Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

• To enable students to gain a systematic and critical awareness of current issues and debates in communication media studies and related disciplines.
• To develop students' skills and competencies in a comprehensive range of research methods and techniques relevant to the investigation of media communications and related disciplines.
• To enable students to interpret evaluate and apply advanced knowledge in the discpline in an innovative way.
• To prepare students for employment in diverse professional environments through a combination of independent work and industry exposure.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about the relationship between media and modernity.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about the politics of representation.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Benchmark Statement for Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

P1. Engage with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the fields of media, communication and culture, productively employing the insights gained in their own work.

P2. Demonstrate their capacity to develop appropriate research strategies to address the issues they have selected for sustained investigation in self-chosen projects.

P3. Analyse new and emerging trends and interrogate both common sense understanding and received wisdom in relevant areas of inquiry.

P4. Discuss historical transformations in media, communication, and culture and wield this understanding in appraising current patterns of development, such as cultural globalisation and media convergence.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

T1. Critically evaluate a range of academic and industry sources.

T2. Communicate effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

T3. Deploy qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

T4. Plan, organise and manage, with appropriate supervision, a significant self-directed project.

T5. Work flexibly, creatively and independently, displayhing a high degree of self-direction and initiative.

T6. Demonstrate skills and abilities learned in relation to their own continuing professional development.

4. Programme structure

 MEDIA AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS (SSPT36):

COMPULSORY MODULES (Total modular weight 135)

MA students must also attend SSA306, a media landscapes module.

OPTIONAL MODULES (combined modular weight 45)

One optional module must come from semester 1 and two must come from semester 2.

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to be eligible for the award, candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but are also required to obtain the following:

(i) PGCert – 60 credits from modules other than SSP399/SSP400.

(ii) PGDip – 120 credits from modules other than SSP399/SSP400.

(iii) MSc – 150 credits and not less than 40% in the remaining modules.

With the exclusion of module SSP399/SSP400 (Dissertation), provision will be made for candidates who have the right of re-assessment to undergo re-assessment in the University's Special Assessment Period (SAP).

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the purposes of Final Degree Classification

This section relates to undergraduate degrees only.

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

• To enable students to gain a systematic and critical awareness of current issues and debates in communication media studies and related disciplines.
• To develop students' skills and competencies in a comprehensive range of research methods and techniques relevant to the investigation of media communications and related disciplines.
• To enable students to interpret evaluate and apply advanced knowledge in the discpline in an innovative way.
• To prepare students for employment in diverse professional environment through a combination of independent work and industry exposure.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about digitilisation of media and cultural industries.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about the political economy of media and cultural industries.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Benchmark Statement for Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

P1. Engage with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the fields of media, communication and culture, productively employing the insights gained in their own work.

P2. Demonstrate their capacity to develop appropriate research strategies to address the issues they have selected for sustained investigation in self-chosen projects.

P3. Analyse new and emerging trends and interrogate both common sense understanding and received wisdom in relevant areas of inquiry.

P4. Discuss historical transformations in media, communication, and culture and wield this understanding in appraising current patterns of development, such as cultural globalisation and media convergence.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

T1. Critically evaluate a range of academic and industry sources.

T2. Communicate effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

T3. Deploy qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

T4. Plan, organise and manage, with appropriate supervision, a significant self-directed project.

T5. Work flexibly, creatively and independently, displayhing a high degree of self-direction and initiative.

T6. Demonstrate skills and abilities learned in relation to their own continuing professional development.

4. Programme structure

GLOBAL MEDIA AND CULTURAL INDUSTRIES (SSPT46):

COMPULSORY MODULES (Total modular weight 135)

MA students must also attend SSA306, a Media Landscapes module.

OPTIONAL MODULES (combined modular weight 45)

One optional module must come from semester 1 and two must come from semester 2.

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to be eligible for the award, candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but are also required to obtain the following:

(i) PGCert – 60 credits from modules other than SSP398/SSP400.

(ii) PGDip – 120 credits from modules other than SSP398/SSP400.

(iii) MSc – 150 credits and not less than 40% in the remaining modules.

