www.swansea.ac.uk Postgraduate Prospectus 2012

MEDIA STUDIESFrom traditional print and broadcast media to film andtelevision, digital publishing, social networking, andpublic relations, the media increasingly defines the waywe interact with our society. It shapes the way we seeourselves and others, and can be a powerful tool forsocial change, good or bad.Media Studies at Swansea has a broad vocational andinternational outlook that reflects the challenges of ourmedia-rich world.Research degrees in Media Studies will:• provide you with new and specialised research skills• prepare you for a career in academic research and teaching• equip you with skills relevant for a rewarding career in a rangeof media-related industries.Research StrengthsMA by Research, MPhil and PhD supervision is available acrossa wide range of research topics in media studies, organised intotwo research groupings:World CinemaThis group brings together substantial expertise in the history, theoryand reception of World Cinema and is engaged in a variety ofprovocative analyses of films, filmmakers, movements and filmwatchingcommunities and nations in relation to history, literature,philosophy, new media and politics.Key themes include:• European cinema history, theory and criticism• Eastern European Cinema• Film Theory and Aesthetics• Bergson, Deleuze, Lacan, Baudrillard, Bakhtin• Film and Philosophy• Spanish, Basque and Cuban cinema• German and Eastern European cinema• French cinema, particularly the French New Wave• Documentary• Media, nation and identity• Independent American cinema• Hollywood• Transnational cinema• New Screen Technologies• The media in Wales• Welsh, Celtic and British cinema• Welsh-language film, radio, television and new media.Media History, Theory and TechnologyThis group combines research at the nexusbetween media history, theory andtechnological change, addressing keyissues in the emerging global digitalworld. The group seeks to develop acritical understanding of networked digitalmedia and online social practices andtheir social, economic and politicaldynamics in order to inform academicresearch, wider policy issues and publicdebates. The relationships between mediatechnology, cultural form and the shift from‘atoms to bits’ are addressed through arange of innovative methodologicalapproaches together with a focus onplacing these developments within ahistorical and social context. Key themesinclude:• Visual media and visual culture• Print and broadcast media• Science fiction and technology• Music and popular culture• Journalism• The deep history of media• Media archaeology• Postmodern theory• Theories of the information society• Network society• Post-fordism• Global communication• Media and the public sphere• Political theory and the media• Jean Baudrillard• Moral panics and the media• Social and political aspects of media• Methodologies for researching media• New media• Philosophy of technology• Intellectual property rights• Theories and history of technology• Software studies• Auditory technology and sound• Digital democracy• Social networking• Computer code• Remediation.Media Studies also benefits from researchgroups exploring gender, technology, war,and global journalism, and incorporateswork on moral panics and media andidentity in small nations, with particularreference to Wales.All research students in Media Studiesbelong to the Graduate Centre in theCollege of Arts and Humanities. TheCentre provides pastoral as well asadministrative support and is alsoresponsible for research skills training andsupport, and facilitating a lively intellectualenvironment for the College's postgraduateresearch community of 200 students.6061RESEARCH DEGREES – MEDIA STUDIESResearch opportunitiesMA by Research/MPhil/PhDRAE2008 35% of research ratedworld-leading (4*) or internationallyexcellent (3*)ProfessorsR StoneK WilliamsStaff and postgraduate numbersMedia Studies research students arelocated in numerous constituentDepartments in the College of Arts andHumanities. For details please see:www.swansea.ac.uk/artsandhumanitiesEntry requirementsNormally a 2.1 Honours degree in a relevant subject.English Language requirement:IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or Swansea Universityrecognised equivalent.Scholarships and BursariesA range of postgraduate scholarships and bursaries is available.For details, please visit: www.swansea.ac.uk/scholarships/PostgraduateFurther informationWebsite: www.swansea.ac.uk/mediastudiesContact the Admissions Tutor:Email:COAHGradCentrePGRAdmissions@swansea.ac.ukTel: +44 (0)1792 295926Visit the University: see page 182 for detailsApplications can be made online at:www.swansea.ac.uk/applyonline – see pages184 – 185 for further informationFor details of the Master’s courses available inMedia and Communication Studies, please seepage 122.RESEARCH DEGREES – MEDIA STUDIES