Postgraduate Media and Communications at Goldsmiths

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1 Postgraduate Media and Communications at Goldsmiths Join one of the most established departments in the world for teaching and researching media, housed in our new purpose-built facility

2 Key features Our students produce awardwinning documentaries, radio programmes, scripts and films. Our research covers a whole range of areas from the psychology of communications to history of the media We are at the heart of debate with the Centre for the Study of Global Media & Democracy and the Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre 2

3 The Department From the Leveson Inquiry to the future of the BBC, the study of media and communications addresses the important questions of our times. At Goldsmiths, that study is creative and critical. We focus on a broad understanding of the discipline, offering 17 postgraduate degrees covering a diverse range of subjects from photography to political communications. Our programmes demand a critical engagement with media, culture and communications through a mix of theory and practice. At Goldsmiths you will be debating ideas with internationally renowned academics while being taught practice by industry professionals. Why choose Media and Communications at Goldsmiths? We re at the forefront of critical debates. Ranked within the top four departments in the country in the last Research Assessment Exercise (2008), we re proud to be leading the field in terms of our teaching and research, and proud to be known for producing the thinking graduate. We re dynamic and creative. From East London Lines a 24/7 news website run by our students to a calendar of events with world-renowned writers and practitioners, at Goldsmiths you ll be part of some powerful conversations and encouraged to see and do things differently. We re inside the media. Because industry professionals teach practice on our programmes, you ll get an insight into fields such as television, film, journalism, radio and animation, and develop skills you can take straight into your career. You ll also be part of a department that s setting the standard we re home to the Goldsmiths Skillset Media Academy endorsed by Skillset, the UK s body for monitoring media industry skills and training. Careers and life after you graduate We want you to leave with a qualification that s not only academically rigorous but provides you with a range of abilities to become one of the innovators of the future. So you won t find us slavishly emulating mainstream industry practices but you will have the opportunity to learn key skills, creating projects in various media, learning within small teams, and working with the latest technologies in our excellent, newly built facilities. We are committed to preparing you for life beyond study. We nurture creative talent and dynamic thought, but also robust workplace mindsets and a commitment to being at the forefront of your chosen field, whatever that may be. Media and Communications postgraduates have left Goldsmiths to go on to varied careers in television, radio, publishing, film-making, advertising, marketing, public relations, web design, arts and administration, European Union private sector management and personnel work. Others have chosen to continue at Goldsmiths or another university and take up teaching and research. Visit media-comms for full details of our degrees 3

4 Watch our film at vimeo.com/ goldsmiths/media 4

5 Our degrees MA in Brands, Communication & Culture or 2 years part-time ma-brands-communication-culture Study one of the major areas in contemporary media and communications branding. This Masters introduces you to the variety of ways in which brands are developed and used, and helps you to understand how the growth of branding in business, but also in politics, government, sport and culture has changed the societies we live in. You ll explore some of the wider contexts for brands and branding by taking up courses provided elsewhere in Media and Communications or departments such as Sociology, Anthropology or the Centre for Cultural Studies. Some recent dissertation topics include: medical tourism and branded healthcare; intellectual property in the fashion industry; the return of craftbased industries in a knowledge economy; branding London s districts; lies in advertising. MA/MSc in Digital Journalism ma-digital-journalism This Masters is on the cutting edge of emerging media and journalistic practice. With its unique inclusion of real software, design, and code training, complemented by fundamentals of news writing, media law, and multimedia production, the Masters seeks to redefine journalistic practice for digital media. It is the only programme in the UK that combines teaching from both Computing and Media and Communications departments in developing journalism skills and experience. You should want to explore critical and entrepreneurial approaches, and be enthusiastic about hands-on experimentation with innovations in journalism. Ideal for aspiring or mid-career professionals seeking to keep the fundamentals of quality, credibility, and transparency that define journalism, while pushing boundaries and transforming its craft and practice. MA in Digital Media: Technology & Cultural Form or 2 years part-time ma-digital-media-technology-cultural-form This Masters is unique in its combination of practical and theoretical approaches to contemporary media and technology. It will help you understand digital transformations in media industries, culture and society, and apply this in practice and in further research. You will be equipped with skills that can be applied to developments in digital media, social media, computing and other aspects of technology. The degree offers a structured and stimulating learning environment to give you up-to-the-minute knowledge of digital media, and the skills to apply that knowledge to future developments. The degree regularly attracts offers of work placements and internships recently from Google, The Science Museum and N1creative.com. MA in Film & Screen Studies or 2 years part-time ma-film-screen-studies MA Film and Screen Studies will equip you with skills and knowledge to address current transformations of moving image media in a globalised world, from the media in your pocket to architectural screens. It explores the old and the new, philosophy and history, theory and practice, to help you understand the challenges of the 21st century s culture of moving images, changing artistic and political contexts as well as ever-developing technologies. What distinguishes this MA is its innovative approach to learning and research. It takes you well beyond the borders of traditional film studies. It encourages you to think critically and imaginatively, across media forms, disciplinary boundaries as well as conceptual and creative work. Students taking the Media Arts pathway will have the option to submit some work in non-traditional forms. Visit media-comms for full details of our degrees 5