With the exclusion of module SSP398/SSP400 (Dissertation), provision will be made for candidates who have the right of re-assessment to undergo re-assessment in the University's Special Assessment Period (SAP).

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the purposes of Final Degree Classification

This section relates to undergraduate degrees only.

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

• To enable students to gain a systematic and critical awareness of current issues and debates in communication media studies and related disciplines.
• To develop students' skills and competencies in a comprehensive range of research methods and techniques relevant to the investigation of media communications and related disciplines.
• To enable students to interpret evaluate and apply advanced knowledge in the discpline in an innovative way.
• To prepare students for employment in diverse professional environment through a combination of independent work and industry exposure.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about digital culture.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about digital economies.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Benchmark Statement for Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

P1. Engage with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the fields of media, communication and culture, productively employing the insights gained in their own work.

P2. Demonstrate  their capacity to develop appropriate research strategies to address the issues they have selected for sustained investigation in self-chosen projects.

P3. Analyse new and emerging trends and interrogate both common sense understanding and received wisdom in relevant areas of inquiry.

P4. Discuss historical transformations in media, communication, and culture and wield this understanding in appraising current patterns of development, such as cultural globalisation and media convergence.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

T1. Critically evaluate a range of academic and industry sources.

T2. Communicate effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

T3. Deploy qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

T4. Plan, organise and manage, with appropriate supervision, a significant self-directed project.

T5. Work flexibly, creatively and independently, displayhing a high degree of self-direction and initiative.

T6. Demonstrate skills and abilities learned in relation to their own continuing professional development.

4. Programme structure

DIGITAL MEDIA AND SOCIETY (SSPT47):

COMPULSORY MODULES (Total modular weight 135)

One optional module must come from semester 1 and two must come from semester 2.                                                  

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to be eligible for the award, candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but are also required to obtain the following:

(i) PGCert – 60 credits from modules other than SSP397/SSP400.

(ii) PGDip – 120 credits from modules other than SSP397/SSP400.

(iii) MSc – 150 credits and not less than 40% in the remaining modules.

With the exclusion of module SSP396/SSP400 (Dissertation), provision will be made for candidates who have the right of re-assessment to undergo re-assessment in the University's Special Assessment Period (SAP).

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the purposes of Final Degree Classification

This section relates to undergraduate degrees only.

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

• To enable students to gain a systematic and critical awareness of current issues and debates in communication media studies and related disciplines.
• To develop students' skills and competencies in a comprehensive range of research methods and techniques relevant to the investigation of media communications and related disciplines.
• To enable students to interpret evaluate and apply advanced knowledge in the discipline in an innovative way.
• To prepare students for employment in diverse professional environments through a combination of independent work and industry exposure.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about the production, dissemination and reception of political communication in a global context.
• To foster students' ability to critically analyse current research and advanced scholarship about political marketing.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Benchmark Statement for Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

P1. Engage with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the fields of media, communication and culture, productively employing the insights gained in their own work.

P2. Demonstrate their capacity to develop appropriate research strategies to address the issues they have selected for sustained investigation in self-chosen projects.

P3. Analyse new and emerging trends and interrogate both common sense understanding and received wisdom in relevant areas of inquiry.

P4. Discuss historical transformations in media, communication, and culture and wield this understanding in appraising current patterns of development, such as cultural globalisation and media convergence.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

T1. Critically evaluate a range of academic and industry sources.

T2. Communicate effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

T3. Deploy qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

T4. Plan, organise and manage, with appropriate supervision, a significant self-directed project.

T5. Work flexibly, creatively and independently, displayhing a high degree of self-direction and initiative.

T6. Demonstrate skills and abilities learned in relation to their own continuing professional development.

4. Programme structure

GLOBAL POLITICAL COMMUNICATION (SSPT50):

COMPULSORY MODULES (Total modular weight 135)

One optional module must come from semester 1 and two must come from semester 2.                                                  

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

 In order to be eligible for the award, candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but are also required to obtain the following:

(i) PGCert – 60 credits from modules other than SSP396/SSP400.

(ii) PGDip – 120 credits from modules other than SSP396/SSP400.

(iii) MSc – 150 credits and not less than 40% in the remaining modules.

