Masters Degrees (Media And Cultural Studies)

This course allows you to examine the construction of meanings, experiences, identities and relationships in various contexts of social life, through advanced study of media practices and consumption.

Course overview

This course is for people who want to explore the nature of the media and cultural power at an advanced level. There is a high level of engagement with theories of contemporary society, including cultural theory, modern television and popular culture.

Given the importance of theory, an important attraction of this Masters is Sunderland’s research specialisms. These include media power, sexualities, identities, and how technology changes the way we experience the world, as well as performance and distribution.
The MA is taught at the David Puttnam Media Centre on our Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s by staff from Sunderland’s Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies (CRMCS), which promotes a lively and inclusive research environment. As part of the course, you will have the opportunity to attend CRMCS’s regular research seminar series, which hosts both visiting and internal speakers discussing their latest research. You will also have the opportunity to benefit from the centre’s annual programme of national and international conferences, symposia and other research events.

You will focus on areas that you find particularly fascinating while contextualising your interests within the wider field of film, media and cultural studies. The course culminates in a dissertation on a topic that you negotiate with tutors.

Throughout the course, you will refine your powers of analysis and communication. These skills are highly valued by employers and will boost your employability. On average, postgraduates tend to find jobs more easily than people whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. They also achieve higher total earnings in the long-run.

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors. Modules on this course include:
Media and Cultural Studies 1 (60 Credits)
-Engaging with Theory: Key Thinkers, Texts and Contexts (30 Credits)
-Research Methods in Film, Media and Cultural Studies (30 Credits)

Media and Cultural Studies 2 (60 Credits)
-Consumption and Everyday Life (30 Credits)
-Special Topic: Film, Media and/or Cultural Studies (30 Credits)

Media and Cultural Studies 3 (60 Credits)
-You will complete a supervised dissertation on a topic of your choice.

Teaching and assessment

All modules are team taught, drawing on the wide range of research specialisms of our staff.

Co-taught with MA Film and Cultural Studies, this MA enables you to contextualise your own work within the wider field of film, media and cultural studies, as well as pursue your own specific interest in a particular area of the media. This approach is excellent preparation if you are thinking of continuing on to PhD level. You will also be able to specialise and pursue your own specific interests film via choice of assignment questions on the taught modules and via negotiation of topics in the Special Topic and Dissertation modules.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of independent working.

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, seminars, workshops and group work. Via CRMCS’s research seminar programme, these are supported by a range of guest speakers from diverse academic and industry backgrounds. From stage 2 you will be expected to engage in a greater degree in self-directed study in preparation for the stage 3 dissertation. You will also have high levels of contact with tutors who give regular feedback and support.

Assessment methods include essays, projects, presentations, and a dissertation.

Facilities & location

Our David Puttnam Media Centre is home to the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies (CRMCS), which engages in world leading research, as well as hosting international visiting scholars, conferences, external speakers and two international refereed research journals.

Teaching rooms
We have well-equipped lecture and seminar rooms, with overhead projection and full internet access.

Cinema
There is a 203-seat cinema with full HD projection, 7.1 surround sound facility and the capability to play 3D feature films. We have a live Sky feed and off-air recording facility, including DVD and Blu-ray recording, plus extensive footage archive/library.

University Library Services
We’ve got a wide range of books, journals and e-books on relevant topics, with many more available through the inter-library loan service. The library buildings provide a variety of study spaces, IT facilities and experienced library staff during core hours, with online services and support available at any time off-campus. In addition, both the St Peter’s and Murray libraries offer 24/7 access during main teaching weeks.

TV studios
We have two TV studios complete with green rooms and control rooms. Equipment includes four Steadicam rigs plus dolly, track and mini crane. We also have over 40 full HD tapeless field camera systems, comprising Sony EX1 and EX3 models, with associated location kits, lighting, field monitors and audio mixers.

Digital editing
There are 70 workstations with state-of-the-art HD Edit systems, including Final Cut Pro, Avid and Media Composer. There is also a digital audio postproduction area with four voiceover booths.

Radio studios
We have five radio studios including a transmission suite for Spark FM, our student-run community radio station. It broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a target audience of 15-24-year-olds.

Employment & careers

Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course you will be equipped for a range of roles in the media and cultural industries.

A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.

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Communication and Media Studies at Lancaster is ranked first in The Times and the Sunday Times Good University Guide Subject Rankings, 2016. This degree provides students with the theoretical and methodological grounding they need to carry out independent research in media and cultural studies.

The course introduces you to the key texts, debates and thinkers in media and cultural studies, ranging from the work of classical cultural theorists through to contemporary writing on new media, globalised culture, science and technology studies, and queer theory.

You will be encouraged to reflect critically on the role of popular media in structuring our everyday lives. The course examines the role of media in reproducing, disseminating and challenging hegemonic power relations, as well as thinking through the ways in which gender, sexuality and ‘race’ are constructed in global media cultures.

