Master of Arts in Computer Games Art and Design

at Goldsmiths, University of London United Kingdom

China has been at the forefront of a global economic power shift in the aftermath of the global economic crisis in 2008. This undergraduate degree gives you the chance to study international relations with a year abroad in China at Capital Normal University in Beijing.

Why study BA International Relations and Chinese at Goldsmiths?

• You’ll explore the key concepts, policies, practices and institutions of international relations while developing your Chinese language skills.
• Your time studying in China will give you the chance to gain first-hand experience of the culture, to consolidate your knowledge and language skills, and offer you the chance to discover your own area of interest in China within the larger global context.
• The study of international systems and relations is complemented by studies centred on regions of crucial geopolitical and economic significance today: you’ll focus on China, but will also look at the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
• You can enhance your knowledge in your personal areas of interest, with option modules in security, development and human rights, foreign policy, and conflict and genocide.
• You’ll have the opportunity to apply your academic knowledge to an optional work placement in the international relations sector. This valuable experience will set you apart as you pursue a career in areas such as government, international institutions, policy thinktanks, development agencies and NGOs.
• After graduating you’ll be given the option to study for another year at Beijing Capital Normal University and gain a BA in Chinese Studies. This option to gain an additional BA degree is a unique opportunity and the only programme of its type to be approved by the Ministry of Education in China, which will help to open doors for further employment opportunities.

The best journalism is based on a sound understanding of the history that has shaped the world we inhabit today.

There is a strong and growing tradition of deeper journalistic investigation into issues and events in the recent and more distant past (however that might be defined). This might be to unearth new knowledge, to investigate and reinterpret existing thinking, or to revise and update past ideas and understandings.

This innovative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary programme, jointly delivered by the Department of History and the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, emphasises that the causes and results of events in the past are fiercely contested by historians.

Why study BA History and Journalism at Goldsmiths?

• History - the study, analysis and understanding of the past - is as important today as it has ever been, and it continues to make vital contributions to how we comprehend and interact with the world around us. It is a relevant, dynamic, fascinating and important field of study which, at Goldsmiths, is approached in creative, innovative and exciting ways.
• Understanding past societies fosters emotional intelligence and allows us to appreciate the diversity and adaptability of human life. Understanding our pasts can help us to shape our futures and, crucially, help us shape those futures intelligently, insightfully, fairly, and with compassion.
• The essential skills of researching, interviewing, and writing in a number of different long-form and short-form styles and formats are delivered alongside tuition for a range of digital tools including video reporting, the use of social media for research and dissemination, and how to work in the world of online, multimedia journalism.
• An international body of staff research and deliver modules covering a wide geographical range including Asia, Africa, the Americas, the British Isles, Eastern and Western Europe, and the Middle East. Academic staff in both departments are nationally and internationally recognized award-winning experts in their fields who are at the forefront of research excellence and research-led teaching.

Design isn’t just a way of making and doing; it’s a way of understanding and engaging with the world.

Why study BA Design at Goldsmiths?

• The BA Design degree enables you to think imaginatively about the possibilities of design. Not just what design is; but what it might be. You’ll discover how design affects the environment as a whole, as you investigate its role within society and culture. You’ll learn to see design as a complex combination of systems and actions, and not just as a set of distinct practical skills.
• We give you access to studio space and industry-standard workshops, with the latest in laser cutting and 3D modelling technology.
• You’ll work on live briefs set by real life companies. These projects allow you to develop your ideas and present to design professionals, gaining valuable experience and insight.
• In your second year, you’ll have the chance to do a placement. Past placement hosts have included Selfridges and Alexander McQueen.
• Our graduates have gone on to work for top London design consultancies and major international brands including Dyson, LEGO, Google and Burberry. Many have also gone on to set up their own design studios.
• Students and graduates have also been successful in national and international competitions, winning awards including the New Designer of the Year Award, RSA Design Directions Award, the Design Museum’s ‘Design Mart’ and NESTA’s Creative Pioneer Programme.

This innovative programme will explore how people experience the world around them, particularly when using technology. You'll learn how each layer of technology, from core hardware through to the way that media is handled, can affect user experience and gain the skills for transforming user requirements into appropriate technical solutions.

Why study the MSc User Experience Engineering?

• This specialist masters degree provides more focused employment possibilities than a more general computing programme.
• You'll learn to design and produce computing-based systems and solutions that have been validated to meet the functional requirements of users, be accessible and inclusive, and provide users with a satisfying user experience.
• A variety of optional modules in advanced technologies and psychology means you can choose a path that emphasises the technology of your choice.
• The vocational nature of the programme gives you the option to complete a field study thesis project as an alternative to the conventional academic thesis.
• Through presentation and demonstration of your work, we'll prepare you to enter a field of work characterised by the agile approach and team working within multi-disciplinary cohorts.
• You'll benefit from the expertise of the Department of Computing, as well as drawing on the knowledge of staff in the Department of Psychology and the Institute of Management Studies (IMS).
• The Guest Lectures and Field Project modules will introduce you to the professional aspects of working as a User Experience designer, developer or engineer and hearing from industry professionals will give you an insight into what it's like to work in the field.

