Smartphones and social media, digital networks and big data, gamification and mobile platforms – new media continue to change the way we live, work and communicate. This programme interrogates the impact of digital technologies on individuals and society, and provides you with the skills and knowledge to be able to think critically and creatively about new media.
Working both individually and in teams, you will learn about diverse digital media techniques and processes, including coding and hacking, web design, mapping and visualisation, scraping and mining, interactive narratives, animation, digital ethnography, action research, prototyping and iterative design, representation, and more. Through an applied, hands-on approach, you will gain an understanding of the social, cultural and economic roles of new media, and explore what it is like to work in the new media industries.
With a range of optional modules to choose from, you will also be able to expand your knowledge into areas such as multimedia journalism, cinema and photography, political and promotional communication, feminism and the media, and many more. Taught by expert practitioners and researchers, you will gain the knowledge and skills to thrive in this dynamic, fast-paced sector.Our School has a range of fantastic facilities to support your studies. The 58-seat Phil Taylor Cinema is equipped with Dolby Digital sound and high-definition projection facilities, as well as projectors for 16mm and 35mm film.
You can also work on your own projects in our 44 editing suites, equipped with Avid Media Composer editing software and Adobe Creative Cloud. The fully equipped TV studio also has a large green screen area, lighting and photo-flash facilities. We also have a track and dolly, sliders, Glidecam and various cranes, and you’ll have access to a new photographic dark room.
We also run a loans service where you can borrow a range of HD digital camcorders and various Canon stills cameras to help with your project work.
Depending on your previous experience, you may need to take the module New Media Production Skills to develop your knowledge of visual design software, HTML, CSS, PHP, WordPress, Javascript and animation. The module isn’t assessed so it will appear in your transcript, but won’t count towards your classification.
In each semester you’ll study core modules that build your knowledge of new media contexts and practice. You’ll consider the relationship between new media and contemporary culture and the interactive forms and practices that are emerging. Then you’ll gain practical production, project management and critical skills and respond to new media briefs in collaborative projects.
You’ll then have the chance to broaden your approach with your choice of optional modules, from photography and cinematics to political communication, television narratives and public relations in society.
To demonstrate the skills you’ve gained, you’ll also undertake a major independent project. You can choose to submit a dissertation and take classes on research methods throughout the year, or you can work on a sustained, practical new media project with a written element.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll complete the MA over two years, instead of one, taking fewer modules each year.
These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
For more information on typical modules, read New Media MA Full Time in the course catalogue
For more information on typical modules, read New Media MA Part Time in the course catalogue
You’ll be taught in a mixture of practical workshops, lectures and small group seminars which allow you to discuss your reading and present some of your research to other students. Independent study is also crucial to this degree, allowing you to practice your skills and deepen your knowledge.
We also use a range of assessment methods, depending on the modules you choose. They’re likely to include practical projects, essays, reports, group and individual presentations and case studies among others.
This programme is still relatively new, and digital media are rapidly growing, evolving and expanding.
People with high-level production and project management skills in new media will be in high demand for decades to come, and this programme will equip you with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a wide – and rapidly expanding – range of careers in new media practice.
These could include digital marketing, animation, web design and development, social media, analytics, PR and consultancy among others. You’ll also be well prepared for future research in this young and fast-changing field.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
New media produced by vast and rapidly expanding creative and commercial industries have become an important part of many everyday activities. Would you like to explore how they are changing our daily practices and cultures?
During the one-year Master’s programme in New Media & Digital Culture, you will delve into the many aspects of what it means to live in an age of new media. Guided by an international team of experienced scholars, you will assist with current research projects and learn to reflect critically on how present-day cultures are shaped by social media, data, games, internet activism, apps, data visualisations, mobile devices, algorithms, and participatory platforms.