This is not a vocational or practice-based degree. However, it is a degree that will teach you skills in critical thinking, independent research, and analysis highly relevant for development and innovation in the cultural and media sectors.

Modules
Compulsory modules:
• Critical Methods in Media and Cultural Studies
• Critical Debates in Media and Cultural Studies
• Independent Research Dissertation

Optional modules:
Choose four; options may vary from year to year
• Feminist Media and Cultural Studies
• Consumer Society
• Debates in Gender Research
• Gender, Sex and Bodies
• Capitalism and Crisis
• Mobilities, Society and Change
• Critical Discourse Analysis

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This is the unique Masters-level programme offered that specifically addresses Critical Media and Cultural Studies of the non-Western world. The degree introduces students to the key contemporary issues discussed in Asian and African media and provides them with the opportunity to engage directly in research on an aspect of these media. It has a strong theoretical element, equipping students with the intellectual tools to consider the production, distribution and reception of non-Western media in new ways and to challenge the English-language, Eurocentric approach of most media studies scholarship.

While media studies degrees usually concentrate on media production, distribution and reception in North America and Western Europe, this programme considers critical issues in media and cultural studies in their full global complexity, with a focus on the cultures and societies of Asia and Africa and their diasporas. The degree is distinctive in the depth of theoretical and cultural background to contemporary media processes that it provides. Optional courses offer a range of approaches to the critical study of Asian and African discourses, from cinema to music, comparative literature to language, gender, religion, art and archaeology.

The programme is designed for students with an interest in critical theory; media professionals seeking alternative ways of understanding the media and culture industries; and those in NGOs and government organizations interested in challenging the hegemony of media corporations. It is well suited to students wishing to proceed to MPhil/PhD research in media or cultural studies, visual cultural studies, urban studies, sociology and anthropology.

Email: [email protected]

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/media-studies/ma-critical-media-and-cultural-studies/

Structure

Each student takes 4 units in total: the Compulsory Course (1 unit), the Dissertation (1 unit), two half units from list 3 and one unit of options of their choice.

In choosing their courses, MA students are advised to pay careful attention to the balance of coursework across the two terms. In particular it is important to ensure that each term you have three taught courses. However much you might wish to take a mixture of courses that requires more coursework in one term than the other, it is most unwise to attempt to take four courses in one term and two in the other. Experience has shown that students simply cannot manage the load during the heavy term with the result that they either do very badly, fail or are unable to complete the courses in question. As a result Directors of Studies for the degrees and the Faculty staff will not approve a selection of courses which results in an imbalanced workload. An imbalance of courses between terms is only possible with the written permission of the convenor of the degree .

Destinations

An MA in Critical Media and Cultural Studies from SOAS gives students expertise in media and communications as well as the ability to identify and analyse critical issues in media and cultural studies in their full global context. It is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

Students develop a portfolio of transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and creative capacities including communication skills, interpersonal skills,
team work, flexibility and dedication.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Undertaking an MPhil in media and cultural studies provides you with access to a wide range of professional and academic opportunities including quality-assured supervision and regional, national and global links with creative and cultural industries.

You will become part of the Media and Cultural Studies team contributing to a vibrant learning community. During your studies you will have the opportunity to present papers at conferences, write articles for academic journals and contribute articles to edited collections alongside other publications. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to enrol on a nationally recognised Teaching in Higher Education qualification, allowing you to host undergraduate and postgraduate seminars.

We are a leading research unit at Newcastle University with a strong PhD culture. Our research environment supports world-leading, internationally excellent scholarship. Our approach is distinct and interdisciplinary, focusing across theoretical and applied areas.

Delivery

This programme is taught on the Newcastle campus. Attendance is flexible and agreed between you and your supervisors depending on the requirements of the research project.

Facilities

As a postgraduate research student in media and cultural studies you will benefit from dedicated research suites within the School of Arts and Cultures.

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Bridging the arts and social sciences, this course enables you to engage critically with key thinkers, traditions and debates in media and cultural studies.

You study the media as institutions, texts and systems of representation and explore the media’s political, social and cultural power in a variety of contexts. You will:
-Develop a skills portfolio in critical analysis, creative thinking and research methods
-Choose from a wide variety of options, allowing you to set your own intellectual agenda
-Gain methodological tools to research a wide range of media

How will I study?
As this is not a practice-based course, teaching is through lectures, small-group seminars and individual tutorials.

This MA is structured around core modules and options in the first two terms. In the final term, you undertake a supervised research-led dissertation on a topic of your choice.

Modules are assessed by term papers. You also submit a 15,000-word dissertation.

