Programme Study Plan

Transcription

1 Faculty of Economic Sciences, Communication and IT Programme Study Plan Master Programme in Global Media Studies Programme Code: Programme Title: Programme Approval SAGMS Master Programme in Global Media Studies The Programme Study Plan was approved by the Faculty Board for the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Communication and IT on 16 February 2010 and is valid from the autumn term of The study plan was revised by the same board on 17 March 2010, the revision being valid from the decision date. ECTS Credits : 120 Language of Instruction Degree Level Degree Type Prerequisites English Master General Admission to the programme requires Upper Secondary English course B or equivalent, and a Bachelor s degree of 180 ECTS credits including at least 60 ECTS credits in Media and Communication Studies or Information Systems or equivalent. General Information The Master Programme in Global Media Studies is a two-year Master-level programme for students majoring in either Media and Communication Studies or Information Systems with an emphasis on Global Media Studies. Media technologies

2 2(7) are at the core of the globalization process, generating global relations while sustaining local development. Global Media Studies are concerned with understanding, explaining, evaluating, and in various ways making use of this double potential. Students, who want to work abroad or work as an international public relations officer, or as a system developer, a market analyst, a cultural creator, or conduct academic research at the PhD level, need deeper knowledge of the globalization process. Both technical and cultural reflection is required in order to meet the challenges of a shrinking and increasingly complex world. The Master s programme provides Masterlevel courses in either Media and Communication Studies or Information Systems, combined with joint profile courses in Global Media Studies, which focus on areas such as cultural industries, ICT for development, and global media policy. The programme is also designed to enable specialized studies in individual areas of interest. Admission to the programme requires a Bachelor s degree or the equivalent, and fulfilment of the specific qualifications that studies in the major subject might require. The Bachelor s degree must include at least 60 ECTS credits in the major field of study (Media and Communication Studies or Information Systems). Upon completion of the programme, a Master s degree in Media and Communication Studies (MA) or Information Systems (MSc) is awarded with the profile Global Media Studies. The Master s degree also qualifies the student for further studies within PhD programmes in the major field of study. Learning Outcomes Knowledge and understanding: To be awarded a Master s degree the students should: - demonstrate extensive knowledge and understanding of theoretical perspectives in the major field of study, especially regarding the interplay between contemporary cultural, technological, political and economic processes in society, - demonstrate extensive in-depth knowledge and understanding regarding current research and development in the field of global media studies, - demonstrate in-depth knowledge of research methodology in a chosen field of global media studies. Skills and abilities To be awarded a Master s degree the students should: - demonstrate the ability to integrate theory from the major field of study critically and systematically in order to solve complex communicative problems in organized social contexts, - demonstrate the skills to analyse, assess and handle complex problems and situations that are relevant within global media studies, especially those related to media transition, development issues and intercultural processes, - demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate research problems critically, independently and creatively,

3 3(7) - demonstrate the skills to plan, carry out and evaluate qualified tasks within a given timeframe by applying adequate methods, thus contributing to the development of knowledge, - demonstrate the ability to translate theoretical and analytical conclusions into creative formulas in order to innovate existing forms of organized communicative practices within the context of global media, - demonstrate the skills to clearly communicate, orally and in the written form, conclusions and creative solutions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning them, in dialogue with different groups nationally and internationally, - demonstrate the skills required to participate in research and/or development in the major field of study, or for working independently with qualified tasks in any other relevant context. Judgement and ability To be awarded a Master s degree the students should - demonstrate the ability to make relevant judgements in the major field of study, based on scientific, social and ethical considerations and also show awareness of the ethical dimension of research and development, - demonstrate awareness of the possibilities and limitations of science, its role in society, and individual responsibility for its results, - demonstrate ability to identify their own needs for further knowledge and take responsibility for their own learning process Independent degree project To be awarded a Master s degree the students are expected to complete an independent project of at least 30 ECTS credits in the major field of study. If a student has completed an independent project of 15 ECTS credits at advanced level in the major field of study at a Swedish university or abroad, the additional requirement for the Master s degree is a project of 15 ECTS credits. The fulfilment of these overarching learning outcomes is specified in the educational matrix, and in the study plans for each compulsory course. Programme Structure The programme includes advanced studies in Media and Communication Studies or Information Systems, and stresses a combination of theoretical reflexivity, problem solving and creative work. A majority of the courses are compulsory, but include flexible modules in order to sustain individual specialization through various forms of analytical projects. Throughout the programme instruction can take the form of lectures, exercises, case studies, seminars, projects, and oral and written presentations. The programme welcomes international students, implying that all instruction and communication occur in English. The studies comprise compulsory coursework of 30 ECTS credits in the major field of study (Semesters 1 and 2) and a degree project of 30 ECTS credits in the major field of study (Semester 4). Knowledge in the profile area is