The programme pivots around three major contemporary features of new media technologies and its relationship to culture and society, namely: the mobile/urbanaspect, the ludic/games aspect, and the software/data aspect. While the programme highlights the overlaps and synergies between these three aspects we also offer students the opportunity to specialise in a MA profile which relates to these three aspects. Engaging with such a profile means following a set trajectory of courses and a profile-related internship and thesis. An example of such a profile is Media, Data and Society (more information here), a co-partnership with the Utrecht Data School.
Both our general programme and its more specific profile trajectories cater to a job market and an industry interested in graduates who are capable of critical engagement with the cultural implications of the complex media culture we live in. To facilitate both in-depth knowledge about new media and digital culture with more practical hands-on experience, you will also complete a research internship towards starting a promising career.
Moderately sized groups of students, individual tutoring, and the chance to participate in international research projects provide you with multiple ways to develop your skills, explore your interests, and achieve valuable academic and personal results. Our dynamic and active community of students, alumni, and scholars provides a wide array of extracurricular activities and access to a large network of practitioners, media artists, policy makers, entrepreneurs, and activists from the most diverse strands of digital culture.
As a graduate of NMDC you are well equipped to fill a position in educational and cultural institutions, governmental institutions or in Media & ICT industries.Read more about possible career prospects.
Today’s easy access to different media and the wide variety of modalities ask for new communication approaches. In the Master's track New Media Design you will learn to develop, analyze and evaluate content and interaction in different digital genres and applications like serious games or vlogs.
A solid introduction to theories on human media interaction, design processes, and creativity provides you the basis to study the latest developments in the world of communication and interactive technology.
The research skills you gain enable you to become an effective designer and at the same time evaluate the academic and functional merits of your work.
As a new media specialist you know how to create innovative content and interaction designs that meet user’s needs. With the academic perspective and skills you develop in this program you will be able to stand out and bring media design to a next level.
The increasing individualization of media content consumption poses new challenges for organizations and asks for professionals that can guide them through the whole content strategy, design and evaluation process. After graduating, you could also continue your career as an academic researcher in the broad field of communication.
This is a small selection of positions you may apply for after you have completed your programme:
•Creative content designer
•Social media entrepreneur
•Online content manager
•User experience or interaction designer
•Professional vlogger/blogger
The MA in Digital Media is unique in its combination of practical and theoretical approaches to contemporary media and technology.
The established and exciting degree is designed to help you understand digital transformations in media, culture and society and apply this understanding in practice, in the media and creative industries and in further research. You will be equipped with skills that can be applied to current and future developments in digital media, social media, computing and other aspects of technology.
The MA in Digital Media educates aspiring media practitioners and academics as well as early and mid-career professionals who seek to reflect on their roles in a structured and stimulating learning environment designed to give all students up-to-the-minute knowledge of digital media and the skills to apply that knowledge to future developments.
The MA offers two pathways:
Pathway 1 is a theory programme where you learn about developments in digital media and technology from a wide range of perspectives
Pathway 2 is a theory and practice programme where you can explore transformations in media, culture and society through the practice of contemporary digital communication. You will work with one or more of the following to create installations, apps and single- and multi-screen work that's responsive to the continually changing digital landscape:
Acclaimed academics and practitioners
Benefit from the experience and expertise of one of the world’s leading media and communications departments. The programme is co-convened by Professor Joanna Zylinska and Daniel Rourke, and you will be taught by theorists and practitioners of international standing.
Work placements and internships
The MA in Digital Media regularly attracts offers of work placements and internships. In the past these have come from Google, The Science Museum and N1creative.com. There is also £6,000 bursary available for UK students studying this course. Find out more about the Stationers' Postgraduate Bursary Scheme on our departmental awards page.
Facilities
Our students have access to state-of-the-art facilities including well-equipped lecture and seminar rooms, exhibition spaces, computer facilities and digital media suites.
The department is also currently host to the renowned philosopher of media and technology, Bernard Stiegler and students will have access to his modulein Media Philosophy as well as priority access to the innovative and popular option After New Media. Designed to complement the MA in Digital Media, this course provides a framework for thinking about the current media environment as well as future forms of human and computer interaction.