Scholarships
Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2017)
-25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver
-Application deadline: 1 May 2017

HESPAL Scholarship (Higher Education Scholarships Scheme for the Palestinian Territories) (2017)
-Two full fee waivers in conjuction with maintenance support from the British Council
-Application deadline: 1 January 2017

USA Friends Scholarships (2017)
-A scholarship of an amount equivalent to $10,000 for nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Masters degree course.
-Application deadline: 3 April 2017

Faculty
Our internationally respected research explores questions around the materialities, technologies and politics of cultural forms and formations.

Our work engages with a range of media – film, television, radio, photography and digital forms – from a range of perspectives.

We specialise within three interlocking themes:
-Cultural histories/cultural politics
-Media technology, form and experience
-The politics of representation

Careers
Our graduates have gone on to pursue careers in:
-Media and cultural industries
-Publishing
-Research
-Teaching
-Journalism
-PR
-Development work.

Some of our graduates also go on to further study.

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Our MPhil/PhD research degree programme offers you:

Wide variety of research interests
The Institute of Humanities & Creative Arts has a strong mix of academics with a high degree of professional and personal experience, enabling you to get the most out of your programme. Our staff have expertise in environmental representation in the media and popular culture, and gender, children, and television.

Excellent supervision
Benefit from a professional and challenging relationship with your supervisory team, drawn from experienced academics working at the forefront of their disciplines.

Resources
With study space and IT provision in the Research Office, and access to the University of Worcester’s virtual resources and state of the art library facilities, the Media and Cultural Studies team at Worcester have an excellent range of resources to support your learning and research project.

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Course summary

This course is designed to help you to develop careers as an academic or as a professional cultural or media worker. The course has emerged out of the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research and focuses on the expertise of scholars actively involved in a range of live research projects. You’ll be encouraged to develop as an internationally-minded research professional.

You will have the opportunity of becoming involved in live research projects and scholarly activities within Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research. Areas of expertise include Jazz and Aesthetics working with the London Jazz Festival; Evaluating Cultural Leadership and Diversity; audience engagement projects funded by Nesta.

Course structure

You will receive training through workshops, seminars, group and individual tutorials, to assist in identifying specialist areas for research, research methods, and project and time management. You are expected to work independently, applying knowledge gained in response to assignments using your initiative to identify pertinent issues within the field (in relation to your own practice/specialism) and to propose innovative solutions.

Modules include:
Cultural Theory
Creative Industries and Cultural Policy
Professional Development
Researching Media Cultures
Research in Practice
Professional Practice
Major Project (MA by Practice or MA by Dissertation)

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The Lincoln School of Film and Media offers a collaborative environment in which to undertake research at doctoral level.

As a researcher in the School, you can engage in a structured programme of training which provides the opportunity to develop the practical and critical skills necessary for your study.

You can work with an experienced supervisory team who can offer support and guidance on your research, funding opportunities, attending conferences and publishing your work in recognised journals.

You can benefit from the School’s research expertise in a variety of media and culture-related topics, including digital culture, media ethics, Latin American cinemas, technological change and screenwriting practice.

You will join a vibrant research community where regular research seminars, such as the media research and the 21st Century Research Group seminars, provide the chance to advance your understanding and skills.

Research Areas, Projects & Topics

Specialist areas include:
-Film, media and cultural theory
-Digital cultures and media
-Latin American cinemas
-Television and history
-The epic and historical film
-Media ethics
-Photography, design and digital media practice
-Screenwriting practice
-Radio, film and TV practice
-Gender and culture in the context of East Central Europe
-European cinema
-Contemporary popular cinema
-Technological change
-Documentary film and TV

How You Study

Students receive regular supervisions from a Director of Studies, supported by second supervisor.

Due to the nature of postgraduate research programmes, the vast majority of your time will be spent in independent study and research. You will have meetings with your academic supervisor, however the regularity of these will vary depending on your own individual requirements, subject area, staff availability and the stage of your programme.

How You Are Assessed

A PhD is awarded based on the quality of your thesis and your ability in an oral examination (viva voce) to present and successfully defend your chosen research topic to a group of academics. You are also expected to demonstrate how your research findings have contributed to knowledge or developed existing theory or understanding.

Special Features

Regional and national film, newspaper and digital archives are held at the University for use by research students. The School also hosts research seminars at which students are encouraged to present their original work.

Career and Personal Development

Graduates may progress their careers in roles in the media and creative industries. A postgraduate research degree can be an important foundation for a career in academia or research.

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Who is this programme for?:

A wide range of students with different interests and backgrounds come to this programme from world over in order to explore why media matter. They are highly qualified with very diverse international interests. It is particularly suitable for:

- Students with a degree in media or cultural studies
- Students with a degree in the social sciences or humanities wishing to acquire a broad understanding of media and cultural studies with special reference to Asia or Africa
- People with professional experience in film, television, journalism, advertising or public relations
- Students with a degree in social anthropology wishing to pursue more specialist media-related topics along with regional or language-based study
- Students without a previous degree in Anthropology looking for an MA conversion degree to serve as a qualification for pursuing a further research degree in anthropology

Our world is inescapably and continuously transformed through a proliferation of media. The MA in Anthropology of Media at SOAS takes up the challenge of understanding how and why media matter. The programme uniquely combines anthropology, media and cultural studies with specific regional expertise in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It provides students with critical skills, research methods, a wide-ranging understanding of media and the opportunity to pursue original research projects. The MA in Anthropology and Media is the first and still the only programme in Europe that specialises in bringing together contemporary anthropological concerns with media and cultural studies.