4 4(7) extended through the compulsory programme specialization in Global Media Studies, 30 ECTS credits (Semester 3), which is an integration of Media and Communication Studies and Information Systems. There is also a compulsory joint faculty course, Advanced Professional Skills of 15 ECTS credits (Semester 1), and 15 ECTS credits of free elective courses (Semester 2). Students have the opportunity to study abroad, especially in Semester 2 and their degree project period. Course Requirements in Semesters 1-2 (Major in Media and Communication Studies) Contemporary Media Theory I (15 ECTS credits, Progression C) is a preparatory requirement, only for students with a BA in disciplines other than Media and Communication Studies. The first half of the course provides an overview of the discipline, its historical development, and relevant research perspectives. The second half consists of supervised essay work including a literature survey. Digital Media, Culture and Politics (15 ECTS credits, Progression D) is a required course for students with a degree in Media and Communication Studies. It deals with the historical and contemporary interplay between technology, culture and politics, in particular the consequences and issues raised by the digital revolution in terms of altered means of circulation, marketization and policy making. The course is based on lectures and literature seminars, and is examined on the basis of an individual caseoriented research paper. Advanced Professional Skills (15 ECTS credits, Progression D) is a joint faculty course, including topics such as Research Methods, Scientific Writing, Project Management and Inter-Cultural Studies. Contemporary Media Theory II (15 ECTS credits, progression D) is a required course, delving into key theories and concepts of media and communication studies on the one hand, and introduces the students to recent research trends on the other. The overall aim of the course is to provide students with a sufficient degree of exposure to the blend of theory and literature that characterizes the field of media and communication studies. Such a mental map will help students to gain a strong grasp of relevant scholarship in the field and, thus, be able to produce their own scholarly critique. The first part of the course is seminar based, the second part based on individual, supervised studies resulting in a research paper. Course Requirements in Semesters 1-2 (Major in Information Systems) Current Research on Information Systems (7,5 ECTS credits, Progression D): The course focuses primarily on the preferential research areas of information systems, such as electronic business communication and services; system development and educational organizations; models and methods for multimedia production; standard systems and component-based systems, and organisation modelling and reorganisation.

5 5(7) Scientific Theory and Methodology (7,5 ECTS credits, Progression D): The course presents basic theory of science and different approaches to science, that is, principles of accessing and legitimating knowledge of different information systems problems. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are discussed, as well as the basics of the academic essay. Advanced Professional Skills (15 ECTS credits, Progression D) is a joint faculty course, including topics such as Research Methods, Scientific Writing, Project Management and Inter-Cultural Studies. Models and Experimental Methods in Multimedia Development (15 ECTS credits, Progression D): Students are expected to enhance their skills in identifying factors that have a bearing on human-machine interaction, especially in terms of putting together a specification of engineering requirements for multimedia projects. The objective is also that students acquire familiarity with different experimental methods for developing and evaluating user interfaces. Recommended Elective Courses, Semester 2: Intercultural Communication and Media (15 ECTS credits, Progression D): This is an elective course in Media and Communication Studies that maps out contemporary globalization processes, such as media flows, travel, and migration, and elaborates on key communication issues such as reflexivity, adaptability, and dialogue. The course is interdisciplinary, combining approaches such as semiotics, hermeneutics, media theory, and cultural anthropology. During the course the students apply their skills in a smallscale problem-oriented communication project. The project can be carried out as an independent research task, or as an internship project in collaboration with a relevant industry or organization, resulting in an analytical and creative report. The project must be anchored in an intercultural context or problem area, dealing with, for example, the implementation of international media products or formats, development or evaluation of intercultural communication strategies, global audience analysis, or tasks related to communication for development. Advances in Information Systems Modelling (15 ECTS credits, Progression D): This is an elective course in Information Systems, focusing on the integration of the semantic and pragmatic dependencies across organizational and technical system boundaries. A new service-oriented approach is used for the purpose of system modelling and integration. The concept of service is well understood in different domains and therefore it is used for bridging a communication gap among business experts and system designers. Compulsory Specialization in Global Media Studies, Semester 3: The Specialization in Global Media Studies course (30 ECTS credits) consists of the following three modules: Module 1. Understanding Cultural Industries and Networks (7.5 ECTS credits)

6 6(7) This module discusses how cultural industries and networks, or what is sometimes called creative industries, operate in different sectors of society, and how they problematise older demarcations between culture-economy; local-global; productionconsumption. The course problematises particularly the global circulation of cultural concepts, e g genres, formats, or techniques, in order to assess the role of knowledge production in relation to social and economic developments. Module 2. Development, Globalisation and ICT (7.5 ECTS credits) This module provides the background to the concept development. It goes back to the origins of some of the great Development Theories. Looking at the roots helps us understand how modern Development Theories have emerged and developed. The module illuminates the concept of development from different perspectives: political science, economics and anthropology. The students are requested to use these perspectives to analyse the field of ICT for international development. Development will also be discussed and related to globalisation. Module 3. Cosmopolitanism, Media and Social Change (15 ECTS credits) The third module discusses the ideological discourses and political-economic structures framing contemporary global media, and how these structures have evolved historically. Students will engage in critical debates related to, for instance, cultural imperialism, post-colonialism, new social movements, and notions of a cosmopolitan society. The study of cosmopolitan media policy stresses the balance between the world-wide consequences of informational power geometries and the opportunities for local empowerment through communication initiatives with a social, cultural and/or technological orientation. The course includes a case study resulting in a journal-length article. Degree project, Semester 4: Degree Project (30 ECTS credits, Progression E) is a required course consisting of a theoretically advanced approach to and a methodologically reflexive empirical analysis of a societally and/or scientifically relevant research problem, resulting in an academic thesis. The projects are carried out under supervision and defended at a final seminar. Degree Title Degree of Master of Science (120 credits) Major: Information Systems or Degree of Master of Arts (120 credits) Major: Media and Communication Studies depending on major.

7 7(7) Credit Transfer Students have the right to transfer course credits from other universities in Sweden or abroad. Transfer of credits for a whole course is subject to approval by the Head of the Office for Student Service, acting on behalf of the Rector. Transfer of credits for a course module is subject to approval by the examiner. In either case, the aim of the programme as a whole, as stated in the programme study plan and the syllabi, must be considered. Additional Information Karlstad University s local regulations for undergraduate and Master's studies stipulate the obligations and rights of students and staff.