Masters Degrees (Visual Sociology)

Designed for students interested in new ways of exploring and understanding the social world through the use of visual, sensory and other experimental approaches, this programme allows you to study sociological issues alongside innovative methods- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-visual-sociology/

The MA will enable you to intervene in and represent the social world by developing the ability to undertake empirical research and present it publicly in a variety of media and materials.

You will engage with sociology as an inventive research practice, orientated towards the creative deployment of research methods.

An introduction to debates in visual and sensory sociology

The MA in Visual Sociology provides an introduction to the range of debates in visual and sensory sociology, encouraging you to build on these by using visual and sensory methodological practices to carry out critical social research in your areas of interest, whether this is science and technology, contemporary capitalism, gender and sexual cultures, human rights, globalisation or other aspects of social life.

A hands-on approach to sociological research

The programme combines lectures and seminars with practical sessions and workshop-based projects in which you develop a hands-on approach to sociological research, providing a skill base in methods which could be used in public sector contexts, art/media research, design or commercial application.

As well as presenting your ideas through writing, during the course you will have the opportunity to produce a range of different outputs including exhibitions, visual models and film/video. Critical feedback sessions function as a testing ground for individual projects.

Themed projects allow groups of students to further develop a portfolio of research outputs geared to a variety of audiences. The dissertation allows you to undertake a substantive research project geared to your individual interests.

You will have access to the Visual Media Lab, which offers post-production and editing stations, as well as equipment for photography and video. Students can also borrow equipment from the Media Equipment Centre.

At the forefront of the discipline

The MA is based in the Department of Sociology, home of the The Methods Lab and at the forefront of research using live methods. It is taught by staff with a wide range of experience in both sociology and interdisciplinary research, including visual and experimental approaches.

The course is suitable for applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds, including art, design, anthropology, media and communications, cultural studies, geography, and sociology.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Rebecca Coleman.

Modules & Structure

Core modules:
In the first part of the course you will take 'Introduction to Sensory Sociology', a module that investigates the transformation of sociology in the age of visual, digital and other empirical methods. The module 'Key Debates for Inventive and Visual Sociology' enables you to address debates within visual sociology, and also encompasses more recent issues surrounding the notions of media, translation and studio practice which are associated with inventive approaches. Assessment of these modules is by essay.

Alongside these modules you will take a core practical component that offers the opportunity to gain skills in photography, sound and video and to develop materials that engage a sociological imagination. A central focus is on how to translate a research question into a variety of materials or media and to be able to critically discuss the selection and use of these.

In the second term you continue with a practical module in inventive sociology in which students working individually or in groups respond to a theme to create a visual, sensory or experimental object or media. Assessment of the practical work includes a diary of research process alongside documentation of work.

These core modules are taught in Sociology. In the second term you will also take an option that may be chosen from Sociology or may be taken from departments across Goldsmiths including the Departments of Anthropology, English and Comparative Literature, Politics, Media and Communications, Educational Studies, Music, and the Centre for Cultural Studies. 



In the summer term you will complete a dissertation involving a major practical project consisting of any media and addressing a specific sociological problem. You will meet for individual supervision with a member of the Sociology staff.
 The dissertation is a substantive piece of research in which you develop a visual, inventive or experimental approach to a topic of your choice.

Option modules:
You will chose an option module to the value of 30 credits from Sociology or from departments across the College including the Departments of Anthropology, English and Comparative Literature, Politics, Media and Communications, Music, Educational Studies, and the Centre for Cultural Studies.

Modules in Sociology address themes such as:

contemporary capitalism and inequality
human rights
globalisation and urban life
gender and sexuality
science, technology and medicine
digitisation of social life

Skills & Careers

This programme attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds, including art and design, business, and the third sector, as well as those with social science degrees. This means the careers that they are interested in pursuing are wide and varied.

The programme helps students develop their critical and analytical abilities as well as a number of other practical skills and competencies, which are valued in different sectors. For example, as well as reflecting moves within sociology to study the visual and sensory, the MA also responds to how sociological methods – such as interviews, focus groups and ethnography – are increasingly used in commercial settings, including in social and market research, and in research and development for international companies.

The programme can lead to many types of career including in the arts and creative industries, the charity and public sectors, social research. A number of graduates from the programme are also interested in pursuing further academic research.

Funding

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

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The MPhil in Visual Sociology offers you the opportunity to combine written sociological argument with film, sound, or photographic representation- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/mphil-phd-visual-sociology/

It will allow new researchers to re-think both the conduct of social research and the forms that social research writing takes in the 21st century.

Students registered on this degree will complete all of the research training modules outlined for the MPhil programme. The MPhil will allow you to re-think the gathering, analysis and presentation of research data and consider the future of sociological representation.

Assessment will be via a thesis, visual/aural component (a video or sound feature, or a photographic project), and viva voce.

The MPhil programme offers the opportunity for you to continue your research to a PhD.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Postgraduate Research Officer of Sociology.

Department

Sociology at Goldsmiths is ranked:
9th in the UK and 45th in the world for this subject area**
9th in the UK for the quality of our research***

**QS World University Rankings by subject 2015
***Research Excellence Framework 2014, Times Higher Education research intensity subject rankings

The Department of Sociology at Goldsmiths is active, contemporary and inventive. We are interested in everything from the ‘global’ issues of poverty and injustice to the ‘micro’ issues of cultural identity and the presentation of self in a digital world.

Our staff are some of the top academics in the world for this discipline – they’re the pioneers who are pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo. They’ve played a key role in developing social research methods, setting agendas in social and cultural policy, and linking theory to practice.

Through their world-leading research you’ll be at the forefront of current debates and will be encouraged to see the world differently.

How to apply

Before you apply for a research programme, we advise you to get in touch with the programme contact, listed above. It may also be possible to arrange an advisory meeting.

Before you start at Goldsmiths, the actual topic of your research has to be agreed with your proposed supervisor, who will be a member of staff active in your general field of research. The choice of topic may be influenced by the current research in the department or the requirements of an external funding body. The choice of topic may be influenced by the current research in the department or the requirements of an external funding body. You should look at our staff research interests to see if we are the right department for you and whether there is a member if staff who may match your research interests.