The MA in Anthropology of Media is a recent and rapidly growing field within the larger academic discipline of Anthropology. It both incorporates and challenges the well-established anthropological concerns with visual culture and ethnographic film through a more extensive examination of contemporary media practices. Along with the parallel disciplines of media and cultural studies, Anthropology of Media is now widely recognized as playing an increasingly important and critical role in current debates about media. It provides an alternative approach, which puts the emphasis upon studying the multiple relationships between people and media and thus seeks to anthropologise media and cultural studies. More than just focussing on media texts or technology, Anthropology of Media is marked by the centrality of people and how they relate to media.

The SOAS programme in Anthropology of Media is designed to provide a detailed introduction to the study of media in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and their diasporas. We also use the theoretical and methodological contributions of Anthropology to build upon and challenge Euro-American media and cultural studies. The programme stresses ethnographic approaches to media as cultural practices in social and political contexts where people inhabit, create and engage with media worlds.

Special Features

The Department cultivates several specialist strengths which distinguish it from other anthropology departments in the UK. The most obvious of these is that all members of the Department are specialists on Africa and Asia. Particular attention is given to teaching and researching regional ethnographic areas of expertise. All staff members are simultaneously attached as anthropologists to this Department and as regional specialists to their appropriate regional studies centre within the School.

SOAS also offers strong interdisciplinary support for the study of media including the Centre for Media and Film Studies and a highly regarded Department of Music. We have a dedicated multi-media suite, a radio station and satellite access to a wide range of world television. Further, the Library houses a major collection of books and journals on world media as well as extensive audio-visual materials.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/maanthofmedia/

Programme Overview

The programme consists of four units in total: three units of taught examined courses and a one unit dissertation of 10,000 words. Some courses may be taught in other departments in the school.

Core Courses:
- Comparative Media Studies - 15 PAN C009 (1.0 unit).

- Dissertation in Anthropology and Sociology - 15PANC999 (1.0 unit). This is a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic agreed with the Programme Convenor of the MA Anthropology of Media and the candidate’s supervisor.

- Additionally all MA Anthropology students 'audit' the course Ethnographic Research Methods during term 1 - this will not count towards your 4 units.

Foundation Course:
- Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology - 15PANC008 (1.0 unit). This is compulsory only for students without a previous anthropology degree.

Option Courses:
- The remaining unit(s) of your programme, either 1 unit of option courses (if taking Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology) or 2 units (if exempted from Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology), may then be selected from the Option Courses list below.

- Your 1 or 2 total units may be made up of any combination of 0.5 or 1 unit option courses.

- However, courses without a "15PANxxxx" course code are taught outside of the Anthropology Department. No more than 1 unit in total of these courses may be selected.

- Alternatively, one language course may be taken from the Faculty of Languages and Cultures.

Programme Specification 2012/2013 (pdf; 119kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/maanthofmedia/file39767.pdf

Destinations

A Masters in the Anthropology of Media at SOAS develops students’ understanding of the world, other peoples’ ways of life and how society is organised. This programme will endow students with specialist understanding of producers, audiences, and other cultural and social aspects of mass media. Over the years the SOAS department has trained numerous leading anthropologists who have gone on to occupy lectureships and professorships throughout the world. Equally, students gain skills during their degree that transfer well to areas such as information and technology, government service, the media and tourism.

Postgraduate students leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including analytical and critical skills; ability to gather, assess and interpret data; high level of cultural awareness; and problem-solving. A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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This course allows you to explore a wide range of films, contextual studies and critical debates, as well as the politics and cultural power of other media forms and institutions.

Course overview

This Masters is for people who want to study films and culture at an advanced level. There is a high level of engagement with theories and practices of film studies and cultural studies, as well as a strong emphasis on rigorous research skills.

Given the importance of theory, an important attraction of this Masters is Sunderland’s research specialisms. These include star studies, performance, distribution and national cinemas, as well as sexualities, identities and how technology changes the way we experience the world.

The course is taught at the David Puttnam Media Centre on our Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s by staff from Sunderland’s Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies (CRMCS), which promotes a lively and inclusive research environment. As part of the course, you will have the opportunity to attend CRMCS’s regular research seminar series, which hosts both visiting and internal speakers discussing their latest research. You will also have the opportunity to benefit from the centre’s annual programme of national and international conferences, symposia and other research events.

