Our graduate media studies Masters award; Media Research (MRes) has an illustrious background, and with our other degrees has received awards.
1st in Scotland for research in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies (most recent Research Assessment Exercise)
1st in Scotland for Communications and Media (The Independent Complete University Guide, 2011, and The Guardian University Guide, 2011)
The Master’s degree in Media Research, which can also provide the first year of the doctoral course, is designed to give you the necessary skills to carry out advanced interdisciplinary research in the broad field of media studies.
Course objectives
A new suite of MRes courses has been developed concurrently by six subject areas: Applied Social Science, Education, Communications, Media and Culture, Management, Nursing, Midwifery and Health and Sports Studies. These courses have a shared core of four modules in generic research skills, plus specialist disciplinary modules and a range of options.
They aim to combine high quality with flexibility and choice for students. Employability is another important focus, with the opportunity for a research placement offered to all MRes students.
This course is designed to provide a basic but extensive training in media research methods. The training provided is multidisciplinary, covering social sciences and humanities approaches. Ideal candidates are those looking for employment in the media for which research training is seen as valuable, as well as those intending to pursue academic careers in the field.
The course aims to:
- Provide a structured analysis of established practices in film and media studies research
- Offer a critical overview of the intellectual frameworks that inform media research to enable you to develop your own approach to researching media institutions, texts and audiences
- Encourage you to explore your personal research interests and support the development of original enquiry through student-centred teaching and assessment
Entrance requirements
A good degree in a relevant subject area. This normally means a degree whose classification is equivalent to the award of an upper second class Honours degree or better at a UK university. Candidates without formal academic qualifications but with significant media experience at an appropriate level may also be considered for admission to the course.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum 6 in each skill), or TOEFL: Listening 23, Reading 23, Speaking 23, Writing 23.
Funding
Contact Communications, Media and Culture for information.
Information on possible sources of funding
Modes of study
Full-time
Course start date
September
Structure and content
The MRes Media Research consists of two components: a taught course; followed by a dissertation. The taught course takes place over an academic year. You will take three modules in the Autumn semester and three modules in the Spring semester, making a total of six taught modules across the year.
Semester 1
- Research Design and Process (ASRP02)
- Quantitative Data Analysis (ASRP04)
- Qualitative Data Analysis (ASRP05)
- Media Research Methods (MERP08)
Semester 2
- Comparative Social Research (ASRP06)
- Applied Methods (MERP13)
Two modules from the following options:
- Media Policy and Regulation (MMAPMP)
- Creative Industries: Contemporary Issues (MCCPX4)
- Policy analysis and Evaluation Research (ASPR07)
NB: Other modules from other MRes modules in Arts and Humanities, Applied Social Science, Sport Studies, Nursing and Midwifery and Education may also be chosen subject to availability.
Students for the MRes complete a dissertation.
On completion of the degree you should have: acquired experience and skills in the processes of empirical fieldwork and textual analysis; had the opportunity to take part in group research projects and the production of media texts; been able to specialise in researching particular media (for example, film, television, music, press, publishing) and developed a research focus on topical media research issues.
Delivery and assessment
The course involves lectures, seminars, tutorials, a research project and case study work. Assessment is by means of coursework as specified for each module and includes essays, a literature review, a research report, a seminar presentation and a media text. A dissertation proposal must be submitted by the beginning of the Semester 2 when supervisors are allocated (you will be expected to stay within the areas of current staff interest and expertise). Each dissertation is approximately 12,000 words in length and may take the form of a written publishable academic article or a project report, depending on its focus.
Research interests
Research interests in Communications, Media and Culture currently include: film theory and analysis; television studies; creative industries and cultural policy; media economics and regulation; digital media and activism; journalism; political communication; sport and the media; public relations; national identity and globalisation; representations of gender and ethnicity; celebrity culture; new media and intellectual property and other aspects of media and popular culture.