6 Our degrees continued MA in Filmmaking ma-filmmaking This January-start degree facilitates your creative and intellectual development while exploring your interest in the practice of contemporary fiction filmmaking. Its distinctive approach focuses on the practical, analytical and creative aspects of filmmaking from a range of perspectives. The Masters allows you to specialise in one area: Cinematography- Camera, Cinematography-Lighting, Sound Design, Editing, Producing, or Directing. The MA is structured around the making of short films in small production teams. You work on at least one film per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. You attend classes in related disciplines and collaborate with students across the specialisations on film projects. The MA in Filmaking is housed in a new purpose-built facility. MA in Global Media & Transnational Communications ma-global-mediatransnational-communications This MA explores the increasingly complex mediascapes of the 21st century in a critical and cross-cultural way by studying cases and issues from a local, national and international perspective. Its cutting-edge, interdisciplinary approach to theory and research gives you knowledge and practical understanding of shifts in media and communications as they impact on culture, society and politics at home and abroad. It s particularly suitable for those wanting to move their knowledge and analytical skills up a level for further study, as well those who have experience of studying or working in the media and cultural sectors, non-profit and other third sector organisations, alternative media, the arts, grassroots and international advocacy and activism. MA in Journalism ma-journalism This MA accredited by the Periodical Training Council combines practical and theoretical approaches to journalism as a multi-media skill that can be applied to newspapers, magazines, the web and TV. The practical component of the programme focuses on the basic journalistic skills common to the different media, including work on our local, web-based news service, which covers the communities of the East London Line train line. Your work will be primarily text based, with courses in news writing, features and web production. Additional practical courses include: video and audio production; slide shows and mapping; design and layout; and shorthand. You are also encouraged to carry out work experience. All your tutors will be journalists with many years experience between them. MA in Media & Communications or 2 years part-time ma-media-communications The MA in Media and Communications offers a broad look at many aspects of the media sociological, economic and cultural. It invites you to think critically about the larger, global media worlds of the present age, and about your own location in the mediated society in which you live. The coursework is exclusively theoretically based, so you will need some foundation in the (broadly conceived) intellectual arenas of the social sciences or the humanities in order to grasp the dominating aims and objectives of the programme. You will also complete a dissertation based on independent research. As part of the Contemporary Cultural Processes Scheme, the MA benefits from shared teaching across a number of option courses. 6