If you wish to study on a part-time basis, you should also indicate how many hours a week you intend to devote to research, whether this will be at evenings or weekends, and for how many hours each day.

Research proposals

Along with your application and academic reference, you should also upload a research proposal at the point of application.

This should be in the form of a 1,500-3,000-word statement of the proposed area of research and should include:

delineation of the research topic
why it has been chosen
an initial hypothesis (if applicable)
a brief list of major secondary sources
the name of a staff member who you believe would be interested in acting as your supervisor

Funding

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

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This MPhil pathway is designed to give students a basic understanding of major themes and debates the sociology of reproduction and new reproductive technologies. Two core modules introduce key concepts and approaches to the sociology of reproduction, and core methodologies in this field. Other substantive modules can be chosen in consultation with the student's supervisor or the course director.

Topics to be covered include: core theories of gender, reproduction and kinship; the reproductive division of labour; social reproduction and the meaning of the 'mode of reproduction'; the sociology of new reproductive technologies; reproduction and globalisation; reproductive rights; media representation of reproduction and visual cultures of reproduction.

Background readings will be drawn from feminist science studies, the history of science and medicine, and the anthropology of reproduction as well as the sociology of reproduction.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hssompsrp

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the programme students should have:

- an advanced understanding of current sociological research in selected topics;
- the skills necessary to conduct independent social research and experience in their use;
- an ability to apply and develop modern social theory with respect to empirical topics;
- a deeper understanding of their chosen specialist area, including command of the literature and current research;
- the ability to situate their own research within current developments in the field.

Format

The course offers teaching on Social Theory, Substantive modules and Research Methods. Students work towards a written dissertation supported by supervisions and a dissertation workshop.

Students receive written feedback on each essay and the dissertation. Feedback is also given during the dissertation workshop on the direction and progress of the dissertation research.

Assessment

Students write a dissertation of not less than 15,000 and not more than 20,000 words on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

Students write one methods essay of not less than 2,500 and not more than 3,000 words (or prescribed course work) and two substantive essays of not less than 4,000 and not more than 5,000 words.

Continuing

Students are encouraged to proceed to the Faculty's PhD programme, provided they reach a high level of achievement in all parts of the course. MPhil students who would like to continue to the PhD would normally need to have a final mark of at least 70% overall and 70% for the dissertation.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

The Department of Sociology holds ESRC funding awards. Sociology is a recognised Doctoral Training Centre pathway toward a PhD. Therefore candidates for the MPhil in Sociology (Sociology of Reproduction) can apply for 1+3 ESRC funding.

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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-Study at the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology - widely recognised as the world's leading centre for Visual Anthropology and Sensory Media
-The course combines anthropology with practical training in film-making, editing, visual methods, photography, sensory ethnography and sound
-Students are provided with professional equipment and supported by an internally renowned staff comprising the largest visual anthropology faculty in Europe

We welcome students from across the social sciences and humanities. The MA in Visual Anthropology is tailored to meet the needs of different levels of anthropological and film-making experience, whether you have little or no background in formal anthropology, film-production, visual methods and photography, or if you have substantial experience in one or more of these areas.

For nearly 30 years, the University's Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology has been widely recognised as the world's leading centre for Visual Anthropology. Our graduates have produced more than 400 ethnographic films seen around the world and it is now at the forefront of the emergent dialogue between art and anthropology, including sensory ethnography and sound, experimental and practice-based methods, photographic and digital media, museum and gallery installations.

Our MA and MPhil courses combine anthropology with training in film-making and editing, visual methods, photography sensory ethnography and sound. Students are provided with professional equipment and supported by an internationally renowned staff comprising the largest visual anthropology faculty in Europe.

The Granada Centre's teaching and research continues to set the standard of excellence in the social sciences as well as arts. This was formally recognised by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council), and by the AHRC, awarding the master's programme the status of a Professional Preparation masters, something awarded to no other visual anthropology programme in the UK.

Teaching and learning

The course combines conventional lectures and seminars with practical 'hands-on' instruction and workshops. Students work in teams and individually. Their final piece is an individual production, however throughout the year they will spend time working in teams so as to develop team-working & presentational skills as well as technical and artistic expertise. Work is presented to the class and receives feedback from fellow students as well as instructors. In this way, students learn to analyse their own and others works and through each other's successes and failures, generating a strong range of intellectual, practical and aesthetic resources as well as a sense of camaraderie and cooperation.

Coursework and assessment

During both semesters, students take 1 x 30-credit or 2 x 15 credit practical film or media courses and 2 x 15-credit lecture- or seminar-based modules on more theoretical, methodological or substantive ethnographic topics. The latter are each assessed by means of a 4000-word essay. The practical modules are assessed by various combinations of a portfolio of project work and an accompanying written text.

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This interdisciplinary subject explores the meanings and effects of visual images and ways of looking. Through its core elements, options and route specific seminars, the course examines the ways images are used and perceived in a society that is becoming increasingly saturated with visual technologies, and it explores the ways that images contribute to the formation of identities and social environments. You will be encouraged to engage with the subject using a theoretical, methodological and creative approach. The course provides opportunities for the production of a wide variety of academic writing as well as possibilities to develop critical thinking through visual practice. The course encourages a high degree of independent research that will culminate in either a dissertation or a project combining written and visual material. This course will appeal to applicants from a variety of backgrounds including art history, fine art, sociology and visual anthropology, those engaged in a range of careers such as lecturing, working in the cultural and heritage industries, and those looking to further develop their academic interests.

Features

-The course is taught by practicing artists and maintains active links with an international network of art professionals and organisations.
-You will have your own spaces within communal studios, with full access to the School's workshops and other resources.
-The space allows opportunities to become involved in a wide range of live projects, publishing ventures and the chance to collaborate with other students, members of staff and outside institutions.
-Students have gone on to pursue careers in arts writing, curating and art practice. The course also provides the scope for opportunities to teach in Further or Higher Education in the arts.

Course Content

The MA Visual Culture is made up of five units totalling 180 credits.

The programme is practice driven and focussed on the development of your existing practice. It will enable you to identify and explore new concepts and approaches negotiated through an individual Working Synopsis.

You will establish key theories and issues relating to Contemporary Curating, Design Cultures and Visual Culture and then develop these into more complex approaches.

