergraduate
CMS.608 Game Design (Fall 2010) Undergraduate
CMS.608 Game Design (Spring 2008) Undergraduate
CMS.610 Media Industries and Systems (Spring 2006) Undergraduate
CMS.611J Creating Video Games Undergraduate
CMS.615 Games for Social Change (Fall 2013) Undergraduate
CMS.616J Games and Culture (Fall 2014) Undergraduate
CMS.633 Digital Humanities (Spring 2015) Undergraduate
CMS.701 Current Debates in Media (Spring 2015) Undergraduate
CMS.710J The Anthropology of Sound Undergraduate
CMS.835 Photography and Truth Undergraduate
CMS.840 At the Limit: Violence in Contemporary Representation Undergraduate
CMS.840 Shakespeare, Film and Media Undergraduate
CMS.845J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice (Spring 2004) Undergraduate
CMS.871 Media in Cultural Context: Popular Readerships Undergraduate
CMS.871 Media in Cultural Context Undergraduate
CMS.910 Technologies of Humanism Undergraduate
CMS.917J Documenting Culture Undergraduate
CMS.920 Popular Culture and Narrative: Literature, Comics, and Culture Undergraduate
CMS.922 Media Industries and Systems (Spring 2006) Undergraduate
CMS.930 Media Education and the Marketplace Undergraduate
CMS.935 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion (Spring 2016) Undergraduate
CMS.S60 Technopanics: Moral Panics about Technology (Spring 2013) Undergraduate
CMS.S61 Special Subject: The Rise of Film Noir Undergraduate
CMS-W.864 Game Design (Spring 2014) Graduate
CMS.796 Major Media Texts Graduate
CMS.801 Media in Transition Graduate
CMS.809 Transmedia Storytelling: Modern Science Fiction (Spring 2014) Graduate
CMS.815 Games for Social Change (Fall 2013) Graduate
CMS.833 Digital Humanities (Spring 2015) Graduate
CMS.836J Computer Games and Simulations for Education and Exploration (Spring 2015) Graduate
CMS.841 Introduction to Videogame Studies (Fall 2011) Graduate
CMS.845J Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice (Spring 2006) Graduate
CMS.845 Theory and Practice of Non-linear and Interactive Narrative (Spring 2003) Graduate
CMS.860 Introduction to Civic Media (Fall 2012) Graduate
CMS.861 Networked Social Movements: Media & Mobilization (Spring 2014) Graduate
CMS.864 Game Design (Fall 2010) Graduate
CMS.864 Game Design (Spring 2008) Graduate
CMS.868 Games and Culture (Fall 2014) Graduate
CMS.874 Asia in the Modern World: Images & Representations Graduate
CMS.876 History of Media and Technology: Sound, the Minority Report -- Radical Music of the Past 100 Years Graduate
CMS.876 History of Media and Technology Graduate
CMS.880 From Print to Digital: Technologies of the Word, 1450-Present Graduate
CMS.901 Current Debates in Media (Spring 2015) Graduate
CMS.920 Popular Culture and Narrative: Use and Abuse of the Fairy Tale Graduate
CMS.920 Popular Culture and Narrative: Serial Storytelling Graduate
CMS.920 Popular Narrative: Masterminds Graduate
CMS.930 Media, Education, and the Marketplace Graduate
CMS.950 Workshop I Graduate
CMS.951 Workshop II: Qualitative Social Science Methods for Media Studies Graduate
CMS.995 American Soap Operas (Spring 2008) Graduate
CMS.997 Topics in Comparative Media: American Pro Wrestling (Spring 2007) Graduate
CMS.998 Videogame Theory and Analysis (Fall 2007) Graduate
CMS.998 New Media Literacies (Spring 2007) Graduate
CMS.998 Videogame Theory and Analysis (Fall 2006) Graduate
CMS.S96 Technopanics: Moral Panics about Technology (Spring 2013) Graduate

Archived Comparative Media Studies/Writing Courses

Some prior versions of courses listed above have been archived in OCW's DSpace@MIT repository for long-term access and preservation. Links to archived prior versions of a course may be found on that course's "Other Versions" tab.

Additionally, the Archived Comparative Media Studies/Writing Courses page has links to every archived course from this department.