Media and Communication

The Media and Communication MA is designed for those who want to gain a sophisticated insight into the role and function of media in contemporary society.

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The course focuses on:

• the centrality of modern media forms and practices in our daily communication; and
• the ways in which they facilitate and constrain the way we communicate with each other.

What will you study?

Core modules offer a comprehensive grounding in the theoretical and empirical approaches to studying media institutions, texts and communication practices. Alongside these, optional modules examine various media industries and communication practices within their historical, economic, political and social contexts.

Optional modules include those addressing:

• how the economics of European media have been affected by trends towards the internationalisation and globalisation of markets, the concentration of corporations and technological developments;
• the social factors that have shaped the debates on regulation and censorship in various political and cultural contexts; and the implications of those debates not only in terms of the consumption of media texts, but also in terms of political power;
• the main theoretical debates surrounding the interdisciplinary study of intercultural communication and the wider issues surrounding the complex notions such of culture, communication, identity and otherization;
• the key characteristics that define digital media, as well as the history of ideas surrounding technological advances;
• political communication – through an in-depth examination of government forms of political communication, such as spin, campaigning and censorship; how the media and NGOs, for example, use political communication; and new and/or alternative forms of political communication, such as blogs, citizen journalism and political violence; and
• the structure of 'New Hollywood' as a social, cultural and commercial institution.

The wide range of optional modules will enable you to specialise within this broad field in areas that interest you and that you find most relevant for your planned future career.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

Core modules

• From Mass Media to New Media: Theories, Approaches, Applications
• Media and Cinema in a Global Context
• Media and Communication Dissertation

Optional modules

• British Cinema 1960s to Today
• Freedom, Censorship and Subversion
• Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Cinema
• Psychoanalysis and Media
• Special Study: Creative Digital Environments
• Special Study: Media Rights and Mashups
• Special Study: The Object of New Media
• Critical and Cultural Theory: Identity and Representation
• Cybercrime: Context, Form, Risk and Regulation
• Empire and its Aftermath
• Film History Theory and Analysis
• Gender and Sexuality
• Political Communication, Advocacy and Campaigning

Learn a language

You will have the opportunity to study a foreign language, free of charge, during your time at the University as part of the Kingston Language Scheme. Options currently include: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

We normally expect applicants to have:a second class degree or above (or equivalent) in a related subject in the humanities or social sciences; and/orcomparable professional or research experience.InterviewsWe normally invite all applicants who fulfil, or are likely to fulfil, the admissions requirements for an interview with the course director or another senior member of the teaching team. International students based overseas can arrange for an interview by email or telephone.Prior learning - AP(E)LApplicants with prior qualifications and learning may be exempt from appropriate parts of a course in accordance with the University's policy for the assessment of prior learning and prior experiential learning. Contact the faculty office for further information.English language requirements All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall, with special conditions in all elements. Please make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements, which includes details of other qualifications we'll consider.Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements may be eligible to join our pre-sessional English language course.Applicants from one of the recognised majority English speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 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.