You will focus on areas that you find particularly fascinating while contextualising your interests within the wider field of film, media and cultural studies. The course culminates in a dissertation on a topic that you negotiate with tutors.

Throughout the course, you will refine your powers of analysis, research and communication. These skills are highly valued by employers and will boost your employability. Postgraduates earn more, on average than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree.

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors.

Modules on this course are:
-Film and Cultural Studies 1 (60 Credits)
-Engaging with Theory: Key Thinkers, Texts and Concepts (30 Credits)
-Research Methods in Film, Media and Cultural Studies (30 Credits)

Film and Cultural Studies 2 (60 Credits)
-Consumption and Everyday Life (30 Credits)
-Special Topic: Film, Media and/or Cultural Studies (30 Credits)

Film and Cultural Studies 3 (60 Credits)
-You will complete a supervised dissertation on a topic of your choice.

Teaching and assessment

All modules are team taught, drawing on the wide range of research specialisms of our staff.

Co-taught with MA Media and Cultural Studies, this MA enables you to contextualise your own work within the wider field of film, media and cultural studies, as well as pursue your own specific interest in film. This approach is excellent preparation if you are thinking of continuing on to PhD level. You will also be able to specialise and pursue your own specific interests film via choice of assignment questions on the taught modules and via negotiation of topics in the Special Topic and Dissertation modules.
Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of independent working.

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, seminars, critiques and workshops. Via CRMCS’s research seminar programme, these are supported by a range of guest speakers from diverse academic and industry backgrounds. From stage 2 you will be expected to engage in a greater degree in self-directed study in preparation for the stage 3 dissertation. Your tutors will also give regular feedback and support.

Assessment methods include essays, projects, presentations, and a dissertation.

Facilities & location

Our David Puttnam Media Centre is home to the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies (CRMCS), which engages in world leading research, as well as hosting international visiting scholars, conferences, external speakers and two international refereed research journals.

Teaching rooms
We have well-equipped lecture and seminar rooms, with overhead projection and full internet access.

Cinema
There is a 203-seat cinema with full HD projection, 7.1 surround sound facility and the capability to play 3D feature films. We have a live Sky feed and off-air recording facility, including DVD and Blu-ray recording, plus extensive footage archive/library.

University Library Services
We’ve got a wide range of books, journals and e-books on relevant topics, with many more available through the inter-library loan service. The library buildings provide a variety of study spaces, IT facilities and experience library staff during core hours, with online services and support available at any time off-campus. In addition, both the St Peter’s and Murray libraries offer 24/7 access during main teaching weeks.

TV studios
We have two TV studios complete with green rooms and control rooms. Equipment includes four Steadicam rigs plus dolly, track and mini crane. We also have over 40 full HD tapeless field camera systems, comprising Sony EX1 and EX3 models, with associated location kits, lighting, field monitors and audio mixers.

Digital editing
There are 70 workstations with state-of-the-art HD Edit systems, including Final Cut Pro, Avid and Media Composer. There is also a digital audio postproduction area with four voiceover booths.

Radio studios
We have five radio studios including a transmission suite for Spark FM, our student-run community radio station. It broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a target audience of 15-24 year olds.

Employment & careers

Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course, you will be equipped for a range of roles in the media and cultural industries. A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.

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The only graduate program in Cultural Studies in Western Canada, the University of Winnipeg's multidisciplinary Master of Arts in Cultural Studies is an innovative, 12-month, course-based program that offers specializations in Texts and Cultures or Curatorial Practices. Bringing together instructors from across the university and from the city's vibrant arts and culture community, the MA in Cultural Studies provides students with strong methodological and theoretical training in order to pursue further postgraduate studies or careers in a range of fields, including education, publishing, arts management, art curation, and journalism.

What is Cultural Studies?

Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary field, drawing on theories and practices from a range of humanities and social sciences disciplines, that seeks to investigate the ways in which cultures produce and are produced. At the centre of Cultural Studies sits a host of questions, such as what constitutes a text, how some texts, visual images, and cultural artifacts come to be valued over others, and how questions of value relate to the distribution of power and authority.

Rather than concentrating exclusively on the group of elite texts that make up so-called "high culture," Cultural Studies takes as its focus the whole complex of changing beliefs, ideas, feelings, values, and symbols that define a community’s organization and sense of itself. Culture in this sense is often understood to be a primary vehicle of globalization in the contemporary world and deeply enmeshed in particular social, economical and political environments. As such, when we study culture, we are studying the world we live in and how we function in it.

Cultural Studies MA at the University of Winnipeg

Small seminars, individual attention from dedicated instructors, and strong academic development are just some of the benefits of being a student in the MA in Cultural Studies. Students specialize in one of two areas: 1) Texts and Cultures, which emphasizes theoretically-grounded cultural analysis and 2) Curatorial Practices, which focuses on museum studies.