You will also be encouraged and supported to extend your experience in the professional sphere either through a practical project, research context, exchange, work experience, or other negotiated professional set of interactions with an external partner, groups of students and creative industry.

Towards the end of the programme you will undertake a major project to consolidate your past research and practice into fully realised collections, pieces, proposals, business plans, or exhibitions – what ever means is appropriate to the work. You will also have developed a strategy for the continuation of your practice located and contextualised to the profession or discipline.

If you choose to progress to MFA Visual Culture award you will study a further two units of 60 credits each.

This award is focussed on the continuation of your practice aligned to the research and selection of appropriate public or professional venues and platforms to disseminate a significant body of work. You will be required to produce work for a public audience in the most relevant and appropriate form along with any implicit publicity and dissemination material.

Resources

We have developed a dedicated postgraduate area occupying an entire floor of the main School of Art building, offering an exciting space to be, both intellectually and practically. The centre is located in the newly refurbished Chatham Tower with studios, design laboratories, seminar rooms and extensive workshops that form the nucleus of this vibrant, cross-disciplinary learning environment.

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Our research expertise centres around three themes: Identities, the Sociology of Health and Life Sciences and Social Transformations. Our research tradition covers sociology, social policy and social anthropology. We have strengths in the fields of family studies, health studies, political economy, sexuality, citizenship, and youth and student lives.

Our MPhil projects cover a wide spectrum of contemporary sociology including:
-Bodies, identities and experiences
-Culture and material life
-'Development' and the global south
-Emotions and intimacy
-Environment and society
-Imagining pasts and futures
-Sexualities and gender
-Sociology of ethics
-Sociologies of health and life sciences
-Sociology of law
-Visual and aesthetic cultures

Each of these themes represents the expertise of a member of staff actively engaged in sociological research.

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Explore the creative interplay between urban theory and the visual representation of urban cultures and places- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-photography-urban-cultures/

This programme has been developed by the Centre for Urban and Community Research to encourage creative interplay between practice and theory. You'll have the chance to consider cutting-edge debates in cultural and social theory in a research setting that actively encourages the development of photographic practice.

The programme offers working photographers, visual artists and media practitioners space to reflect critically on their practice.

It also offers those with a background in sociology, urban and cultural geography, cultural studies or anthropology the opportunity to combine visual forms of representation with standard forms of research techniques in investigating urban life and the physical environments of the city.

Convenor

Paul Halliday, Department of Sociology

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Paul Halliday (Programme Convenor) or the Postgraduate Programmes Officer

Modules & Structure

Navigating Urban Life- 30 credits
Through The Lens Part A- 15 credits
Key Debates for Inventive and Visual Sociology Practice- 15 credits
Talking Practice A and Talking Practice B- 15 credits each
Urban Photographers- 15 credits
Through The Lens Part B- 15 credits

As well as these modules, you will complete a Dissertation and Major Visual Project (60 credits).

The Dissertation can comprise two parts: a portfolio and a 5-6,000-word Dissertation, or you may submit a 10-12,000-word written Dissertation. The Dissertation will consist of: an account of the rationale of the photographic project; a critical evaluation of photographic practice and issues of reflectivity and knowledge production. In combination with the written part you will be expected to provide evidence of a sustained and coherent body of photographic work focusing on an aspect of urban culture for assessment. Previously, work from Final Visual Projects has been shown on a virtual gallery space linked to the CUCR website.

Assessment

Essays; dissertation; final visual project.

Skills

This MA develops skills in urban photography, visual ethnography and urban research, communications for urban planning, community arts and visual arts practice.

Careers

Graduates of the programme have progressed to the following areas and careers:

Doctoral studies
curating
public relations
urban planning
advertising
community artseducation
social research
journalism

Funding

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

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Research profile

Socio-cultural studies attracts people with social science backgrounds who wish to work on interdisciplinary topics, and also those from an arts or humanities background who want to gain skills and experience in social research.

Our PhD students can apply to the Arts & Humanities Research Council and some have already been successful in applications for doctoral research funding to the AHRC.

The MSc by Research in Socio-Cultural Studies may be taken as a stand-alone, one-year course or as a stepping stone to the PhD. It offers training in a range of qualitative methods.

Indicative courses include:

Documents of Life
Research Design
Data Analysis
Sources & Approaches for Historical Research
Research Methods in Literatures, Languages & Cultures
Research Design in Geography
Explanation & Understanding in Social & Political Research
Contemporary Social Theory
Ethical & Political Issues in Social & Political Research

The dissertation element of the degree can take the form of either a small piece of independent research or a detailed proposal for a PhD.

Training and support

You will work with a supervisor on an original research dissertation and participate in advanced sociology research-training workshops, work-in-progress seminars and a writing workshop.

The Graduate School provides a suite of research training courses for social science students across the University. We are developing an exciting package of flexible, web-based training courses as well as training in innovative methods addressing topics such as visual sociology, in line with the increased emphasis on ongoing training throughout your doctoral studies.

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Study global problems on small scale

The Master’s programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology teaches students how to do research into the ways in which people experience and cope with global problems at the small scale of their everyday. You will study people who may live lives that are economically fragile, in environments damaged by pollution or disaster or feel they lack the rights of full citizens in the country where they live. However, they manage to survive, keep up hope and laugh with each other despite these difficulties. You will learn to research how people acquire the resilience that allows them to cope with them, and how they maintain continuity in a world that is often difficult to handle.

Learn how to do ethnography

Through the experience of ethnographic research, you will learn how to enter and participate in another world, and to understand it without becoming trapped in the stereotypes of our own. To this end, experienced researchers co-opt students into their own research specialties and train them to work in field research sites that they select and organize together. Intensive coaching by individual supervisors, course teachers, and field research trainers prepares students for your personal field research project. This also speeds up the process of settling in a field site, understanding its research context, and acquiring the skills and art of reporting results to an audience in an academically responsible way.

