Media and Communications MA

Program Overview

The MA in Media and Communications offers a flexible and interdisciplinary program that combines theory and practice. Students gain hands-on experience in world-leading research facilities and develop transferable skills in analysis, communication, and research. The program empowers students to choose their own direction of study, preparing them for careers in research, education, media, and cultural industries. Through research-led teaching and guest speakers, students build a professional network and gain critical insights into the media and communications industry.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Media and Communications is a broad interdisciplinary field, bridging elements of theory and practice, and sitting at the intersection of cultural studies, sociology, social anthropology and business studies. Our MA has been designed with flexibility in mind, providing students with the opportunity to customise their degree depending on their career goals or interests. It provides students with the advanced level foundation for the next generation of communications professionals, media researchers and educators. Gain hands-on experience and training within our unique and world-leading research facilities, such as the Digital Humanities Lab and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. Research-inspired learning through unique modules led by staff research expertise, including video games and social media management-focused modules.

Outline:

The MA Media and Communications will provide students with an internationally exceptional educational experience, by providing them with hands on experience and training within our unique and world-leading research facilities such as the Digital Humanities Lab and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. It will enable them to make a positive difference in the world by fostering advanced level transferable skills in analysis, communication, and research applicable beyond academia alone. It will deliver research-inspired learning through unique modules led by staff research expertise. Our graduates will be highly skilled with key transferable skills in research and analysis, opportunities to acquire social media expertise, leaving them well-placed to pursue a high-level academic career in the field or to move into professional communications roles. It will empower and engage learners by offering them practical as well as theoretical learning opportunities through hands-on work within our research facilities and the ability to choose their own direction of study and expertise through the Media and Communications Dissertation module.

Teaching:

Students will receive an internationally exceptional education, including hands-on experience and training within our unique and world-leading research facilities, such as the Digital Humanities Lab and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. Research-led teaching ensures module content includes the latest trends in Media and Communication Studies. Our research areas include: contemporary media and culture, data, technology, futures, outer space, techno-apocalyptic narratives, digital preservation, slow computing, digital sustainability, and pre-digital nostalgia. Guest speakers will give you a starting point to develop your own broad network of professional contacts and to identify key practitioners within your chosen specialism. Throughout the MA, you will also be engaged in a critique of the industry and a debate about its future opportunities and development possibilities.

Careers:

MA Media and Communication students will acquire valuable transferable skills in advanced research, writing, communication and project management. You'll be prepared for professional opportunities in research-led careers, education, academic careers, media and cultural industries, national and international policy and production sectors, commercial and public service organisations, NGOs, as well as charitable organisations and the third sector. Above all, you will have the critical skills necessary to evaluate and understand media in a range of professional and private spheres. The innovative open nature of the programme structure is designed to accommodate a wide range of specialist interests within the broad spectrum of careers that are available within the field of media and communications. These range from leadership roles such as account handler, project manager or event manager through to creative roles such as concept or brand designer, or content or idea strategist. Optional modules will help you gain specialist roles and careers in areas of digital marketing or social media management, strategy and/or consultancy. This also includes skills to develop strategic and successful media campaigns. Guest speakers will give you a starting point to develop your own broad network of professional contacts. Digital Humanities Lab Digital Humanities is increasingly important in all areas of humanities research, including history, archaeology, literatures and languages. This research space enables the examination, preservation and analysis of historical, literary and visual material. Facilities in the lab include: a flagship seminar room equipped with a 4.2-metre video wall, encouraging interactive engagement in a shared display space two state-of-the-art photography labs, including provision for the 2D digitisation of heritage material and primary sources an audio-visual lab with a recording studio and sound editing suite a MakerSpace equipped with 3D scanning and printing equipment The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum holds a wide-ranging collection of more than 70,000 film related artefacts and is the largest research archive in any British University. The collection is available for all students to use as a research and study resource, giving students a highly distinctive and valuable experience of studying and researching film using primary materials, documents and artefacts. State-of-the-art equipment in our Digital Humanities Lab enables the examination and analysis of these materials.

| --- | | 2024/25 entry | | UK fees per year: | | £12,000 full-time; £6,000 part-time | | International fees per year: | | £24,300 full-time; £12,150 part-time |