With the exclusion of module SSP396/SSP400 (Dissertation), provision will be made for candidates who have the right of re-assessment to undergo re-assessment in the University's Special Assessment Period (SAP).

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the purposes of Final Degree Classification

This section relates to undergraduate degrees only.

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

These programmes are designed to produce graduates with rigorous research and analytical skills, who are well equipped to progress onto being high level researchers in their chosen field of study. 

Students will

• gain understanding of key epistemological and ontological debates that frame social science research;
• gain advanced knowledge of the methodologies, processes, designs and practices involved in social science research;
• acquire in-depth training in the conduct and management of research, from its commencement to its conclusion;
• explore and reflect on their developing research skills in the context of their areas of research interest and their growth as creative and independent researchers;
• critically analyse ethical aspects of academic research and gain advanced ability to deal with ethical problems and challenges;
• be able to apply all of the above in the context associated with their chosen programme. 

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Economic and Social Research Council’s requirements for Doctoral Training Pathways (see http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/funding-opportunities/call-for-doctoral-training-partnerships-dtps/). 

UK Quality Code for Higher Education, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, April 2012 (Part A: Setting and Maintaining Academic Standards). 

The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ), the QAA, August 2008. 

Master’s Degree Characteristics, QAA, March 2010.

The Higher Education Credit Framework for England, QAA, 2008. 

The Quality Code, Part B: Assuring and Enhancing Academic Ability 

Chapter B1: Programme Design, Development and Approval 

Chapter B3: Learning and Teaching 

Chapter B4: Enabling Student Development and Achievement 

Chapter B6: Assessment of Students

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to…

P1 use a diverse range of quantitative and qualitative research methods in investigating social processes and phenomena;

P2 use appropriate technology to assist in the generation, collation and analysis of research data;

P3 communicate and publish the results of their research, on the basis of the formative and summative feedback delivered through the programme.

P4 analyse the theoretical foundations and research methods used in their research areas.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to…

T1 communicate ideas, arguments, research rationales and findings effectively to a range of academic and non-academic audiences;

T2interact positively with their peers, and a range of academic colleagues, acknowledging challenges in or limitations to their work and thinking;

T3 demonstrate self direction in tackling and solving research problems, act autonomously in pla.nning research tasks

4. Programme structure

C=compulsory

O=optional

 *NB Students will choose 2 from 5 advanced methods module. 

^# MSc Social Science Research Methods (Business Management) students should choose either the Specialist Research Methods (Finance) module or the Specialist Research Methods (Management) module.

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

Each module in the programme will be assessed and credit awarded in accordance with the levels of achievement specified in Regulation XXI

Candidates who have studied a particular module, completed the relevant assignments according to a timetable agreed with the Department and passed in accordance with XXI are eligible for the award of credit in that module. 

In order to be eligible for the award of the Degree of Master, the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) or the Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but also: 

(1)  to be eligible for the award of PG Cert in Social Science Research candidates must have, over a period of not more than three years, accumulated minimally 60 credits in the following core modules: Philosophy of Social Science, Quantitative Research Methods and Research Design and Practice);

(2)  to be eligible for the award of PG Dip in Social Science Research candidates must have, over a period of not more than five years:

(a)     studied the core modules Philosophy of Social Science, Quantitative Research Methods, Research Design and Practice and Qualitative Research Methods, two 10 credit advanced training modules and the subject specific module relevant to their programme pathway

and

(b)     accumulated minimally 100 credits, excluding the 60 credit major project, and module marks of not less than 40% in further modules with a weight of 20.

(3)  to be eligible for the award of MSc in Social Science Research (Pathway) candidates must have, over a period of not more than eight years:

(a)     studied the core modules Philosophy of Social Science, Quantitative Research Methods, Research Design and Practice and Qualitative Research Methods, two 10 credit advanced training modules,the subject specific module relevant to their programme pathway and dissertation

and

(b)     accumulated minimally 150 credits and module marks of not less than 40% in further modules with a weight of 30 are eligible for the award of MSc in Social Science Research (Pathway) where the Pathway is  Communication and Media, Education, Business and Management, Social Policy or Sports and Exercise Science.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the purposes of Final Degree Classification

Not applicable