Choose one of our three specialisations

The Master’s programme in CA/DS offers a unique set of choices: you can join staff members in their Global Ethnography research specialties; you can work with a company, a museum or an NGO in a Policy in Practice project; or you can set up a Visual Ethnography project (subject to previous training). The staff members who supervise these projects are experienced and enthusiastic ethnographers who are proud of the way their MSc transfers skills to students. Staff members are actively involved in the Field Schools in West Africa (Ghana), Southeast Asia (Indonesia and the Philippines) and the Netherlands, because they offer students the most effective road to a good research result. Alternative sites become available, however, through (for example) Policy in Practice projects.

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Postgraduate students from this course will be part of the newly emerging generation of digital storytellers. Using video, text, photography, audio and info-graphics candidates will be able to explore a spectrum of approaches from news journalism to ethnographic practices to convey stories about the real world. Embedded in live projects, with international opportunities and professional practitioners the programme aims to equip students with the essential practical, creative and vocational skills for the media landscape of the twenty first century.
Practice is at the core of the programme. Experimentation, evaluation and the resolution of ideas and skills together are central to the course. By the end of it you should be able to produce challenging cutting edge work that uses a variety of mediums effectively and be able to identify professional outputs for your own type of practice. The course is delivered through a variety of methods that are dependent on the required learning. Critically based lectures and seminars will give you a sound grounding in current thinking about the many components that make up the field. Intensive workshop sessions will enable you to attain the relevant skills and to undertake visual problem solving. Developing your understanding of industry expectations, skill levels and professional behaviour will further underpin the much of the course. Opportunities to take part in professional projects, or to work on client-based briefs will also help you to acquire the relevant skills and experiences.
The course structure has exit awards of PG Dip -120 credits and a PG Cert – 60 credits).

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This MA introduces you to recent debates on gender in the disciplines of sociology and media and communications studies, and to the interdisciplinary domains of feminist social and cultural theory- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-gender-media-culture/

Drawing on the internationally recognised and pioneering expertise of staff in the Department of Sociology and Department of Media and Communications, the programme offers you the opportunity to develop cutting-edge critical skills in relation to cultural approaches to gender formation and gender theory.

As well as these theoretical and analytical points of orientation, the MA in Gender, Media and Culture aims to help you grasp the importance of epistemology and methodology for the evaluation of empirical investigations of gender formations.

The programme therefore introduces you to, and offers training in, the key socio-cultural methods for the study of gender in the contemporary world, including methods for the study of visual culture; the body and affect; and memory.

These two elements of the programme are brought together in a dissertation study, which involves tailored supervision in the application of research methods to a specific topic.

This programme relates to the following disciplines:

Sociology
Media and Communications
Humanities
Science and Technology Studies
Philosophy

Overall the programme has the following interrelated aims

to provide in-depth interdisciplinary knowledge of contemporary gender formations
to provide theoretical, analytical and methodological points of orientation for understanding gender and culture transnationally and across different societies and geo-political regions
to offer skilled supervision in the development and completion of a small research project which tests thoroughly a range of research skills
to expose students to a lively research environment and the relevant expertise of the research-led Departments of Sociology and Media and Communications

Convenors

Autumn term convener - Nirmal Puwar
Spring term convener - Sara Ahmed

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Postgraduate Programmes Officer.

Modules & Structure

Core components of the programme will familiarise you with the wide range of debates integral to the fields of gender studies, feminist theory, and cultural studies. These include:

questions about sexual difference and the performativity of gender
gender, science, debates on affect and emotion
gender and migration and the new international division of labour
feminism
You complete one core module and one option module each term, as well as a dissertation module in the spring term. The first core module introduces key debates and developments in feminist theory, cultural theory and, in particular, feminist cultural theory. It introduces both early debates which defined these fields and contemporary developments and departures. More specifically, you will be introduced to social constructivist and post-structuralist perspectives, to ‘new materialism’, to debates on feminism and the critique of universalism; to key questions in relation to feminism and biology; to debates on psycho-analysis and the emergence of queer theory and its intersection with feminist theory.

The second core module examines the place of gender, affect and the body in feminist theory and feminist practice. The course offers you different angles on what has become known as “the affective turn,” placing a strong emphasis on the history of feminist contributions to the study of affect and emotion as well as the body. We ask how bodies are constructed, experienced and lived from a variety of feminist perspectives, attending to questions of corporeal difference, as well as the intimacy of bodies, spaces, objects and technologies. We also reflect on the significance of affect and the body for feminist and queer cultural practices, as well feminist and queer activisms. This module therefore offers instruction in some of the most cutting edge issues in contemporary feminist theory. A team of leading feminist scholars based in the departments of Sociology and Media Communications at Goldsmiths teach this module on the basis of their research specialisms.

There will be a series of dissertation workshops to help you plan and develop your dissertation, especially in regard to issues of methodology and method. Each student will be assigned a supervisor who will work with you to develop your proposal and undertake independent research.

Option modules

You have 60 credits at your disposal, you can choose any 30 credit modules related to gender from postgraduate modules across the University. You can choose either a regular option (30 credits) or two ‘mini-options’ (2 x 15 credits).

For your other options, you can choose modules from either the Department of Sociology or the following Departments across Goldsmiths. Not all modules are suitable for students from all academic backgrounds; you will discuss your choices with the Programme Convenor at the start of your degree.

Assessment

Essays and dissertation.

Skills

Graduates from this programme gain conceptual and methodological knowledge of the key concepts and debates in the study of gender and culture; the skills of critical analysis; the ability to distinguish and appraise a range of socio-cultural research methodologies; the skills to design and develop a research project; and the ability to recognise and account for sensitive ethical issues relating to research and representation.

The two core courses provide you with the necessary skills to understand the relationships between early debates in the fields of gender studies, feminist theory and feminist cultural theory, and the ability to critically engage with new developments in these fields. Furthermore, you will gain a critical appreciation of the role and place of the body and affect in the development of feminist cultural theory and gender theory, and the challenges that contemporary socio-cultural changes bring to the theorisation of the body.

Careers

Previous graduates have embarked on professional careers in social research, think tanks, the arts and cultural sectors, government and public administration, development, human rights, NGOs, and in media and communications globally. They have also progressed to PhD study.

