Centre for Global Media and Communications

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Start date
Duration
1 year
Attendance mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On Campus
Fees

Home: £12,710
International: £26,330

Course code
P3M1
Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a social science or humanities subject. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

See international entry requirements and English language requirements.

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This MA Media in Development programme challenges the assumptions behind the media and development industries and development studies and offers new ways of thinking about the critical issues facing societies today such as climate change.

The approach balances critical theoretical analysis of the hegemony implied by the ideas and practices of development with the practical issues surrounding the use of contemporary media, including the use of digital technologies for development communication, online activism, developmental journalism, and information and communications technologies for development (ICT4D).

The MA Media in Development course draws on from critical media and cultural studies’ theory, practical knowledge and experience, alongside critical debates within and about development, to challenge assumptions about the role of media and development industries as agents of change in the contemporary world. Students combine critical theoretical analysis of the role of media in development with a focus on practical issues surrounding the use of media, including digital technologies.

The programme differs from other degrees in the field by placing the onus on the role of media to further the development agenda, especially post the Second World War, critically negotiating its origins in West-centric ideas of modernisation, social change and progress and their relevance in today's multipolar world. Students benefit from the unique position of the Centre for Media Studies as a specialist institution for the study of media in the global south.

Our research in film and media has been ranked in the top 20 in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, with more than a third of our research publications assessed as 4* (world-leading). 

Who should apply?

It is designed for those with an interest in global media and development, including media and development professionals seeking alternative ways of thinking about their roles as practitioners and activists. It provides an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD research.

Please note that not all optional modules are available every year (see 'Structure' tab for more information).

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Students must take 180 credits comprised of 120 taught credits (including core and option modules) and a 60 credit dissertation.

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. 

Core

Compulsory

Guided options List 1

Students must take upto 30 credits from List 1 as a Guided Option

Guided options List 2

Students must take upto 45 credits from List 2 as a open option

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Learning outcomes

Knowledge

  • How to assess data and evidence critically from texts, manuscripts, audio and video sources, both analog and digital, solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations, develop skills in critical judgements of complex source materials, locate materials in print and on line, use research resources (particularly research library catalogues and websites) and other relevant traditional and electronic sources.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the dynamics and debates about the role of media and Information Communication Technologies in the development process: to be able to critically examine the discourses of development, the  roles of national and international organizations, NGOs, citizens in defining and producing development and the emergence of critical and alternative paradigms for sustainable societies; to be aware of the key theoretical issues surrounding the role of media and Information Communication Technologies in development processes; to be able to analytically disaggregate economic, political, social and cultural strands of development and the nature of mediated practices within each;  develop awareness of emergent models of sustainable development in which contemporary media practices play a key role; analyze the role of the media in hegemonic representations of social change and development.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

  • To be critical and precise in their assessment of evidence, and to understand through practice what documents and electronic sources can and cannot tell us. Such skills should improve and be refined throughout the programme.
  • Question theories and interpretations, however authoritative, and critically reassess evidence for themselves. Students will learn how to question and challenge the accepted tenets both of development and media as the means of transmission of messages. These skills should improve and be refined throughout the programme.
  • Critically interrogate situated empirical examples of specific media and Information Communication Technologies practices in development contexts in Asia, Africa, Middle East

Subject-based practical skills

  • Communicate effectively in writing
  • Retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of conventional and electronic sources
  • Communicate orally to a group. Listen and discuss ideas introduced during seminars and classes.
  • Practise research techniques in a variety of specialized research libraries and institutes.
  • Have developed some new competencies in digital media production and dissemination

Transferable skills

  • Write good essays and dissertations
  • Structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing
  • Understand unconventional ideas
  • Study a variety of written and digital materials, in libraries, on line and research libraries of a kind they will not have used as undergraduates.
  • Present material orally to a group.
  • Have developed a range of on-line competencies

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

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Title Deadline date
Tibawi Trust Award
Felix Non-Indian Scholarship
Felix Scholarships
Sasakawa Studentships
SOAS Master's Scholarships (Home)

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Graduates from the Centre for Global Media and Communications gain expertise in media, communications and film production within a global framework. Graduates develop a portfolio of transferable skills including communication skills, interpersonal skills and team work, which are highly respected by employers.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • Africa Mediaworks Ltd.
  • Al Jazeera
  • Associated Press
  • BBC
  • Breakthrough Breast Cancer
  • British Film Institute
  • Channel 5
  • Comic Relief
  • Cordoba African Film Festival
  • Discovery Communications
  • Equality Now
  • Hackney Film Festival
  • International Channel Shanghai
  • Internews Europe
  • Merlin
  • Novus
  • Office for National Statistics
  • Royal College of Art
  • The Institute of Ismaili Studies
  • Unilever
  • United Nations
  • Westminster City Council

Find out about our Careers Service.

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