This Research Master's programme in Media, Art and Performance Studies is an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented research-based programme which offers an advanced training in academic research skills appropriate for today's highly dynamic and interdisciplinary field of media, visual arts and performance.
Contemporary media, art and performance increasingly play with and transcend disciplinary boundaries. Intermedial and performative practices both produce and critically investigate cultural transitions in today’s mediatized and performative culture. Such synergies invite to explore how emerging forms of media, art and performance – while historically and culturally embedded - interact with and relate to social and cultural transformations.
As a student of this programme, you will be introduced to and specialise in new research areas and methodologies, necessary for investigating emerging media, performance and contemporary art forms within today's rapidly changing culture. In relation to this you will also reflect on the role of the Humanities in both academic and public debates.
Central concerns in this programme are, amongst others:
We approach this broad field from a range of comparative and intermedial perspectives, focusing primarily on the dynamics of change and exchange between media, contemporary arts and performance within a culture and society in transition.
In this programme you will reflect on questions such as how media have developed from the time of early cinema up to current new media art; how the definition of 'live' has changed alongside these mediatised cultural forms. How has the performative turn changed the ways we think about audiences? How do media technologies facilitate new methods of self-staging and social performance? What is the influence of media and technology on way we curate and educate in museums and archives and other cultural institutions.
In this age of selfies, datafication, (self-) staging and re-staging, and playful learning, you will examine how various media, art forms, and performance have been used for critical analysis, civic engagement, entertainment and educational purposes. You will do this by asking how digital technologies, dramaturgical and artistic strategies alter ways of dealing with knowledge production and distribution, and how these transitions have contributed to and also ask for new methods of research.
This programme will train you as a researcher within the field of Media, Contemporary Art and Performance Studies, to either prepare you for a PhD position, or for research-oriented positions in professional contexts of cultural institutions such as archives, museums, art institutions, theatres, for education, (non-)governmental organisations, or in creative industries.
After completing the programme:
The Research Master’s is aimed at excellent students from both the Netherlands and overseas, who have a background in the history and theory of contemporary art, or media and performance studies with a focus on theatre, dance, film, television, and/or digital media.
Alumni of the Media, Art and Performance Studies Research Master’s have been successful in obtaining PhD positions in various prestigious international programmes. Graduates also find their way to other job markets. For example in the domain of curation, dramaturgy, or media consultancy. Read more about possible career prospects.
This MA looks at contemporary changes in media and communications, by putting into perspective the transformations that affect the way people live and work, national and international institutions evolve, and how cultural practices develop.
This programme's internationally acclaimed and comparative approach to the events, issues and debates of our times is particularly suited for those interested in exploring the bigger picture as well as the nitty-gritty of transformations in media and communications and their impact on culture, society and politics.
Its cutting-edge and interdisciplinary approach to postgraduate learning, independent study, and life skills provides you with the analytical skills, conceptual knowledge and practical understanding of the real and imagined shifts that are taking place in – and through – the media industries, everyday life online and on the ground at home and abroad.
The Masters attracts budding scholars, media practitioners, activists, and advocates from many regions, with a variety of educational and professional backgrounds.
It's particularly suitable for those wanting to move their knowledge and analytical skills up a level for further study as well as for those who have experience of studying or working in the media and cultural sectors, non-profits and other third sector organisations, alternative media, the arts, grassroots and international advocacy and activism.
The programme achieves these goals by:
The Programme Director is Professor Marianne Franklin. Lecturers, guest speakers, and research students on this programme are affiliated to the Centre for the Study of Global Media and Democracy, the School of Mass Communications at Texas Tech University (USA), the United Nations Internet Governance Forum, Edinburgh Law School, Le Monde diplomatique, a number of international NGOs, activist and advocacy groups, international academic and media networks.
The programme is broken into three parts:
The themes covered may vary from year to year, depending on research developments and staff availability.
Along with two compulsory (core) modules, research skills module, and a research dissertation, you can choose from a range of theory and practice option modules from Media & Communications as well as other Goldsmiths departments.