Funding

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

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The MA in Digital Media is unique in its combination of practical and theoretical approaches to contemporary media and technology- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-digital-media-technology-cultural-form/

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 improve your skills, understanding and experience in one of the following areas:

Documentary
Image making
Journalism
Writing

Acclaimed academics and practitioners

Benefit from the experience and expertise of one of the world’s leading media and communications departments. You'll be taught by theorists and practitioners of international standing: Sarah Kember, Joanna Zylinska, Graham Young, Tony Dowmunt, Angela Phillips, Julian Henriques and David Morley.

Work placements and internships

The MA in Digital Media regularly attracts offers of work placements and internships. Recently these have come from Google, The Science Museum and N1creative.com.

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:

the history, sociology and philosophy of digital media
the application of critical conceptual skills to specialist areas and future forms of media
multimedia skills in image making (photography, video, animation, graphic art) script writing, journalism and documentary
MA Digital Media students have access the pioneering option ‘After New Media’, 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 befits a course of this kind we will be combining media, and exploring their pedagogic potential – uniting digital-online technologies with more traditional teaching formats, such as reading groups, seminars and an end of year symposium.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Sarah Kember.

Modules & Structure

The programme consists of:

Two compulsory core modules
Pathway 1 - between two and four option modules (worth 60 credits) OR
Pathway 2 - a two-term practice block (worth 30 credits) and either one or two option modules (worth 30 credits)
The dissertation or the practice/theory project

Assessment

Seen take-home paper; essays; dissertation or practice/theory project and other production work in the area of documentary, image-making, journalism or fiction.

Programme overview

This is an exciting programme which offers a critical, contextual and practical approach to digital media and technology. It problematises approaches to the 'new' media in academic and professional debate, especially those which overemphasise the potential for radical social change led by a homogenised technology itself.

The programme is defined by its resistance to technological determinism and its insistence on the importance of addressing the social and historical contexts within which a range of media technologies are employed. In order to provide a contextual framework and facilitate the conceptualisation of digital media and technologies as fully cultural forms and processes, the programme will draw on a range of disciplines including: media and cultural studies, sociology, anthropology and philosophy. However, the programme will remain focused on key contemporary concerns about the potential role of digital media in society and on refiguring the contours of the 'new' media debate.

The programme offers two pathways. Pathway 1 addresses central theoretical and conceptual concerns relating to digital media. Pathway 2 combines theoretical analysis and practical work, offering students the opportunity to explore new media theories and concepts in practice. Pathway 2 is primarily aimed at students who already have some experience in one of the areas on offer: documentary; digital photography and image making; journalism; writing. It is meant to appeal to media industry professionals who are keen to reflect critically on their practice within a structured learning environment, graduates of practice-based courses but also those who have gained their practical experience in documentary; digital photography and image making; journalism or writing in informal settings.

Programme structure

The first compulsory core course is Digital Media - critical perspectives and this is taught in a small workshop format in the Autumn term. This course functions as a foundation for the second core course and offers students a map of the key debates in digital media. The course is taught in ten two hour workshop sessions and is supported by the provision of one-to-one tutorials.

The second compulsory core course is Technology and Cultural Form - debates, models, dialogues and this develops questions of technology, power, politics and subjectivity which were introduced in the first core course. The first part of this course highlights the key conceptual concerns of a contextualised approach to digital media plus the relevant debates and models formulated by key figures in the field. The second part of this course aims to generate a dialogue between theoreticians and practitioners around some of the most intellectually stimulating, contentious and contemporary ideas in the field without necessarily seeking a resolution. This course is taught in ten two hour workshop sessions during the Spring term and is supported by the weekly provision of one-to-one tutorials.

Students are required to take options from the lists provided by the Media and Communications, Anthropology, Comparative Literature and Sociology Departments as well as the Centre for Cultural Studies. Examples might include: After New Media, Nature and Culture, Cultural Theory, Globalisation, Risk and Control, Embodiment and Experience, Political Communications. Options are taught primarily through lectures and seminars and take place in the Autumn or Spring terms.

Each student's option profile is discussed with the programme convenor in order to ensure that the balance of subject-specific topics is appropriate for the individual concerned. Option courses are taught primarily through lectures, seminars and tutorials and take place in the Autumn or Spring terms.

All students are required to produce either a 12,000 word dissertation on a topic agreed by the student and supervisor or a practice/theory project in the area of documentary, photography and image making, journalism or fiction. The length of the practical element is dependent on the media and the form used and will be agreed in advance with the supervisor. It will, however, be comparable with practical projects undertaken in practice MA programmes in the relevant field. Students undertaking the practice/theory project will also be expected to submit a 3-4000 word analysis of their practice which locates it within the theoretical debates explored in the MA as a whole. This essay may be presented as a separate document or as an integral part of the project depending on the nature of the project and by a agreement with both theory and practice supervisors.

Programme outcomes

The programme's subject specific learning outcomes require students to analyse and contextualise developments in digital media and technology with reference to key debates in the history, sociology, anthropology and philosophy of the media. Students who opt for the practice/theory pathway will also be required to produce material of publishable or broadcast standard and to evaluate the ways in which theoretical and practical insights intersect. All students will develop a wide range of transferable qualities and skills necessary for employment in related or unrelated areas. These are described by the Quality Assurance Agency as: 'the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility, decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations, and the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development'.

By the end of the programme students will be able to:

-Map and critically evaluate key debates in the field of new media
-Analyse and contextualise current and future developments in digital media and technology
-Evaluate and articulate key historical, sociological, anthropological and philosophical approaches to the study of digital media and technology
-Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of at least four differing areas of inquiry
-Demonstrate an advanced level of conceptual knowledge and (where relevant) practical skill appropriate for a sustained piece of work in the field
-Prepare and deliver clearly argued and informed work
-Locate, retrieve and present relevant information for a specific project
-Manage a complex array of competing demands and work effectively to a deadline
-Work resourcefully and independently
-Think critically and/or work practically within a given context

Skills

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.

Careers

Our programme provides a theory and practice pathway and prepares students for work in the following areas:

-media and creative industries; advertising, marketing and PR (graduates of the MA Digital Media have found work with Virgin Media, Google, the BBC and other leading organisations worldwide)
-research and academia (graduates from this programme have gone on to study for PhD degrees in higher education institutions around the world and also here with us)
-media production and new media art (graduates have exhibited, published and produced work in photography, journalism, TV, documentary, film and multimedia)

Graduate Ekaterina discusses her career:

"I work for a company, called Visual DNA, which already sounds like life happening After New Media. The company is the largest data provider in Europe and is totally multinational. We actually try to analyse human visual DNA, you memories, feelings, thoughts about the future, anticipations, etc by creating personality quizzes where instead of verbal answers we tend to use images.

