International Media Business MA

Program Overview

The International Media Business MA at the University of Westminster prepares students for careers in traditional and new media organizations. The program combines business and media skills, emphasizing practical learning through work placements. It equips students with the analytical insight, operational knowledge, and planning skills necessary for success in the media industry. Graduates have found employment at top organizations, including the BBC, HBO, and Google.

Program Outline

International Media Business MA - University of Westminster

Degree Overview:

The International Media Business MA is a one-year, full-time program designed for recent graduates seeking a career in traditional and new media organizations. It aims to equip students with a combination of business and media skills to take up entry-level positions in today's media landscape. The program focuses on how media organizations are adapting to the challenges posed by digital media technologies and platforms. It explores the processes by which media organizations develop their corporate strategies, business plans, marketing, and production operations in response to the rapidly changing commercial environment. The program emphasizes practical learning through work placements and internships at media organizations in London. Students have secured internships at companies like the BBC, Google, and various multimedia, advertising, and news organizations. Some have even started their own businesses in the UK. The program aims to provide students with the analytical insight, operational knowledge, and planning skills necessary for success in the media industry, whether they pursue a career in a media organization or start their own business.

Outline:

Core Modules:

• Media Business Dissertation or Professional Project: This module guides students through conducting a major piece of independent research, which can be either practical or academic in focus.
The dissertation is a 15,000-word piece of original research on a topic agreed with a supervisor and related to the business, economic, political, or cultural factors shaping the performance and practices of media businesses. The major project is an optional culminating project that allows students to undertake a substantial, practically-oriented final assignment, testing their ability to apply theory, research, and synthesis skills in analyzing and solving a specific industry problem or securing an identified opportunity.
• Digital Media Enterprise: Strategy and Entrepreneurship: This module integrates business strategy and planning.
Students conduct case study analysis of a media company facing major environmental changes, learn how to produce a competitive analysis of a media organization, and present strategy recommendations to faculty. In teams, they develop a new media business idea, write a business and financial plan, and present it to a panel of industry experts and media investors.
• Media Markets: This module introduces the economics of the media and content industries, including broadcasting, print, film, recorded music, and interactive media.
Students learn how to research and produce a market report examining the revenue and cost structures of these industries and the economics of key processes of production, distribution, and consumption. They also learn to use tools enabling decision-making based on quantitative market data. Students develop skills in creative writing with the purpose of adding value or advancing a business. They build a profile, reach out, research, and analyze data about the market and performance of media businesses to place their content strategically for development or business purposes. The focus is on evaluating strategic responses to market and technological changes, user habits, and crowd connectivity/engagement while looking at medium and large corporate media platforms and businesses. Students individually write short creative pieces targeting fixed audiences and aiming to be published on specific platforms. Working in teams, they develop a proposal for a new digital media start-up to take advantage of market changes and crowd connectedness. Finally, the group pitches their ideas to a panel of industry experts for feedback.
• Media Work Experience: This module provides students with the opportunity to gain work experience at media organizations in London, including long-established companies and start-ups.
While the course team and work experience unit advise on placements, students are responsible for actively pursuing opportunities.

Optional Modules:

• Format Development and Production: This module examines key developments in the media and communications industries associated with the logic of globalization.
Students explore the complex nature of the globalization process, focusing on the emergence of both supra-national and sub-national developments, and explore the relationship between new contexts of production and questions of collective culture and identity.
• Option module agreed with the Course Leader: This module allows students to choose a specific area of interest, such as Consumer PR or Fashion Marketing.

Assessment:

The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Practical: Presentations, podcasts, blogs
• Coursework: Essays, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation

Teaching:

Teaching methods across all postgraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into two broad categories:

• Scheduled hours: Lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
• Independent study: Non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently, including preparation for scheduled sessions, dissertation/final project research, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision

Careers:

The International Media Business MA prepares students for roles such as:

• Advertising account executive
• Creative editorial content producer
• Media entrepreneur (including starting-up)/Media intrapreneur
• Media production manager
• Social media manager
Graduates have found employment at organizations including:
• Aculab
• BBC
• HBO
• Hoo.com
• The University's Westminster Enterprise Network (WeNetwork) supports students in developing their entrepreneurial skills and growing their ideas into a media business.
• The program is ranked top 10 among UK institutions for Communication and Media Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2021 and also ranked 4th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2022 for Research Quality in Communication and Media Studies.
• Students have the opportunity to hear from industry speakers, participate in panel discussions with media professionals, and attend employers' networking events.
• The program allows students to pursue their own specific interests and intended career path by selecting from a range of options focused on particular sectors of the creative and digital media industries.
• The University's Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.
• The University offers a Westminster Employability Award, which allows students to formally document and demonstrate their personal and professional development activities and achievements.

UK Fees:

£9,500 (Price per academic year)

• This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.