An established record
The MA in Digital Media has been redefining media theory and practice since 2004. Our students become proficient in:
MA Digital Media students have access to the pioneering option ‘After New Media’, currently a non-assessed online module which explores the themes of self mediation, ethical mediation and intelligent mediation, and develops a framework for thinking about 'life' after new media. As well as accessing a series of podcasts, students are offered reading groups and a masterclass with Professor Sarah Kember co-author of the book Life After New Media on which the course is based.
Overview
The programme consists of:
Core modules
Seen take-home paper; essays; dissertation or practice/theory project and other production work for image-making.
We provide graduates with skills that are cutting edge: in the critical analysis and/or creative production of digital media; in the disciplinary knowledge and conceptual frameworks necessary for current and future forms of media and technology; in the awareness of how digital media and technologies are re-shaping society from the ways we communicate (through social media and web 2.0) to the increasingly ‘smart’ environments in which we live.
Our programme provides a theory and practice pathway and prepares students for work in the following areas:
The Master in Graphic Design integrates the knowledge of the tools and technologies, the project culture and methodology with a sensibility towards Visual Communication and its representations.
Particular attention is given to the new media and to the new frontiers of web communication, in order to create professional figures capable of acting within an evolving scenario.
The Graphic Designer figure, today, is particularly dynamic; being not only an expert in Visual Languages, but also a director of Communication Strategies based on the sign that is expressed on physical support in both real locations and virtual environments.
Career opportunities - The Graphic Designer works in advertisement and communication companies, web agencies, publishing houses or as a freelancer in his own facility ; he is able to interact with multiple clients in different fields thanks to a developed versatility. This professional figure, in fact, has the necessary tools to keep updated and anticipate the times, offering innovative solutions to his clients.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Digital Media at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA in Digital Media offers an innovative interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to contemporary technology and new media, drawing upon expertise in Media and Communication Studies.
The MA in Digital Media examines some of the key issues confronting twenty-first century global societies through a dynamic programme that combines theoretical and applied perspectives.
Digital Media students will be encouraged to apply media theory, political and social theory and research tools in analysing and understanding digital media. The MA in Digital Media explores key historical, policy and practice dimensions of new media as well as focusing on research methodologies for those undertaking research on digital media and technology.
The Digital Media course is split across the year. Students will take three modules in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then complete a dissertation over the summer. The dissertation component allows you to write a 16,000 word dissertation, which will draw on issues and themes developed throughout the year.
Modules on the MA in Digital Media typically include:
• Thinking About Digital Media
• The Digital Edge
• PR Branding and Promotion
• The Business and Politics of Digital Media
• Global Media
• Professional and Promotional Writing
• Digital Skills and Defence
• Online Journalism
Students interested in digital media and new media technologies, from a media studies, politics and international relations, humanities, social science, computer science or related background. Professionals interested in the challenge of digital media both in terms of their professional practice, but also related to fields in policy research and public administration. Students interested in
preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to digital media.
-To enable you to develop an advanced understanding of digital media, through contemporary theories and advanced research work.
-To help you to understand the development of digital media and technology historically, through a number of theoretical perspectives, which give a context to contemporary discussions and controversies in the field.
-To appreciate the role of digital media technology within wider social, political and economic contexts, including the implications for policy formation.
-To enable you to acquire research skills enabling you to conduct thorough research into digital media; also to enhance your critical, theoretical and analytical abilities, and your written and oral communication.
Career expectations are excellent for Digital Media graduates. Companies, nonprofit organisations, government and the public sector value the fact that our students have developed a range of critical abilities, a creative and innovative approach to problem solving, and skills in detailed analysis and presentation of research. Our Digital Media Graduates go on to work in journalism, broadcasting, web-design, advertising, publicity, arts and cultural bodies, or even to go on to study a PhD.