7 MA in Political Communications or 2 years part-time ma-political-communications Student insight Fan, MA in Media & Communications I am confident to say that the study experience here is really fantastic due to the creative and diverse cultural atmosphere, interdisciplinary academic environment and communications with some leading researchers in the field of media studies within the Department. Also, Goldsmiths is well located in London, which means quite a lot for students studying media and culture. MA in Photography: The Image & Electronic Arts ma-photography-electronic-arts Whether you are a practitioner or theorist, this Masters allows you to research and develop the new boundaries of image-making made possible by technological change. By mixing theory and practice, it encourages you to deal with aspects of visual style and established modes of production while drawing on a range of cultural references and technical practices. You also participate in workshops in: photography: medium/large format cameras; portable and studio lighting technologies and their use; film technology; digital imaging; output systems and processes. Also in electronic graphics: computer and video graphics; computer-aided design; desktop publishing; animation; animatics; still and durational image production and manipulation. Critical, innovative and diverse, the teaching on this MA combines theory with practical, applied elements, and draws on a range of research and contemporary examples. These come from current work in politics, political science and media studies, and from political sociology, cultural theory and journalism. The curriculum covers political communication, from the international down to the local and personal, from governments to NGOs and local activist groups. It engages with cultural, alternative and digital, interactive communication, as well as traditional mass media. This Masters is broadly conceptual in focus, but courses such as Campaign Skills, Social Media Campaigning, Digital News Writing and Media Law, are entirely practicebased and taught by professionals in the field. MA in Promotional Media: Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing or 2 years part-time ma-promotional-media This exciting degree offers you the opportunity to study public relations, advertising and marketing from media, cultural and sociological perspectives; exploring the inter-relations between promotional professions, the media and society. The syllabus combines wider social theory with practical considerations and examination of current issues. Courses explore public relations, advertising and marketing as inter-related professional disciplines, drawing on theoretical and professional debates. They will also offer introductions to media and cultural theory at the overlaps between the promotional professions, media and society. This is not a business studies-style MA instead you ll take a rigorous, academic approach to promotional media and the uses of media in contemporary campaigns. Visit media-comms for full details of our degrees 7

8 Our degrees continued MA in Radio or 2 years part-time ma-radio This programme provides an opportunity for those with some knowledge and experience of radio to explore the medium in depth. In its 20 years the Masters has welcomed students from all over the world. Home and international students of all ages and backgrounds work together in a 70% practice to 30% theory Masters degree. The course tutor is a practising broadcaster, and an experienced sound engineer runs the studio. You work in practice and theory groups, and take courses that cover: radio features and drama; radio journalism and documentary; key media law and ethical issues in relation to UK and US media law; the cultural history of radio; adapting prose, film and theatre for radio dramatisation. We are happy to support work experience placements in professional newsrooms and radio drama productions. MA in Screen Documentary ma-screen-documentary This MA develops your skills and creative vision in the field of screen documentary production, and your understanding of the historical context and contemporary modes of production against a background of the wider theoretical issues raised in media production. It encourages a practical and theoretical understanding of the politics, aesthetics and ethics of documentary production and the nature and diversity of documentary practice in contemporary society. Our former students have gone on to win awards including: Best Documentary at the Exposures Film Festival, and Best Documentary at the No Limits Film Festival. They ve also launched their own film festivals, worked on critically acclaimed films and documentaries, and have had their work screened at many film festivals, including London International Documentary Festival. MA in Script Writing ma-script-writing The MA in Script Writing is aimed at those who already have some writing experience but who want to develop professional skills and expertise as screen or radio script writers. It is geared towards developing your writing and distinctive voice, to enable you to pitch for employment and production funding in a highly competitive industry. You will graduate with a feature film or equivalent television or radio script. You also gain knowledge of the film, TV or radio industries, and some of the contacts necessary to market your projects. The course is taught mostly with workshops in which you present and discuss your own work with others in a supportive environment. There are also class exercises, lectures, screenings, masterclasses, seminars and tutorials. Option courses include Short Fiction, Script Editing and Media as a Landscape of Opportunity. MA in Television Journalism ma-tv-journalism This practical introduction to television journalism teaches the professional conventions of UK news and current affairs, broadcast journalism and relevant production skills. It encourages a critical understanding of practice, and an informed knowledge of the overall political and industrial contexts in which journalists are now working, including an introduction to multimedia journalism. The MA locates this understanding and creative development within a wider enquiry into the relationship between media practice and culture. At the end of the Masters you should be familiar with the techniques and practices of television journalism, and the wider ethical, legal and technological contexts of broadcast journalistic practice. You will also have a professional standard portfolio of original news, current affairs and online reports. 8

