Media and Culture MRes

Entry requirements

You will normally be expected to have a First or Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1) Degree, or equivalent award, in Media and Culture or a related subject; and/or appropriate research or professional experience, which can be verified by evidence of achievement. This might include, for example, experience in a studio, as a practitioner with an appropriate track-record of exhibiting and/or producing work, or of having worked in the media industries, or for an arts or heritage organisation, museum etc.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This is a unique opportunity for you to work with national and international experts in Media and Culture while, at the same time, developing yourself as an expert in the field.

One of very few such courses in the UK, this MRes will enable you to acquire fundamental research skills while carrying out a major research project of your choice. The MRes offers an ideal bridge to further postgraduate study (e.g. a PhD) or to acquire, transferable employer-related skills.

Key features

• A bridge from undergraduate to postgraduate study
• Develop advanced research skills (e.g. in areas such as literature review and research methods)
• Work with national and international experts in your field
• Carry out a major research project in a topic of your choice
• Acquire transferable skills in areas such as project planning and management, time management, research and data analysis, digital literacy and report writing

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught via a combination of classroom modules and supervisor-supported independent study. Lectures are used to impart the core knowledge essential to each component of the course, while also, generally, being interactive. Analysis, problem solving skills, and, most importantly, the application of knowledge to your own project are all developed through interactive seminars and workshops. On RSDP4001 and MHCA4001, both lectures and workshops are delivered principally via guest sessions in which the varied expertise of teaching staff across arts, humanities and the University as a whole will support the development of the broad, rounded skills that the MRes is designed to develop. Research skills are developed through classroom activities and assessments (as described above) but also in conjunction with supervisors on the supervisor-led modules MHCA4002 and MHCA4005. This close working with the supervisor, who will be an expert in your field of study, will foster the more specific research skills required for your subject. By successful completion of the course, you will be beginning to develop as an expert in your field.

Meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 8 occasions in the year (for full-time students) and approximately 4 (for part-time). The personal academic tutor is likely to be your supervisor. By combining teaching, independent study, academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and personal academic tutoring we seek to enable you to reflect on your progress and to build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.

Careers

This course will help you to develop both intellectual and technical competencies in research. It will prepare you for academic careers by covering the fundamental components of academic research: developing a topic, method and analysis, and the planning and execution of a substantial piece of written or practical research. Through the 'apprenticeship' model, your work will be closely integrated with that of an expert supervisor and with an academic department giving you valuable experience of contributing to and working within a community of scholars. This will allow possible development towards further postgraduate research such as a PhD. Former graduates from the MRes programme have gone on to be awarded competitive, fully-funded 3 year PhD bursaries in the region

An MRes in Media and Culture will also help you to progress towards a career in equivalent research-based employment. This might include, for example, in the media/cultural industries, internet or social media companies, environmental organisations or groups, as an artist or media practitioner, or work for a government organisation, NGO, research, arts studio, museum etc. In the context of an ever-expanding information economy, an MRes would prepare you for work in any organisation looking for literate and research trained staff. Further support will be available to you via the Research School's Student Researcher Development Programme. This provides workshops in, amongst other things, oral presentations, public engagement, writing CVs, bid writing, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Information for international students

International applicants will be required to demonstrate comparable prior subject experience and to have an appropriate level of written and spoken English (normally an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6 in written English).