Distinguishing Features: this programme's content, structure, and assessment takes an interdisciplinary and innovative approach to:
Activities: Based on an interactive communication model of learning and teaching, the core programme is organised around lectures, participatory workshops, student presentations, written work, informed debates.
On completing this programme you will be able to (re)enter the workplace, return to your creative pursuits, activism, or advocacy project or, if you wish, continue onto further research with up-to-date knowledge about the facts and fictions around these trends.
Core modules
You also take:
Research Skills (60 credits)
As an integral part of successfully completing the Dissertation component, students take part in a two-term Research Skills module. Here we cover topics such as:
By term’s end students will be fine-tuning their individual research projects, contributing to our study of these themes in class presentations. Workshops and one to one supervision will provide further support for students until the end of the summer teaching term.
We offer a wide range of option modules each year.
Individual and group presentations; live video/web conferences, examined essays and research papers; qualitatively assessed assignments and discussion leading; dissertation.
Graduates from this programme find work and excel in a number of domains:
Alumni have found work with the BBC world service, Globo corporation, Carnegie Foundation, European parliament and European Commission, CCTV, NBC, Google, Microsoft, NGOs (eg Greenpeace, Global Partners) and charities (eg Dementia UK), newspapers (eg in South Korea, Brazil, Slovenia, China), alternative media and advocacy networks, museums, theatres and art gallerires, online national and international media outlets (eg Chinese, indigenous Taiwanese), PR and marketing around the world.
Other alumni have continued on to PhD programmes, at Goldsmiths and elsewhere. Many have been successful in gaining research scholarships and funding to further their academic and practitioner careers.
Over the last 25 years, science communication has expanded from a field of public intellectuals, celebrity scientists, broadcast media professionals and event producers to a global industry of ground-breaking artists, games developers, disruptive creators, radical curators, social entrepreneurs and citizen scientists. Developed in partnership with industry, this part-time, distance learning course will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to take advantage of excellent job prospects in this growing field.
Studying this MSc will provide you with the opportunity to accelerate your career and become part of a worldwide community which is pushing the boundaries of science communication through new and emerging technologies. You will gain practical and transferable skills informed by theory, a creative portfolio and access to world-class professional networks to progress your career in science communication. You will become mindful of the ethical challenges that new communication systems might pose to achieving sustainable development goals for health and wellbeing, gender equality and communities.
Through a selection of specifically designed modules, you will learn about the importance of involving the public in the co-creation of citizen science projects, explore the increasing trend of locating science within festivals, examine how art and science come together to innovate, and explore digital storytelling strategies for communicating science. Additionally, you will investigate how science writing and journalism has changed in a digital era, and focus on contemporary matters of global concern in science communication. All modules aim for you to develop and enhance your public portfolio through a range of creative projects.
Science communication is an expanding field and, as such, there are many exciting career prospects working in science journalism, public engagement, events production, science publishing and within the media, to name a few. Our academics have strong networks in the field and, as the course is delivered in collaboration with industry experts and professional science communicators, you can be sure that the skills and knowledge you gain are those you need to forge a successful career in the field and stay ahead of the curve. This course aims to bridge the #scicomm digital skills gap in an era where digital fluency, critical thinking, and creative innovation make professionals stand out from the crowd.
This science communication masters focuses on the areas of communication, media management, public engagement, emerging technologies, global challenges, digital literacy and creative practice.
Features
Benefits
We offer awards to help you study through our:
There are also other sources of funding available to you.
For more information please see our funding section.
This science communication MSc is designed to equip the modern science communicator with the practical skills and theoretical grounding to carry out science communication, public engagement and policy roles in a wide range of institutions, from Universities to science festivals, museums and galleries to research funders, science and health charities, NGOs and science businesses spanning education, entertainment, PR/ advocacy and sustainable development.
Science communication professionals contribute to a wide range of industries including:
Graduates could undertake roles (within these sectors and others) such as:
The Master of Media and Creative Technologies (MMCT) allows you to choose from one of the four subjects available: Creative Practices, Creative Technologies, Screen and Media Studies (offered under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) and Māori Media and Communication (offered under the Faculty of Maori and Indigenous Studies). Each area offers you the opportunity to blend artistic and technical forms in new combinations.