My role is as Creative Developer. It involves working with images from concept to finding/shooting and post-production. My qualifications perfectly matched what they’ve been looking for, Digital Media rocks!

My tip for the new-to-be-graduates is this: physically go to places and companies and talk to people. It really opens up loads of possibilities, and when I tell someone where I’ve graduated from they look impressed, and there is some sort of respect coming from them."

Funding

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

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MA Film & Television at Falmouth University reflects and interrogates the highly fluid nature of the contemporary screen media environment.

Our MA is distinguished from traditional courses in that it specifically addresses the diversity and crossover of today's film and television culture with the aim of producing adaptive thinkers and highly creative practitioners. Our academic focus engages and interrogates film and television's status in the 21st century, which is often defined in terms of the digital age and digital culture.

On the course you will be required to examine, interpret and contest the notion of digital culture historically, socially, politically and artistically through both your research and creative practice. You will interrogate the increasingly blurred boundaries between film and television, art and technology, production and consumption, with the outcome being a fracturing of traditional categorisations. We reflect an era in which screenwriters Aaron Sorkin (Newsroom, The West Wing) and Lena Dunham (Girls, Tiny Furniture) experiment with dialogue and narrative, while conceptual artists Sam Taylor-Wood (Nowhere Boy, Love You More) and Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave, Shame) have shifted from the art gallery to the cinema. Directors such as Ben Wheatley (A Field in England, Sightseers) and companies such as Curzon and Film4 are making use of multi-platform release schedules, and brands including HBO, Amazon and Netflix are shaping the very nature of not only what, but how, we watch. MA Film & Television understands this fundamentally shifting zeitgeist.

In examining industrial structure and visual form you will theorise the shifting dynamics of an age where anyone with a phone and a laptop has the ability to record, edit and disseminate visual projects. Such 'democratisation' has arguably made both creative uniqueness and clear industry pathways less discernable, but has provided a new and fruitful framework for those who have the ideas, talent, dedication and adaptability to embrace such immense transitional potential. However, despite these multitudinous transformations attributed to digital culture, the ethos of our MA contends that fundamental skills remain the basis of both sound academic work and creative practice. Rather than being fearful of what is to come, or nostalgic for the past, this course gives you the confidence to look at film and television critically, and acquire cutting edge creative skills in order to produce intelligent, innovative and inspirational visual work.

Our philosophy is one of flexibility, so you'll shape the curriculum around your own interests, whether in theory, creative practice, or a combination of the two. Drawn from the fundamentals of history, theory and criticism, our theoretical strand develops tomorrow's cineastes, cultural commentators, journalists and academics. This also underpins our approach to practice. The most successful film and television makers are students of their chosen medium, highly knowledgeable of historical legacy and social-political context. You'll not only learn how to develop, write, produce, shoot, record, direct and edit well, but why, philosophically and creatively, your ideas are worth being made.

Visit the website https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/film-television-ma

How the course is taught

Our passion is reflected both in the teaching and research track record of our academics, our industry connections and visiting speakers, and the quality of our film and television professionals. Crossing disciplinary areas such as cultural studies, sociology, journalism, English, philosophy and, of course, film and television studies, our MA offers academically-minded students comprehensive supervision and guidance for moving onto PhD research.

Industry and academic links

We have a strong visiting lecturer programme with recent guests including critics Dr Mark Kermode, Professor Linda Ruth Williams and Dr Will Brooker. Our practice tutors are active writers, producers, directors, editors, sound designers and cinematographers who create substantive work across all screen media. We have a wide range of contacts and industry specialists who contribute to the course, including Tony Grisoni (writer of Southcliffe, Red Riding, and How I Live Now), Mary Burke (producer of For Those in Peril, Berberian Sound Studio and The Midnight Beast), and James Henry (writer for Campus and Green Wing).

Falmouth University also recently hosted the Channel 4 Talent Day and we are active in developing work placements and internships for our students. We have sent many of students to Warp Films and TwoFour since 2009, and regularly update our webpages with work experience opportunities and jobs. Our graduates have proceeded to further study and jobs across the film and television industry, for HBO, Sky, ITV, Disney and have worked on major feature films, most recently including About Time (Richard Curtis, 2013) The World's End (Edgar Wright, 2013), The Double (Richard Ayoade, 2014) and Disney's forthcoming Cinderella (Kenneth Branagh, 2015). Falmouth University's MA in Film & Television is for students who to place themselves at the cutting edge of screen culture.

Course outline

The course is divided into three semesters of 15 weeks. Each semester offers the fundamentals vital to every academic and practitioner, and elective choices so you can shape your own learning.

What you'll do

- Study block 1
Foundation
The first semester consists of three core units, offering a diverse entry point to all aspects of the study of film and television, and the interrelationship of theory and practice:

Theorising Contemporary Film & Television Culture (Theory)

In this module you will explore the theoretical conceptualisations of film and television in the context of contemporary academic thought and popular discourse around the concept of digital culture. We will start from a point of questioning the multi-layered and contested effects of digital culture on film and television as discrete forms. You will consider the interrelationship and fusion between media in terms of production, distribution and exhibition examining the advent of new forms of representation and interaction. But we will also look at how traditional notion of film and television are being preserved and even being popular as a reaction to the effects of the digital. The module will also assess and interrogate the economic and technological developments of a more integrated and interactive media environment in terms of the cross-pollination of form and content, and socio-cultural effects on contemporary audiences.

Film & Television Industry Case Study (Theory/Practice)

In this module you will explore the industrial parameters of contemporary film and television based around the experience and expertise of current professionals. The module will utilise the School of Film & Television's many industry links to bring in guest speakers from the BBC, Channel 4, Sky, TwoFour Broadcast, Warp Films, Sheffield Doc Fest, Cornwall Film Festival, Doc Heads, BFI, Pinewood Studios, Dogbite and EngineHouse VFX. You will then have an opportunity to question these professionals about their respective sectors as a basis for a case study. Alternatively, you can investigate the sector/practitioner of your own choosing, with tutor support. The module will also contain workshops on the fundamentals of creative industry research and methodology. The module is designed so that you learn both the challenges and values of networking, and researching specific job roles and industry backgrounds in order to effectively plot your own career trajectory.