The MA Sociology provides an advanced introduction to key debates about society, culture, and the world we live in. It combines a broad base of knowledge and theory, with a sharp focus on specific areas of expertise (methodological and theoretical) within the social sciences. You will also be able to build your core knowledge and skills for sociological research alongside a uniquely creative approach that enables you to focus on specialist areas.

You’ll be able to build on your core sociological knowledge and methodological skills by selecting from a range of option modules that enable you to tailor the degree to match your individual interests. You’ll join a community of students from around the world who have a range of backgrounds and interests, and who bring these unique perspectives to the study environment. We welcome graduates from fields such as social science, humanities and philosophy, as well as more creative and artistic pursuits.

The MMus Popular Music builds upon our international reputation in the popular music field established by our ground-breaking undergraduate degree.

The Popular Music pathway is designed for music artists who are seeking to deepen their creative practice. We are songwriters and composers, producers and performers, engaged in making work that has relevance to real music scenes.

The programme centres the creative artist in a stimulating and supportive environment where critical enquiry, testing of songs/compositions/performance and experimentation in practice lead to a portfolio of new work.

The development of industry-relevant skills and key cultural-theoretical understandings is led by the needs of our own projects and foundational knowledge. Typically, students make records, explore performance and production methodologies, present shows, write and release new sets of songs/works. The programme offers the opportunity to extend the boundaries of artistry and critically reflect upon our own creativity in music.

You’ll also be able to extend your own practice through options in sonic and studio art, advanced music technology, exploration in audiovisual media, and ethnomusicology.

You’ll acquire graduate-level training in creative practice and subject-specific skills that could set you up for a career as a composer-performer or studio practitioner/producer, as well as other jobs in the popular music sector.

Anthropology and sociology deal with human behaviours in their social context. This degree gives you a comprehensive grounding in these converging subjects, so you'll develop an understanding of their shared traditions and differences in perspective.

Why study BA Anthropology and Sociology at Goldsmiths?

• The degree is divided evenly between anthropology and sociology, so you'll get a solid grounding in both subjects.
• The dynamic nature of the degree means you’ll be able to bring an interdisciplinary angle to any problem, whether that’s arguing your perspective in an essay or coming up with novel solutions in your future career. Our graduates have gone on to work for the UN, World Bank, as well as various NGOs, law companies and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultancies.
• In your third year, you’ll be able to choose from a range of option modules, tailoring your learning in a way that suits your interests and aspirations. You might choose to explore topics like gender theory, environmental anthropology, or borders and migration.
• Our academics are responsible for actively shaping disciplines – they are pioneers in their fields, playing key roles in developing awareness of society and culture.

This is a pathway of the MA Applied Anthropology & Community and Youth Work, aimed both at international applicants who may not need a British National Youth Agency qualification and those who want to become specialists in community development.
This MA is a second pathway to the MA Applied Anthropology and Community and Youth Work. It was launched in 2012 as an option for international or home students who do not need an National Youth Agency qualification and for those who want to specialise in community development. A third pathway, the MA Applied Anthropology and Community Arts started in 2015.

The three pathways entail different placements but are taught together, providing much opportunity for exchange of ideas and collaboration amongst students.

The MA Visual Anthropology offers a unique combination of anthropological theory and visual practice. It provides you with a strong foundation for producing visual work informed by anthropology.

Why study MA Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths?

• You’ll approach visual anthropology through the study of the politics and aesthetics of representation, documentary and ethnographic film, and anthropological perspectives on art.
• As a practice-oriented MA, there is a clear emphasis on applying anthropological knowledge to the actual making of visual artefacts, and not just their analysis.
• The MA is open to people with a range of backgrounds in anthropology and related fields, so you’ll join a diverse group of students with varying perspectives.
• As a graduate, you’ll be well-placed to pursue a career in visual anthropology (be it research- or practice-oriented) as well as to bring an anthropological sensibility to the visual to other disciplines.
• You’ll have hands-on training in the use of digital camcorders, sound recording equipment and video editing, preparing you for your final visual project – a 20-minute film – as well as giving you practical vocational skills for after you graduate.

The MA History is innovative, creative, free-thinking, stimulating, diverse and challenging – everything that is distinctive about history at Goldsmiths.

Why study MA History at Goldsmiths?

• The Department of History’s approach is thematic and interdisciplinary, with staff expertise spanning the histories of Britain, East and West Europe, South Asia and Africa.
• We are on the cutting-edge of our fields and the student-teacher ratio allows us to devote an unmatched amount of time to individual supervision.
• Our focus is primary research and we'll encourage you to follow your own historical interests. You'll be able to develop your specific subject interests through a range of option modules and the dissertation.
• You'll develop your research skills and your understanding of key debates and methods in historiography.
• In addition to the compulsory module (Explorations and Debates) and the Research Skills modules, you'll choose two options, one of which, if you wish, can be from another department at Goldsmiths or from the wide-ranging intercollegiate list (a list of MA modules available at other colleges of the University of London).
• You'll end the programme by writing a 15,000-word dissertation on a topic of your own choice, based on primary research. The process of writing the dissertation includes participating in, organising, and presenting at, the department's dissertation conference.