9 MRes in Media & Communications or 2 years part-time mres-media-communications An MRes in Media and Communications gives you the opportunity to pursue a specific research project in greater depth than on the general Masters programmes, and is often used as a stepping-stone to PhD study as it gives you an indication of the demands of study for higher research degrees. We welcome proposals for research in any area connected with media, communications, and cultural theory and practice. The programme combines taught courses in research methodology with a 20,000-word dissertation, and offers advanced-level training to appropriately qualified students. We give priority to those with proposals for research within the areas of interest of our staff. See page 11 for details of the research interests of our current departmental staff. MPhil & PhD in Media & Communications/ AVPhD in Media & Communications 3-4 years full-time or 4-6 years part-time mphil-phd-media-communications We welcome proposals for research in any area connected with media, communications, digital media, cultural theory and practice. We give priority to those with proposals for research within the areas of interest of our staff (see page 11). Supervisors and their students form loose research teams, sometimes on a joint basis with another group. When you apply, please indicate your intended research area and any preference for a particular supervisor. The Department also offers a PhD programme partially by audio-visual practice (AVPhD). We encourage applications from doctoral candidates who wish to submit, as part of their thesis, a portfolio of practical work alongside a reduced textual component. Teaching in partnership across Goldsmiths The Department of Media and Communications contributes teaching and expertise to other programmes across the College, including: MA in Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship: Media & Communications Pathway (Institute of Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship) This MA will allow you to innovate, while providing the entrepreneurial skills to commercialise your creative and cultural practices and/or knowledge. Ideal if you wish to develop a business arising from an existing creative practice or to understand how to build the infrastructure and environment for new creative businesses. ma-creativecultural-entrepreneurship MA in Fashion (Department of Design) This new Masters is for designers, writers, thinkers and curators who actively seek to challenge the traditional boundaries of fashion. This pioneering programme will encourage you to explore fashion in context through the intersection of theory and practice, positioning you to shape a future that is innovative, inclusive and interdisciplinary. ma-fashion MA in Gender, Media & Culture (Department of Sociology) Introduces you to debates on gender in the disciplines of sociology and media, and to the interdisciplinary domains of feminist social and cultural theory. The programme teaches you 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 and autobiography. ma-gender-media-culture Visit media-comms for full details of our degrees 9

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11 Our research Research culture in the Department of Media and Communications is unique in that it draws on and brings together different disciplinary and intellectual traditions, approaches and perspectives rooted in the humanities and the social sciences, in theoretical analysis and practical creations, in critical readings and performance. Our work spans a wide range of topics and approaches: from philosophical studies of technology and human life to sociological investigations of media production and use; from issues of identity and embodiment to post-feminism, queer theory and critical race studies; from transnational investigations of media and culture to news role in contemporary democracy. In the last Research Assessment Exercise (2008), 80% of our research was described as world leading or internationally excellent. Many of the projects we undertake are collaborative in nature such as the work conducted under the umbrella of Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre ( funded with a 2006 Leverhulme grant to study the design and significance of various contemporary media spaces. We have also received funding from AHRC, British Academy, British Council, Carnegie Trust UK, Council for British Research in the Levant, ESRC, EPSRC, Guggenheim Foundation, Higher Education Academy, Hong Kong Research Grants Council, JISC, London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange, Media Trust and Open Society Foundation. As well as working on collaborative projects, we have published a number of books with high-impact international presses on a diverse range of topics: affect and emotion, artificial intelligence, bioethics, the body and experience, branding, broadcasting, Chinese cinema, democracy, film history, the future of journalism, media geographies, the mediation of power, post-feminism, postcolonial politics, sound and voice. Our research falls into four main strands, which make up our research groupings. Gender, Feminism and Contemporary Culture: connecting the long tradition of work within the Department on culture and representation, embodiment and affect, to its specific strengths in gender, race, sexuality and cultures of work. Media and Democracy: building on the work of the Centre for Global Media and Democracy and the Leverhulme programme on media s contribution to democracy including the changing nature of journalism and political communication. Media Futures: bringing together arts, humanities and social sciences approaches to understanding the changing role of media technologies in art, culture, economy and science, and the changing relationship between the virtual and the material. Screen Cultures and Media Arts: consolidating the long-standing focus on screen cultures within the Department, as concentrated within the Leverhulme programme, combined with an expanded exploration of media arts such as photography, video, digital imagining, sound and performance. Visit media-comms for full details of our degrees 11

12 Contact us See media-comms for full details of our degrees. If you need more information, please To find out more about us, go to or Graduate insight Lena, MA in Journalism After I graduated from the MA course in 2010 I went into a job at Company Magazine. I worked my way up from Features Assistant and three years on I m now the Features Editor. I definitely still employ loads of skills I learned during my studies; how to prepare to do an interview, the vitality of your contact book, how to add colour to a feature. I left Goldsmiths with the confidence I needed to begin my first job in the industry Printed on 100% recycled paper