“I thoroughly enjoyed studying the MA in Digital Media. The course and its faculty have broadened my horizon not only in new media but other subjects, such as computer science and politics. If I haven’t yet succeeded in making the reader envious and inspired to take this course, I would only conclude by mentioning that you would miss out on lectures worth experiencing.”
Tejeswini Krishnan, Digital Media, MA
The field of media is constantly shifting and in the last decade the changes have been rapid, and a new media landscape has emerged. Digital media of today are characterised by participation and cooperation; media are wholly collaborative, in terms of both production and consumption.
The master’s programme in Media and Communication studies gives you advanced knowledge of digital media through practical approaches in the field. You will work creatively and in an explorative manner with different types of media, while learning to evaluate them from a critical perspective.
The field of media is constantly shifting. In the last decade the changes have been rapid, and a new media landscape has emerged – forever reshaping not only the consumers but also the creators and distributors of media. Digital media of today are characterised by participation and cooperation; media are wholly collaborative, in terms of both production and consumption – and this is what is meant by the term ‘collaborative media.’
The one-year master’s programme in Media and Communication Studies – Culture, Collaborative Media, and Cultural Industries – will equip you with advanced knowledge of digital media. The programme is oriented towards practical approaches to the field. You will work creatively and in an explorative fashion with different types of media while you learn to approach them from a critical perspective.
During the programme you will develop three primary skill sets: the ability to analyse and strategically approach media and its impact on society; the capability to work with media and communication both methodologically and systematically; the knowledge required to produce media texts, both individually and collaboratively. Compared to bachelor-level degrees, this advanced programme has a clear focus on the development of strategic expertise, a skill crucial for those intending to pursue a professional career in media and communication. During the year, you will furthermore obtain an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the creative industries.
The programme is developed alongside and conducted in collaboration with Media Evolution, a media cluster with over 350 member companies based in Malmö. This facilitates a crossover between the academic and professional worlds and allows you as a student to develop skills in both areas throughout your studies. Throughout the duration of the programme you will get the chance to meet a number of international guest lecturers from universities all across the world, further adding to the global relevance of the programme.
The first semester focuses on examining key themes in communication studies and on how the creative industries of today are operated. During the second semester you will learn more about the possibilities with collaborative media. The year ends with a (one-year, 15 credits) master's thesis.
Malmö University also offers the two-year master's programme Media and Communication Studies: Culture, Collaborative Media and Creative Industries, 120 credits. Read more
The programme, which is web-based and full-time, makes education available to students globally and offers a unique blend of distance and campus based learning. The seminars are compulsory, and you can either attend in Malmö or online. This approach makes it possible for international students to enrol in the programme without having to relocate, leading to a diverse and intercultural student body that increases the opportunities for students to form transnational networks and to benefit from international lecturers.
The programme is hosted on an online platform through which communication between students and lecturers takes place and where student projects are uploaded. As the main theme of the programme is collaborative media, this pedagogical approach leaves room for experimentation, and students are encouraged to use collaborative media during this process.
After graduating, you will have the qualifications necessary to work in media and communication. The skill set and knowledge you develop during your studies are valuable to the fast-growing creative indutries. Companies, government, and organisations are other possible employers as they become increasingly dependent on communication and media in their business. This programme is for those of you who want to take an active role in the development of the media field. It also provides a foundation for further post-graduate studies.
After completing the programme students should be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
1) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media and communication studies, including both an overview of the field and deeper knowledge of specific parts of the field as well as insight into current research and development work
2) demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in media and communication studies
Competence and skills
3) demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge and to analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
4) demonstrate the ability to independently identify and formulate issues and to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames
5) demonstrate the ability verbally and in writing to report clearly and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences
6) demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or employment in some other qualified capacity
Judgement and approach
7) demonstrate the ability in media and communication studies to make assessments in relation to relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
8) demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used
9) demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her on going learning
Master's Degree (60 credits).
Degree of Master of Arts (60 credits) in Media and Communication Studies
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