Students in the MA in Cultural Studies take a total of 24 credit hours (the equivalent of 4 full-year courses) in a range of topic areas, including Cultural Theory; Visual Cultures; Curatorial Practices; Cultures of Childhood; Gender, Sexualities and Culture; Local, National and Global Cultures; and Manuscript, Print and Digital Cultures.

What is a multidisciplinary degree?

A multidisciplinary degree is one that allows you to study courses in a variety of subject areas. The Cultural Studies MA degree incorporates theories and methods from a variety of disciplines, including Literary Studies, History, Art History, Women’s and Gender Studies, Politics, and Rhetoric and Communications. In the Cultural Studies MA program at the University of Winnipeg, instructors from these disciplines regularly teach courses in the program and are available for Special Studies courses in which they direct the research projects of individual students.

How to prepare for an MA in Cultural Studies?

Cultural Studies is an academic field that uses critical and cultural theories to study cultural phenomena. Therefore, it is recommended that a student choose classes that use feminist theory, social theory, political theory, literary theory, and/or media theory while pursuing their undergraduate degree in order to prepare for an MA in Cultural Studies.

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The programme offers a comprehensive understanding of social sciences media and cultural analysis. Interdisciplinary in conception, it provides students with a critical introduction to key areas of media and cultural analysis, including the media and political economy; modernity and post-modernity; and cultural ‘difference’, prejudice and power.

While there are several core modules, students undertake research directly related to their specialist interests in the dissertation. There are also a number of optional modules, covering such areas as globalisation, visual cultures, media and nationalisms, citizenship, digital media, popular music, cultural policy, and consumption.

Core study areas include media and modernity, the politics of representation, production and reception analysis, media and cultural industries, textual analysis research techniques and a dissertation.

Optional study areas include citizenship and communications, media, nations and nationalisms, global communications, digital futures, media and cultural work, digital cultures, digital economies, cultural memory and the heritage industries, marketing politics.

See the website http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/programmes/departments/social-sciences/media-cultural-analysis/

Programme modules

Compulsory Modules:
- Media and Modernity
- The Politics of Representation
- Production and Reception Analysis
- Media and Cultural Industries
- Textual Analysis Research Techniques
- Dissertation

Optional Modules:
- Popular Music and Modern Times
- Citizenship and Communications
- Media, Nations and Nationalisms
- Global Communications
- Digital Futures
- Media and Cultural Work
- Digital Cultures
- Digital Economics
- Cultural Memory and the Heritage Industries
- Marketing Politics

Assessment

Coursework plus a dissertation of 10,000 words on an agreed topic.

Careers and further study

Our students go on to work in media, marketing and PR divisions of major public and private institutions. They also go on to work in mainstream media careers such as journalism and broadcasting.

The comprehensive theoretical introduction to media, communications and culture that the programme provides makes it an ideal stepping stone into a research career. Many of our students have also gone on to do PhDs in media, communications and culture in the UK and abroad.

Why choose social sciences at Loughborough?

The Department of Social Sciences has long been recognised as an international centre of academic excellence and for its cutting-edge interdisciplinary work.

This recognition of excellence has been a major factor in enabling the Department to recruit a lively community of postgraduate students that currently numbers around 100.

In the Department of Social Sciences we offer a rich variety of taught postgraduate masters. The courses are delivered by an internationally renowned interdisciplinary team, through the use of contemporary case studies and research-informed applied teaching and learning.

The courses provide training in digital culture, media, communications, sociological and anthropological, theory, as well as quantitative and qualitative methods

- Research
All of our academic staff are active researchers, working within and across the following disciplinary boundaries – Communication and Media Studies, Criminology, Social Policy, Social Psychology, and Sociology.

Loughborough is home to the most world-leading, original and internationally excellent research in communication, media studies, sociology, and social psychology. Our research has excellent impact, with staff working with a wide range of public and third sector bodies (e.g., BBC Trust, the Metropolitan Police, the Electoral Commission, the College of Mediators, UK Drug Policy Commission, Department of Health). Our social policy and criminology research also has world-leading impact, particularly in services for children and minimum income standards.

- Career prospects
Our programmes prepare our graduates for the real world of the television industry, marketing, academia, publishing, plus many more industries. They go on to work for companies and organisations such as China Development Research Foundation, Elsevier Ltd, Image Line Communication, Institute of Psychiatry, Metropolitan Police Service, Oxfam and X-Pert Med GmbH.

Find out how to apply here http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/programmes/departments/social-sciences/media-cultural-analysis/

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The MA in Cultural Policy, Relations and Diplomacy is a trans-disciplinary programme that addresses the theory and practice of cultural policy, cultural relations, and cultural and public diplomacy- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-cultural-policy-relations/

This broad area of study and the terminology applied to it is fluid and expanding. Having culture as the underlying thread, the programme explores areas such as:

arts policy and management
globalisation
cultural relations
public diplomacy
cultural and arts diplomacy
external communications
place branding
This will provide a unique perspective into this field of study, and will examine topics such as mobility of cultural practitioners, cultural identity, intercultural dialogue, mutuality, propaganda, soft power, hegemony, influence and perceptions.