Alongside taught papers, you will work on a year-long supervised programme where you will develop a major work (or works) that serves as the flagship of your graduate portfolio of creative works.
Study under the MMCT will give you extensive collaborative project experience which is supported by technical expertise and advanced creative skills. You will also benefit from substantial grounding in postgraduate academic practice and the deployment of critical and methodological skills in original research.
The MMCT involves one calendar year or one and a half academic years of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study.
Candidates must complete 180 points at 500 level, including a creative research thesis equivalent to 90 points and a theory paper equivalent to 30 points, as prescribed in a subject offered for the MMCT:
Students enrolled in the MMCT may take up to 60 points from other subjects, subject to approval from the School. You should discuss your intended programme with the Graduate Adviser in each of the Faculties or Schools concerned. Individual subjects may have their own guidelines for numbers and types of papers outside the subject.
This programme maintains strategic links with the broader New Zealand community at a number of levels, and we have close links with Hamilton City Council. Our staff members have strong links with international networks in media and creative technologies, and boast strong links with top ranked institutions in Asia, Europe, North America and within the Pacific region.
With an MMCT degree, you will be in demand from large private and public sector organisations where digital technologies now take a priority focus. There will also be a wide range of opportunities arising in commercial design and in the broader field of creative and performing arts. The degree will provide significant skill upgrades for those with professional backgrounds, while also giving younger learners aspiring to enter the creative professions an invaluable opportunity to develop portfolios of a professional standard.
Creative Practice Career Examples
Event Manager, Media Artist, Musician, Performing Artist, Scriptwriter
Creative Technologies Career Examples
Animation Artist, Audio-visual Technician, Digital Artist, Film or Television Editor, Interface Designer (information technology), Media Artist, Musician, Sound Designer, Web Designer
Māori Media and Communications Career Examples
Communications Officer, Director of Intercultural Communication, Film or Television Producer/Director, Higher Educationalist (in media, creative arts, technology), Performing Artist.
Screen and Media Studies Career Examples
Commercial Researcher (entertainment and communication), Communications Officer, Film or Television Producer/Director, Higher Educationalist
Learn how to analyse the rapidly changing world of digital media – and how to influence its development. You’ll explore contemporary concepts through rigorous research and practice-based work, preparing you for success in the global creative and communications industries.
The internet, social networks and mobile media are transforming the way news, entertainment and communications are produced and consumed. This degree will give you a critical understanding of the technological, social, cultural and political implications of these changes, and the skills to engage with and shape them.Covering contemporary topics ranging from gamification to citizen journalism, you’ll learn about organisations’ communications strategies and management practices, with a focus on how ideas are developed and how audiences and users respond to them. Informed by world-class research and taught within a creative art school environment, the course will enable you to explore the latest debates through practice-based projects using social media, photography, video and blogging. You’ll learn from leading researchers and external practitioners, gaining industry insights through guest lectures, behind-the-scenes visits and field trips. With a strong emphasis on employability, the course will help you to develop your professional profile in preparation for a role in the creative and communications industries, while its academic rigour means it is also excellent preparation for doctoral research.
On the MA Global Media Management you’ll explore the communication strategies and techniques employed by commercial, charity, and activist organisations, looking at the way creative ideas are developed, and how audiences and users respond to them or generate their own media material.
Click here to download the full Programme Specification.
The course offers numerous opportunities to talk to external industry professionals about potential career paths and work with staff on your professional profile. In addition, you’ll be able to attend career-focused events arranged by the School and Students’ Union, such as the Re:Work careers fair and creative industries careers sessions. Past students have also been successful in gaining work experience through the University’s placement scheme.
Your studies will equip you for a range of media and communications roles, such as digital strategist, social media manager, community manager, media planner, advertising account executive, brand manager, digital marketing executive, editor, social media analyst or content strategist.
Some of our alumni are now conducting further research at PhD level, while others are working in the social media publishing industries.
Edinburgh College of Art: Postgrad study in Art, Design, Architecture, Music, History of Art
