Ask an expert in media, culture and communication

At Stirling, we deliver a range of flexible Masters courses including Media Management, Digital Media, Television, and Strategic Communications and Public Relations. Lecturer, Dr Katherine Champion, explains how studying at Stirling can enhance your career prospects.

Dr Katherine Champion

Dr Katherine Champion

A specialist in the field of Media and Communications, Katherine’s work aims to extend and deepen knowledge of how ‘space’ and ‘place’ matter to the creative and cultural industries sector. She has published widely in this area and currently holds the position of Primary Investigator and Co-Investigator on a number of funded projects with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Carnegie Trust.

It’s an exciting time to be studying Media and Communications. How does Stirling shape its teaching
to reflect this?

“The Media and Communications industry has faced major changes in the last few years, with the emergence of new devices and platforms for media content. At Stirling, we equip our students with the vital skills and industry knowledge needed to be successful in this dynamic and fast-paced sector.

“We place a strong emphasis on personal and professional development to enhance group and team management, industry analysis, and communications and influencing skills. Outside of the classroom, we encourage students to engage in a variety of exhibitions, events and conferences, all of which contribute to a rich Masters experience.

“Our staff and students are drawn from all over the globe and come together to create a friendly, but challenging, intellectual environment.”

The University has introduced three additional media courses recently. What are they and why are they important?

“In order to give our students the best possible opportunity for success in their future careers, we have brought forward three new industry-relevant masters courses to our postgraduate offering. These courses focus on television content development and production, digital media and international journalism. All three meet the demands of the growing contemporary media and communications sector and have been designed to ensure our students leave us as highly skilled and employable graduates in their respective fields.”

A number of our media courses are delivered with international partner universities. How does this benefit students?

“The Communications, Media and Culture division at Stirling prides itself on its international outlook. As part of this commitment, we have partnered with a number of overseas institutions, including Vietnam and Spain, to allow students to benefit from a high-quality UK education, while studying abroad in a country of their choice. This also helps international students to arrange their studies around any existing commitments they may have in their home country, and still undertake a University of Stirling qualification.

“These courses are run by a dedicated team of academic, administrative and technical support staff in both Stirling and at partner organisations. Lectures are delivered via face-to-face teaching and online learning platforms, with regular visits by Stirling staff.”

Why do guest speakers often deliver lectures at Stirling?

“In line with our focus on real-world teaching, a key highlight of our curriculum is Stirling’s guest lecture series. Thanks to our established professional and research networks, we regularly invite industry practitioners and policymakers to deliver the latest learnings and trends to our students.

We have regular contributions from:

  • Senior Media Managers
  • communications professionals from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Channel 4, independent production companies, public relations agencies and media regulators
  • newspaper editors and many more

This experience is invaluable to our students, who not only hear the latest industry insights first-hand, but are also able to establish which specific area within media they may be most interested in.”

How would a Masters in Media and Communications benefit prospective students?

“Undertaking a postgraduate qualification offers students a great opportunity to study a chosen subject in more depth and enhance your career prospects. Our taught media-related courses at Stirling present an opportunity to improve your knowledge and understanding of a wide range of media industry sectors, as well as to develop skills and networks that promote future employability.

“We develop skills in academic research both in lectures and in a one-to-one setting as students develop their dissertations, which will position graduates well should they choose to continue with future academic study.”

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Postgraduate admissions

If you have any questions about postgraduate study please contact us.