Media, Culture & Society (Taught)

The Masters in Media, Culture & Society explores how media interacts with and shapes contemporary culture and society. It offers unique interdisciplinary study combining social sciences and arts approaches in the vibrant cultural and media hub of Glasgow.

WHY THIS PROGRAMME

• This programme addresses urgent issues of our age: power, inequality, identity politics, trust and journalism, surveillance capitalism, privacy, risk and security, AI, war and conflict, datafication, hate-speech and trolling, memory and the future, and the Coronavirus pandemic.

• Located in the vibrant cultural and media hub of the city of Glasgow, you will gain a combination of social sciences and arts insights on how we live in today’s media age.

• The degree equips you to be critical research-led experts in the opportunities and threats posed by interactions with and dependencies on contemporary media.

• The programme includes guest lectures and talks from international scholars, artists, filmmakers, NGOs, and photojournalists.

• You will benefit from research-led teaching, delivered by world-class experts in areas of media, culture and society, from the Glasgow University Media Group, and the Social and Digital Change Group.

• The programme focuses on developing employability skills such as writing policy briefs, creating research posters and giving presentations.

• Sociology at Glasgow is ranked 6th in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2026, and 7th in the UK by the Good University Guide 2026.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
You will take three core and three optional courses. One-third of the degree comprises an independent research project under the guidance of a dedicated supervisor. This is assessed via a poster presentation, policy brief/research report and a reflective essay.

Courses are taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. These are supplemented with visiting expert speaker talks. Assessment is based on individual written essays and assignments, presentations, as well as supervised group project work.

Core courses
Media Research Methods
Transformations in Media, Culture and Society 1: Theoretical, Empirical and Conceptual Approaches
Transformations in Media, Culture and Society 2: Contemporary Debates and Issues

Optional courses
You may choose your three options from elsewhere in the School of Social & Political Sciences. Moreover, subject to availability, timetabling and agreement with the relevant course co-ordinator, you may also choose one of their options from outside of the School provision.

CAREER PROSPECTS
This programme prepares you for professional careers on an international scale through the teaching of key workplace skills alongside your academic development. You will be well-equipped to enter media, cultural and communication fields. Graduates have gone on to work within:

• the public sector

• the third sector

• non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

• government bodies

• media and cultural organisations.

Your working knowledge of contemporary media and communications will also be desirable within a diverse range of areas including health, education and finance.