MA Digital Media and Society

This course explores the role of new digital media in shaping and transforming society. It investigates how media audiences become producers, how citizen journalism and digital culture change established norms and practices, how social media and peer production affect politics and business and how technology is related to power and social change. The emergence of new digital communication platforms has had significant impacts. Audiences are transforming into media producers, new business models are emerging, social media campaigns create new forms of politics, digital culture highlights practices of sharing and participation, and data collection and analytics affect an increasing part of our lives. This offers new possibilities for digital citizens, but it also raises new questions regarding classic notions of privacy and freedom of expression, and it renders information and digital infrastructure a key resource. The MA Digital Media and Society addresses current challenges of online communication and internet studies. It enables you to develop specialist knowledge in areas such as social media, big data, citizen journalism, digital culture, the creative industries, internet governance, and digital rights. It also provides a theoretical and methodological grounding in media and communication studies. This course provides you with a thorough understanding of the current transformations and with the analytical skills to investigate digital media in the context of social, political and economic change. We ask how online communication is shaped by users, states and businesses, and how our society is, in turn, affected by digital media.

Career prospects - Graduates of MA Digital Media and Society are employed in a range of occupations, including the non-profit sector, digital business, online journalism, and regulatory institutions. They take on leading roles in social media campaigns, internet policy, human rights organisations, journalism, and creative industries. As an academic course focusing on critical analysis, this programme also provides a perfect starting-point for PhD research and prepares you for careers in research institutions, both at university and other public or private institutions.

Typically you will need to have either:

a 2:2 honours degree in any subject
a university-recognised equivalent academic qualification
or relevant professional experience evidenced by references and/or professional qualifications.
English language requirements

IELTS with an overall score of 7.0 with 6.0 in all subskills, or an accepted equivalent.
TOEFL (iBT) - At least 100 overall with a minimum of 20 in each subskill
International Baccalaureate (Language A) - HL 5 or SL 6