Creative Practices (Practice)

This module will engage you in the production workflow, focusing on how creative, professional and technical roles shape a final film or television project. Your weekly seminars and workshops will guide you through pre-production, production and post-production processes, enabling you to devise, develop and produce a short filmed project as part of a small crew of four to six students. You will, therefore, develop your technical skills and production practices in order to devise and deploy modes of creative practice which may include, but are not limited to, research and development, screenwriting, production management, producing, directing, cinematography, lighting, editing and the recording and design of sound.

- Study block 2
Specialisms
The second semester gives you the opportunity to specialise, choosing from a ranging of theory, practice or combination modules. Assessment of combination modules is either through an academic essay or a practice project. Potential optional modules include:

- Cultural Studies to Digital Sociology (Theory/Practice)
- Screen Futures (Theory/Practice)
- Globalisation in Film & Television (Theory/Practice)
- Factual Film & Television (Theory/Practice)
- Screenwriting for Film & Television (Theory/Practice)
- Work Placement (Theory/Practice)

- Study block 3
Expertise
Depending on your chosen specialism, in the third semester you'll produce either:

- Dissertation (Theory)
- Film & Production Portfolio (Theory/Practice)
- Conceptual Project (Theory/Practice)

Facilities

The purpose-built film school facilities include:

- 116-seat cinema, with Christie M Series HD projection (as used in Vue cinemas) and 7.2 surround sound

- Equipment store with a range of Blackmagic, Red, Panasonic, JVC, GoPro, Canon DSLR and C100 cameras and lenses, jibs, tracks and dollies

- Digital production suites equipped with Final Draft (screenwriting), Movie Magic (production management) and a range of edit software, including Adobe Creative Cloud/Suite, Final Cut and AVID

- Avid Unity MediaNetwork Edit server

- Recording and sound edit studios equipped with Pro Tools audio editing and Foley traps

- 14x8m TV studio with three studio cameras, full gallery facility, Chromatte grey screen, blue/green screen and full lighting rig

- Centroid 3D (Pinewood-networked) Motion Capture studio/research lab

- Virtual Studio using the latest technology

- 23,500-title TV and film library

Experience you'll get

- Highly flexible, student-focused curriculum

- Mentoring with industry professionals

- Opportunities for placement and work experience

- Creative environment for collaboration

- Using industry-standard software

- A vibrant visiting speaker programme

- Student experience-centred ethos

Assessment

- Continuous assessment with no formal examinations
- Core theory based on written assignments
- Core practice assessed on visual project and accompanying portfolios
- Elective modules all with theory/practice options
- Dissertation and/or major project in final semester

Careers

- Research, teaching or postgraduate study in art/humanities subject areas

- All technical/creative roles linked with direction, production, cinematography, editing, sound, lighting; writing for the screen; film and television criticism; research for film and TV

- Film and TV marketing, distribution and sales – digital and social media content/distribution

- Film festival and arts curatorship – media-based project management

Find out how to apply here - https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/apply

Visiting Us

We hold open days throughout the year so you can meet current students and staff, view our campuses and facilities, and find out more about studying at Falmouth.

Find out more - https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/open-days

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Are you looking to develop skills that will enable you to be innovative and enterprising, creative, flexible and able to spot new opportunities and develop them into sustainable practice?

The MA Creative and Cultural Industries Management course offers a practical and vocational approach to working in this rapidly developing sector. Enhanced programme flexibility enables you to select a culture sector specialism to suit your interests, which you will take alongside caption: Hadrians Wallcore cultural and creative industries management modules.

The four specialisms available are Music, Festivals and Events; Arts and Media; Cultural Heritage and Museums; and Galleries and Visual Arts. Options are selected during the course Induction phase.

The course is enhanced by strong partnerships and links with leading cultural organisations and practices in the North East of England and beyond - many of which are now employing our previous graduates.

An eight-week placement in a creative or heritage organisation of your choice can also enhance your degree of specialism and employability whilst providing an opportunity to experience real-time working in a cultural organisation.

This course has several available start dates and study methods - for more information, please view the relevant web-page:
2 years part time (September) - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/creative-and-cultural-industries-management-dtpcci6/

2 years part time (January) - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/creative-and-cultural-industries-management-dtpccw6/

1 year full time distance learning (September) - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/creative-and-cultural-industries-management-dtdcci6/

2 years part time distance learning (September) - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/creative-and-cultural-industries-management-dtdccv6/

2 years part time distance learning (January) - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/creative-and-cultural-industries-management-dtdcck6/

Learn From The Best

Our teaching team are all actively engaged with specialist practice and research in the cultural sector, and remain active in their fields of expertise. That specialist knowledge is reflected in all teaching and learning activities and is evident in areas such as cultural leadership, cultural enterprise, networking and relationship management, stakeholder and audience engagement, project planning and management.

You will benefit from their active partnerships and relationships with the region’s key cultural organisations, whilst surrounded by excellent examples of culture-led regeneration from those who put these policies into practice.

Our team will be on-hand at every step of your degree, ensuring you leave with confidence and a full understanding of all aspects of this fast-moving field.

Teaching And Assessment

Throughout this course you will explore and consider the tensions and challenges inherent in the bringing together of cultural activity and management practice, helping find ways to bring creative talent to a marketplace without impairing the creative process on the way.

The ability to spot opportunities and to be entrepreneurial are skills that the course seeks to nurture and develop at each level, to best equip you to enter the professional world of work – whether it be creating your own cultural enterprise or working with existing ones.

Assessment methods include written essays and reports, as well as presentations, ‘live briefs’ and project work. The final dissertation is a student led piece of work that provides the opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in the field you have selected to specialise in.

