You will cultivate your own critical voice to analyse various aspects of digital media culture, underpinned by intellectual curiosity, autonomy, and integrity. You will engage with current key theories and debates in media and cultural studies, particularly in relation to digital media, and apply qualitative research methods to critically and ethically analyse how media constructs, represents, and shapes social practices, cultural norms, identities, and power relations.
Our compulsory modules give a shared, in-depth foundation on key concepts in today’s digital media theory and key considerations in designing digital media research. Our optional modules offer a range of critical perspectives on digital media, including how our gendered interactions with digital media are shaped by questions of identity, representation, and power; how to make sense of digital games, game industry, and player cultures; and how mobile media participate in shaping our ways of being, feeling and moving in the world from intimate everyday interactions to large-scale political changes.
Finally, by conducting your own independent research with the support of a supervisor, you are able to focus on your own areas of interest, underscored by a nuanced understanding of digital media phenomena in your complex sociocultural contexts.
The Digital Media: Critical Studies MA equips you with critical thinking and research skills, incorporating problem-solving, analysis, collaboration and communicative skills, and self-reflection. The course does not provide practical skills in content production, marketing, or artistic practice, but it does provide an excellent base for further postgraduate research or a broad range of careers in media and cultural sectors.
Graduates of this course acquire critical insights into digital media and digital cultures, including digital platforms, mobile media and digital games. They gain experience of researching media texts, media audiences/users, mediated power relations, and media technologies using reflexive, qualitative, and in-depth Media Studies and Cultural Studies approaches.
Many of our recent graduates are critical professionals in digital media companies or educational and cultural institutions, while others work in areas such as research for example as a PhD candidate.
(Data gathered from departmental sources.)
Applicants with a 2:1 from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Film Studies, Games Studies, Digital / Interactive Media Arts or English Literature will be considered. Applicants with a 2:2 in a relevant subject, plus at least 2 year’s work experience within the fields of education, media and/or the cultural industries may be considered. Applicants with a non-relevant subject will not be considered.