Culture and Society

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This programme covers the most significant recent developments in cultural theory and cultural research within a broad social sciences framework. It enables you to develop an interdisciplinary theoretical awareness, and then specialise in particular areas, leading to an original piece of research about a chosen aspect of the contemporary cultural field.

This programme is run by the Department of Sociology. This course offers the following benefits:

* The chance to study cultural theory and the sociology of culture at graduate level in the only specialist institution for the social sciences in the UK.
* Teaching by research active staff, who are renowned in their fields, across a wide range of cultural research, and located across a range of departments and institutes linked with the programme (Media and Communciations, Geography and Environment, the Cities Programme, Social Psychology, Anthropology, Gender and Information Systems).
* Core courses and optional courses involve teaching by LSE staff renowned for their expertise in the field of cultural research, including Don Slater (programme director), Ayona Datta (co-director), Nigel Dodd, Ros Gill, Sonia Livingstone, Andy Pratt, Richard Sennett, Raka Shome and Edgar Whitley. Together the research interests of these staff reflect an interdisciplinary range of approaches to the connections between culture, society, economy, and media within a broad social sciences framework.
* The chance to consolidate or extend your knowledge of cultural analysis through the programme's two term compulsory course in cultural theory and cultural forms, supplemented by a one term course in either social theory or media theory (to fit your specific interests).
* The opportunity to do empirical work in your dissertation into an aspect of cultural practice (whether cultural production or cultural consumption) or cultural theory.
* The chance to progress to a research degree (MPhil/PhD) following completion of your MSc, building particularly on the work of your dissertation.
* A higher degree in cultural research within a social science framework will provide you with a knowledge of how the 'cultural turn' has affected the social sciences, and skills in critical social understanding and techniques of social enquiry, that will enable you to develop insights into contemporary cultural forms and processes that have a solid basis in sociological analysis.

You take compulsory courses plus methods training. You also write a dissertation of 10,000 words on an aspect of cultural practice or theory. You will be advised on your choice of dissertation topic by your academic adviser, and that topic may be empirical or theoretical in its approach. You will be appointed an individual adviser with a related research interest whom you can meet with regularly during term times.

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

* Cultural Theory and Cultural Forms
* Classical Social Thought* or Theories and Concepts in Media and Communications (Processes of Mediation, Identity and Change)*
* Qualitative Methods for Cultural Research*
* Dissertation

Options

Choose to the full value of one full unit from the following:

* Gender, Knowledge and Research Practice*
* Globalising Sexualities*
* Cultural Constructions of the Body*
* Contemporary Urbanism
* The Audience in Media and Communications*
* Theories and Concepts in Media and Communications (Media and Power)*
* Identity, Transnationalism and the Media*
* Global Media Industries*
* Social Representations*
* Current Communication Research*
* Representations, Institutions and Communities*
* Science, Technology and Resistance*
* Cognition and Culture*
* Regulation, Risk, and Economic Life
* New Media, Development and Globalisation*
* Topics in Race, Ethnicity and Post Colonial Studies
* Racial Formations of Modernity*
* Contempary Social Thought
* Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Britain (post 1945)*
* Race and Biopolitics*
* Cities, Politics and Citizenship*
* Non-traditional Data: New Dimensions in Qualitative Research*
* The Urban Revolution*
* Any other MSc level course with permission from your academic adviser.

Please note that not every course is necessarily available each year.

Minimum entry requirement: * 2:1 degree in social science English requirement: * TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 627 in the paper test or 107 in the internet based test * IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum score of 7.0 English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 80 (Grade A) TOEFL paper-based test score : 627 TOEFL iBT® test: 107 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Fee reductions and rewards
LSE undergraduates starting taught postgraduate study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction in the region of ten per cent of the fee. These reductions are available for UK, EU and non-EU students. The School offers a range of rewards for early payment of fees for all self-financed students.

Scholarships for study at LSE

LSE makes available over £12 million annually in financial support for its students via a range of scholarships, bursaries and award schemes, details of which can be found on these pages. LSE's world class programmes attract a consistently high calibre of applicants, many of whom seek financial support from the School, so there is always much competition for our awards. Securing the necessary funds to attend LSE can be a difficult and time consuming process so you should start to think about it as early as possible. Please be aware that the School will be unable to offer you any financial assistance if you knowingly register under funded. The relevant link on the left will take you to the awards available for your chosen level of study.

The School would like to thank the many donors who have contributed to the New Futures Fund, which provides funds for a number of discretionary scholarships.

Diploma, LLM, MA, MSc and MSc (Research) programmes

There are a range of awards available for study at this level. Approximately 19% of taught masters offer holders are successful in obtaining some form of financial support from the School. The value of support ranges in value from 10% of the tuition fee to a full fees and maintenance award.

Graduate Support Scheme

LSE's major financial support scheme for study at taught masters level is the Graduate Support Scheme (GSS). This scheme is open to all applicants, with the exception of those undertaking specific modular or executive programmes such as the MSc in Finance (Part time) or the MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management. Around £2 million is available annually in the form of awards from the Graduate Support Scheme. The Scheme is designed to help students who do not have sufficient funds to meet all their costs of study. GSS awards range in value from £3,000 to a maximum of £10,000, and have an average value of £6,000. Application to the Graduate Support Scheme is via the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application form. This form will be made available to you once you have submitted an application for admission to the School. The form will then be available until 27 April 2011.

Awards

If you complete the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application form, and are made an offer of admission by 27 April 2011, you will also be automatically considered for any other awards being offered by LSE, for which you are eligible, with the exception of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding where there are separate, department led processes in place. AHRC and ESRC funding is relevant to Home UK and Home EU applicants only, and there are also subject restrictions in place. We offer a range of awards based on different criteria such as a specific programme of study, nationality, or country of permanent domicile. In addition, a number of external organisations offer funding to support postgraduate study. We recommend that applicants follow up as many avenues as possible to find funding. Please be aware that if you accept funding from an external source, it is your responsibility to check the terms of the award. Some awards are accompanied by specific terms and conditions which you should be sure you able to meet before accepting the award. Information about other Awards offered by LSE or external organisations. Please take some time to look at all the other awards available to support your study at LSE. The details of these awards are updated each October, but new LSE awards may become available during the course of the admissions cycle. We will only write to successful applicants for these awards. Selection for these awards will take place between May and July 2011 and all successful applicants will be notified by 31 July 2011.