Module Overview
EF0126 - E.S.A.P. in FADSS Level 7 (Optional, 0 Credits)
VA7006 - Cultural Management, Enterprise & Leadership (Core, 30 Credits)
VA7007 - Framing the Creative Industries (Core, 30 Credits)
VA7008 - Work Placement (Core, 30 Credits)
VA7009 - Music, Festivals & Events (Optional, 30 Credits)
VA7010 - Arts & Media (Optional, 30 Credits)
VA7011 - Cultural Heritage and Museums (Optional, 30 Credits)
VA7012 - Galleries and Visual Arts (Optional, 30 Credits)
VA7013 - Cultural and Creative Industries Management Dissertation (Core, 60 Credits)

Learning Environment

Throughout the duration of your course you will have access to all of the resources you will need to guide you through your learning experience.

This includes facilities such as our university library – which is ranked in the top three in the UK – in addition to other facilities such as our well equipped working space, The Hub, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Diverse facilities such as Gallery North @ University Gallery, dedicated performance studios and BALTIC 39 offer research and learning space to enable you to develop your creative skills.

Technology is central to supporting your everyday learning activities, whether you are a campus-based or distance learning student.

Throughout your course you will have access to our e-learning platform, Blackboard, which offers access to collaboration tools and video/audio-enhanced features, electronic feedback, discussion boards, blogs and student websites.

We provide a supportive and informal learning environment, offering feedback at all key stages of your course.

Research-Rich Learning

The MA Creative and Cultural Industries Management course, which is part of our Visual and Material Culture research cluster, blends management theory with arts, culture, heritage, visual culture, humanities, sociology, geography and policy studies.

Throughout the duration of your studies you will be encouraged to develop your own research skills to advance your understanding of the complex contexts and debates of the cultural and creative industries, and how these practices apply from a range of theoretical perspectives.

You will conduct increasingly independent investigations in response to set tasks, or investigate your own topics of interest within the sector, leading to a self-directed dissertation that will be focused around a subject area of your choice.

You will also be encouraged to take your place as a partner by contributing your knowledge to our learning community.

Give Your Career An Edge

Emphasising cultural leadership, enterprise and entrepreneurship, the skills and knowledge you will learn on this course will help you develop the professional competencies required to successfully pursue a career within cultural and creative industries management.

As an MA Creative and Cultural Industries Management graduate you will be part of an active global network that is enriched and supported by our partnerships with leading cultural providers in the region and beyond.

The ability to tailor your learning will also provide enhanced career edge, allowing you to focus on the areas of this course that closely match your own interests and career aspirations.

Throughout the duration of your course you will benefit from our close relationships with the cultural sector and cultural partnerships such as Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, LIVE Theatre, New Writing North, Tyneside Cinema and National Trust. Your eight-week placement will leave you with added insight into the day-to-day workings of the cultural and creative industries, and how your skills and knowledge apply in a real-world environment.

Your Future

This course will prepare you for employment across a wide range of the cultural and creative industries, in positions within visual and performing arts, architecture, museums and galleries, heritage, music, broadcast, cultural practice, historic environment, education and social policy, cultural events, sport or local authorities.

You will leave this course with a detailed understanding of cultural management and leadership techniques, which will benefit employability and progression into more senior positions.

The employment patterns within the cultural sector are constantly evolving, with freelance, self-employment, enterprise, project and portfolio working being increasingly common ways of working. This course will equip you with highly developed interpersonal skills, intercultural awareness, leadership and management understanding and competencies that will allow you to successfully work within this sector.

This course will also equip you with the necessary foundation to progress your qualification to PHD level.

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Who is this programme for?:

The programme is ideal for students wishing to pursue a career in the museum, heritage and arts sectors with a focus on non-Western art and culture, and both tangible and intangible heritage. It will suit practicing museum and heritage professionals who are interested in strengthening their knowledge of contemporary debates in critical museology, critical heritage studies and material culture studies. With its interdisciplinary focus, it will suit students interested in broadening their expertise across anthropology, art history and archaeology. It will also provide an excellent postgraduate foundation for students interested in pursuing PhD research concerned with museums, heritage, and material/visual culture in Asian, African, Middle Eastern and transnational/transcultural contexts.

This interdisciplinary programme brings together anthropological, art historical and archaeological perspectives to explore the interconnecting fields of museums, heritage and material culture studies. The MA disprivileges Western museum and heritage discourses and practices, and explores tangible and intangible cultural heritage as spheres of global interaction.

The MA will equip students with a theoretically-informed critical understanding of museums, heritage and material/visual culture. Taught across the Department of Anthropology and School of Arts, the MA provides a unique opportunity to learn about current debates in World Art and World Heritage, combining ethnographic, art historical and archaeological approaches.

Students will be introduced to a wide range of thematic and theoretical issues, and will have the opportunity to curate a small exhibition in the Curating Cultures module, and put into practice anthropological research techniques in the Ethnographic Research Methods course.

Situated in London’s ‘Museum Mile’, a few hundred meters from the British Museum, and with its own Brunei Gallery, SOAS provides a unique environment in which to study the cultural heritage of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Programme Overview

The programme consists of 180 credits in total: 120 credits of modules and a dissertation of 10,000 words at 60 credits.

All students are expected to take the core and compulsory modules listed here - https://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/ma-museums-heritage-and-material-culture-studies/

Students are advised to take one or both of the recommended modules listed below or may wish to select from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology or the School of Arts (Departments of Centre for Media Studies, History of Art and Archaeology or Music) options lists.

The remaining credits can be selected from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology list or the School of Arts options. See below for a detailed programme structure.

Language Entitlement Programme:

Many students choose to pursue a language through the SOAS Language Entitlement Programme (LEP). Languages normally available include Arabic, Chinese, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish and Urdu. Others may also be offered.

Teaching & Learning

Students taking the MA in Museums, Heritage and Material Culture Studies will have the opportunity to achieve:

- A critical awareness of contemporary theoretical debates in museum studies, cultural heritage studies, and material/visual culture studies;
- A familiarity with the distinctive contributions of anthropology, art history and archaeology to these interdisciplinary fields;
- A critical awareness of World Art/World Cultures/World Heritage, with an emphasis on SOAS’s regional specialisms (Asia, Africa and the Middle East) as well as transnational/diasporic contexts;
- An understanding of ethnographic approaches to tangible and intangible heritage research;
- Experience of object-based knowledge and museological research methods.

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