Goldsmiths' location in provides you with a unique experience of living in a multicultural world city, which is of great relevance to the study of cultural policy, relations and diplomacy.

You'll study in the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE). ICCE's individual and institutional links with an extensive network of organisations, policy advisors and cultural practitioners in those areas in London and in Europe allow you to experience exceptional research and study resources.

Industry links

ICCE’s established organisational links include, for example, the British Council, Visiting Arts, EUNIC London Hub and Demos. ICCE is also a member of ENCATC (the leading European network on Cultural Management and Cultural Policy education). The Institute is also responsible for fostering the sharing of information and discussion of issues related to international cultural relations across disciplines on the JISCMail list cultural-relations-diplomacy.

Expert staff and invited professionals

Our staff and invited academic and professional experts will enhance your learning. They'll discuss relevant literature and will present case studies and practical examples with local, national and global dimensions involving a range of individuals and organisations, including corporations, governments, international bodies and NGOs.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact ICCE.

Modules & Structure

This MA is a 180-credit programme consisting of four 30-credit modules and a 60-credit dissertation.

The two main modules of the programme, Cultural Policy and Practice and Cultural Relations and Diplomacy are complemented by a module on Contemporary Issues in Cultural Policy that brings to the fore present themes that require further study.

The fourth module of the programme is an option from a selection of modules covering arts engagement, media, business, languages and politics - this is designed to allow you to tailor the programme to your own particular skills and/or interests.

The teaching methodologies used in these modules will be conducive to creative and independent in-depth and collaborative learning. They'll culminate in the production of a final dissertation in which you will explore in detail a topic building on your interests and knowledge.

The programme allows and encourages you to engage in work placements while attending the modules. These are not a formal part of the programme, but some support will be provided building on ICCE’s extensive experience of internship management and network of contacts.

Skills

Graduates of this programme develop a wide range of skills and competencies.

Knowledge and understanding

You'll be able to:

Describe and understand a range of practices, policies, structures and systems in the cultural policy and international cultural relations areas involving a variety of stakeholders (individuals, NGOs, foundations, corporations, governments, international and supranational organisations)
Define and understand the use of theories and key concepts in cultural policy, cultural relations and cultural and public diplomacy, such as culture, identity, globalisation, soft power, hegemony, influence, propaganda, mutuality, trust, intercultural dialogue, nation building/branding
Discuss the importance of cultural policy in relation to international cultural relations
Understand the diverse and changing relationships between culture/arts, politics and international relations
Build on your existing experience and/or interest to develop knowledge within cultural policy and international cultural relations

Cognitive and thinking skills

You'll be able to:

Analyse and evaluate the role of the 'actors' and their practices, as well as the structures and systems framing cultural policy and international cultural relations
Discern how to apply a range of trans-disciplinary concepts and theories to the understanding of policies, practices, structures and systems in the areas of cultural policy, cultural relations and cultural diplomacy
Identify and critically analyse contemporary issues
Build on your existing experience and/or interest to further develop analytical, critical and conceptual skills within cultural policy and international cultural relations

Practical skills

You'll be able to:

Analyse public policies in the areas of culture and international cultural relations at micro and macro levels
Devise, develop, conduct and deliver an independent piece of research relevant to cultural policy and international cultural relations, using a self-reflective approach
Demonstrate the origins of your thinking in cultural policy and international cultural relations by adequately referencing sources that have been evaluated for credibility, objectivity, accuracy and trustworthiness
Communicate effectively and succinctly through oral presentation and express yourself in writing for academic and other audiences, employing when necessary the appropriate ICT tools and skills

Key transferable skills

You'll be able to:

Share and exchange expertise and skills with other students and the tutors on the course employing effective written and oral communication skills
Demonstrate you are an independent and creative learner able to exercise initiative and personal responsibility for your own learning and planning processes
Conduct research methodically to find an answer that is complete, accurate and authoritative
Work effectively as part of a team

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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Unprecedented change in communications and media content, forms, technology and policy in the last decade has wide-ranging implications for business, politics, public administration and everyday life. The Master of Communications and Media Studies builds your understanding of changing global contexts of media and communication practices. You will gain a critically informed understanding of key issues affecting the global communications industry focusing on the challenges posed by the emergence of digital media, globalisation and increasing levels of cross-cultural exchange. Industry engagement through guest speakers, internships, and opportunities for site visits in Australia and abroad will enhance your knowledge and professional competency.

As the most established program of its type in Australia, the Master of Communications and Media Studies has built up a long record of success. Ranked No.19 in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for 2014, the program draws strongly on specialist expertise and focuses on fostering industry ready graduates.

