MA Digital and Social Media

About the course

This taught Master’s course, made up of four modules and a 12,000-word dissertation (split into two modules for PT students, with each module producing 6,000 words of work), responds to major transnational developments in contemporary media which have eroded the line between ‘producers’ and ‘consumers’, democratising media or leading to a lo-fi “cult of the amateur.” At the same time, social media platforms have become major economic players, raising questions over who benefits, and how, from the social activity they host. This MA focuses on the specialised, advanced study of current media developments: students will be able to analyse and critically reflect on the media world they inhabit, developing their expertise in participatory culture/social media and associated practices of fandom, activism, community-building, and creativity.

The course is targeted at those who wish to develop their understanding of specific kinds of digital media – involving people “formerly known as the audience” – and their social, economic and cultural contexts. It is designed to lead into PhD work for those wishing to progress to further Higher Education, as well as leading to a range of professional roles linked to participatory culture and social media.

Career support

This MA will be relevant for anyone looking to work in sectors that have become strongly linked to such media, e.g. content creation, communications, marketing, publishing and PR, along with the ‘experience economy’ targeting fan-consumers. Postgraduates might go on to become fan entrepreneurs in their own right, or social media researchers working outside the academy, either for private companies, research organizations, NGOs, or activist groups.