Social Sciences — Digital Media and Society

Contemporary digital media such as the internet, the mobile phone, the computer and social media (Wikipedia, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) shape our everyday lives, working lives, economy, politics and culture.

The goal of this programme is to introduce and develop a critical and reflective perspective on the role of digital media in society. The programme focuses on the economic, political, cultural and organisational impacts of digital media.

The master programme provides students with an advanced level of knowledge and skills in the empirical research methods, theories and ethical reasoning that are important for investigating and analysing digital media in working life and organisations.

The programme also offers a solid foundation and preparation for doctoral research in the area of digital media and society. While not a practical programme, it does offer advanced knowledge that prepares the student for a career as a knowledge and digital media professional. It teaches creative and critical thinking capacities that are needed by students in their future careers and for becoming individuals who seek to contribute to shaping and creating a good society.

Career

Digital media are shaping almost all aspects of our professional and working lives. Learning to understand and master digital media in society in our Master programme will give you an excellent preparation for work as a digital media researcher in the growing and innovative field of digital media and society studies or as a digital media analyst in research organisations, private companies, public administration, international organisations and civil society organisations, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Career opportunities include work as: internet researcher, digital media researcher, information society researcher, research manager, research administrator, digital media industry consultant or digital media expert in public service, government institutions, civil society organisations, NGOs or international development organisations, ICT consultant and policy expert, knowledge manager, information broker and knowledge work in the public or private sector, work in the new media industries/creative industries.

Degree

The programme leads to a Master of Social Science (120 credits) with Media and Communication Studies as the main field of study.

After one year of study it may also be possible to obtain a Master of Social Science (60 credits).

The programme consists of one semester of advanced core courses (30 credits) that focus on the theoretical knowledge and empirical skills required for understanding and analysing digital media and society.

One semester (30 credits) is made up of basic social science skills courses that are taught together with the other specialties in the Social Science Master. Another 30 credits are elective courses that the student chooses from various courses. An internship at a company or with a researcher at the department is an option for the elective courses. The master’s thesis (30 credits) is the programme’s final stage.

Courses

The four core courses are:

Semester 1

• Digital Media, Culture and Society
• Digital Media and Organization

Semester 2

• Global Perspectives on Social Change and Digital Media
• Digital Media, Participation and Agency

The four skills courses cover:

• Quantitative Methods
• Qualitative Methods
• Philosophy of Science and Methodology
• Social Science Methods and Research Design

A bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish degree of at least 180 credits (i.e. three years of full-time studies), including at least 90 credits of studies in social sciences or a comparable field as well as documented independent written academic work. With independent written academic work means one or several academic essays or papers (or equivalent).Proof of skills in English to a level corresponding to English B in the Swedish secondary school. This is normally attested by means of an internationally recognised test with the following minimum scores:IELTS: an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5TOEFL: Paper-based: Score of 4.5 (scale 1-6) in written test and a total score of 575. Internet-based: Score of 20 (scale 0-30) in written test and a total score of 90Cambridge: CAE, CPESelectionSelection will be based on a total appraisal of quantity (number of credits) and quality of previous university studies, relevance of previous studies, the written texts (one proposal for Master essay in English and a summary in English of the independent academic work or another academic text in English) and a letter of intent (1 page). The highest ranked candidates will be shortly interviewed on Skype before the final selection is made. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 575 TOEFL iBT® test: 90

Uppsala University provides several different scholarships for students. The scholarships cover exclusively the tuition fees for courses within the programme, i e 30 credits per semester.
Read more about scholarships on www.uu.se/scholarships.