The course is particularly relevant to those employed or seeking employment in communications and media industries (for instance, electronic journalism, policy formulation, public relations, or tourism marketing), as well as those who wish to expand their expertise for teaching purposes or further study.

You will be introduced to the latest developments and research in communications and media – including in social and online media – always with a view to "real world" application. Study units feature guest professional speakers in conjunction with industry focussed field trips to media outlets in Sydney, Melbourne and Shanghai.

In the Master of Communications and Media Studies course, you will have the opportunity to undertake industry internships in Australia and overseas. For example, students in our program have recently completed internships with the United Nations in New York and with Shandong Television in China.

Visit the website http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/communications-and-media-studies-a6003?domestic=true

Course Structure

The course is structured in three parts. Part A. Foundations for advanced communications and media studies, Part B. Core Master's study and Part C. Advanced expertise. All students complete Part B. Depending upon prior qualifications, you may receive credit for Part A or Part C or a combination of the two.

[Note that if you are eligible for credit for prior studies you may elect not to receive the credit.]

PART A. Foundations for advanced communications and media studies
These studies will introduce you to communications and media studies at advanced undergraduate or graduate level. They are intended for students whose previous qualification is not in a cognate field.

PART B. Core Master's study
These studies draw on best practices within the broad realm of communications and media studies practice and research to further your understanding of communications and media systems both locally and globally. Studies focus on the challenges posed by the emergence of digital media, globalisation and increasing levels of cross-cultural exchange.

PART C. Advanced expertise
The focus of these studies is professional or scholarly work that can contribute to a portfolio of professional development. You have two options.

The first option is a program of coursework study where you select the units to suit your own interests. This option includes the opportunity to undertake an internship in the field.

The second option is a 24 point research thesis. Students wishing to use this Masters course as a pathway to a higher degree by research should take this second option.

Students admitted to the course, who have a recognised honours degree in a cognate discipline including humanities or social sciences, will receive credit for Part C, however, should they wish to complete a 24 point research project as part of the course they should consult with the course coordinator.

For more information visit the faculty website - http://www.study.monash/media/links/faculty-websites/arts

Find out how to apply here - http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/communications-and-media-studies-a6003?domestic=true#making-the-application

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By studying this MA in Media and Communication you will develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of different forms of communication in their social, political and cultural contexts, focusing either on the relationship between the media and politics in contemporary societies or, on digital culture and communication.

The Media and Politics pathway is a fantastic opportunity for you to engage with current debates about the constantly evolving role of media in national and international political life. The pathway uncovers the ways in which journalists and politicians attempt to set the political agenda or influence public opinion and also explores the ways in which the audiences, as public and as citizens, are involved in media as consumers and producers.

The pathway is built around core modules which focus on the theories and debates surrounding:

the relationship between the mass media, politics and society
the role and function of the media in a democracy
the impact of mass media on global political processes
research methods used in media and communication research.

You will develop skills that directly enhance employability, including applying critical reviewing skills, giving presentations, plus data management, problem-solving, team-working and research design and implementation.

You'll able to pursue your own specific research/study interest in political communication via a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation and by choosing two further modules from a range of other M-level modules provided by the department or wider school.

Key Facts

We can offer you:-
- Excellent library facilities
- Opportunities for interdisciplinary inputs
- High quality research methods training
- A regular programme of communication and media seminars open to everyone

Why Communication and Media?

Close knit-community

Communication and Media is a close-knit community of dedicated, innovative teachers and researchers that extend a warm welcome to postgraduate taught and research students. You can benefit from a personalised approach which treats you as an individual and encourages you to become involved in the life of the department. Our approach enables a productive dialogue to be created between and amongst our postgraduate community and our staff, so that we are all engaged in the pursuit of excellent scholarship and research and, more broadly, making a contribution to the development of our field.

Active Research

Key areas of research strength include: communication, politics and power; media theory; political and independent cinema; gender and identity in media; media, ethics and human rights; media and war; new media and digital communication; media discourse; global entertainment and media industries; media, space and place; media and heritage; sociolinguistics, communication and language; and media and cultural identity.

This broad range of research expertise underpins the two pathways we offer – ‘Media and Politics’ and ‘Digital Culture and Communication’. We also run two regular research seminar series – the Liverpool Film Seminar and the Media and Politics Seminar Series – which postgraduate students are encouraged to participate in.

The department's actively contributing to the development of our field through research, key subject associations, conference organisation and speaking engagements, and editorial board membership of significant journals. Our activities include internationally recognised research, linking political science and communication studies primarily through crossover interests in public and digital communication within the British, European and International political and cultural contexts.

Liverpool

Immerse yourself in a city known as a political and creative force. What better place to immerse yourself in the subject than Liverpool, a city with a reputation as a political and creative force, with a thriving production sector and a unique cultural heritage? The Department has close links to cultural industries and venues in the city, some of which collaborate with us in offering assessed work placements as part of our programme of study.

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