Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

at Goldsmiths, University of London United Kingdom

The past physically surrounds us: in landscapes, in places, people, museums, buildings and in the streets. People’s innate curiosity about the past is driving an expansion of the history and heritage industries.

These fields rely on people skilled in historical research and analysis, as well as those who understand the nature of the past in a modern post-colonial world. This dynamic and innovative programme will develop the skills you need to creatively use your discoveries in a range of public history and heritage contexts.

Over three years, you will learn the skills and methodologies of the historian, the relevance of historical awareness, and the importance of public history. You will also develop your understanding of the history and heritage sectors. You may have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in archives, museums, galleries, and other heritage organisations through a work-placement module. You graduate with a comprehensive portfolio of valuable and transferable knowledge and skills in public history and heritage, thus widening your career opportunities.

Why study MA Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths?

• You may be writing regularly; you may be returning to it after concentrating on your career. Whatever your background, if you're serious about your writing, we can help you to develop your practice.
• Our students bring with them a lively range of interests, cultures and experiences. We welcome students of any age who share the drive to take their writing seriously.
• You’ll have the chance to experiment with different forms – poetry, the novel, short story and life writing - as well as to specialise in one of those areas -  and you will receive expert guidance in each field. Read work by our students.
• Some seminars will be taken by visiting writers who will talk about their work, introduce you to different theories of creative writing and engage you in discussion about their writing. Recent visitors have included Ali Smith, Caryl Phillips, Claire Keegan and Daljit Nagra.
• We host weekly readings and discussions organised by our Writers Centre, together with occasional visits from editors, literary agents and organisers of literary projects.
• Several graduates of this programme have gone on to be award-winning influential poets, among them Emily Berry, Abigail Parry, Nick Makoha, Katrina Naomi, Richard Scott and Jack Underwood who now teaches at Goldsmiths. Our Fiction and Life Writing graduates are similarly successful, Luiza Sauma, Tom Lee, Elaine Castillo, Sarah Leipciger, Anthony Joseph amongst others.

Why study MA Children’s Literature: Children’s Book Illustration?

• Refine your practical illustration skills and ideas by working on projects that focus on materials and their combination, colour, tone, creating atmosphere, addressing the reader, and the relation of illustration to text. At the end of the programme you'll have the opportunity to exhibit your work.
• You won't only develop your practical skills. We draw on both professional and critical perspectives from art and education, cultural studies, design, and sociology to deliver a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the subject of illustration. We'll expect you to interrogate the power relations that determine what is published, distributed and selected to be read by children in schools.
• You'll study a bespoke module in children’s publishing that will help you with promoting your work and establishing dialogues with designers, editors and agents. You'll also have the chance to benefit from exposure to professional networks such as the Association of Illustrators, guest lectures from established illustrators and visits to illustration studios.
• You'll be taught by leading teaching staff, including established children’s authors and illustrators.

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.

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.

With its open language pair system, this linguistically and culturally diverse MA programme attracts applicants from around the world. Our trainee translators are supported to pursue a range of language combinations, and we welcome applications from students working with English and any other language. Language combinations pursued by our past students have included:

• English to Arabic
• English to Chinese
• Chinese to English
• English to Dutch
• English to French
• French to English
• English to German
• English to Italian
• Italian to English
• English to Polish
• English to Spanish
• Spanish to English
• English to Swedish
• English to Ukrainian

If you wish to work with a language that is not listed above, please note that applicants may indicate their preference for any language, translating either into or out of English.

The MA in Translation at Goldsmiths is one of the only programmes to assign students a professional translation mentor who will read your work and give dedicated feedback for you to implement as you progress throughout the programme.

Developed in line with professional translation industry standard, the translation mentoring scheme creates a unique opportunity to put your translation studies into practice, with the support of a translation expert who can act as an adviser for all aspects of life as a professional translator, such as time management, managing your finances, and understanding contracts, as well as support your practical translation skills.

This programme introduces you to recent debates on gender in the disciplines of sociology and media, as well as to the interdisciplinary domains of feminist social and cultural theory. There are a range of topic choices available, including: embodiment, feminist methods, media and sexuality, and postcolonialism.

Why study MA Gender, Media and Culture at Goldsmiths?

• You'll be taught by experts in the Department of Sociology and Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, as well as the Centre for Feminist Research (CFR).
• You’ll develop cutting-edge critical skills in relation to cultural approaches to gender formation and gender theory.
• The degree will provide you with a solid understanding of the importance of epistemology and methodology for the evaluation of empirical investigations of gender formations.
• You’ll be introduced to, and trained in, the key socio-cultural methods for the study of gender in the contemporary world, including methods for the study of visual culture, the body and affect, and memory.
• You’ll benefit from tailored supervision in the development of a research project on a specific topic.
• As an interdisciplinary degree, this programme draws from a range of areas, including sociology, media and communications, humanities, science and technology studies, and philosophy.
• You’ll become part of a lively research environment in a politically active university.

This course will teach you how to use game design to develop aesthetic awareness, and create meaningful experiences. Students learn how to build compelling mechanics, craft innovative narratives, and develop immersive playable environments. Together, we will push games into new territories and intellectual domains.

As technologies have integrated into our everyday lives, elements from games have been woven into everything, from the way museums educate the public, to how scientists do cancer research. With the rise of mobile games, console creators no longer hold a monopoly on gaming platforms. This new-found freedom has resulted in an explosion of independent games – from putting players in immersive augmented worlds, to telling transformational personal narratives, these new experiences are redefining the rules of play.

Games are now part of everyday life. As a result, markets previously dominated by traditional media have begun to leverage the ability of games to tell stories, generate knowledge, and educate the public. An explosion of games and apps has created a new breed of entrepreneur, who uses small teams to create projects accessible to millions.

Why Study MA Independent Games Design at Goldsmiths?

• This MA has several informal focus areas students can choose from:
  • Independent games design and development
  • Mixed reality (XR), playful experiences, and installation design
  • Games for change
  • Machine learning and game user experiences
  • Using Creative Coding and Physical Computing
• You can build skills to start your own game design studio.
• You will be mentored on how to grow in your creative career.
• When you graduate, you can use game design in a wide range of fields both inside and outside the game industry, including independent games, XR studios, interactive film, advertising and media outlets, journalism, non-profits, education, design, and fine arts.
• You will be part of a supportive community of games creators who actively release titles, and have access to a large library of video games and board games.

This programme is an innovative and interdisciplinary exploration into how social, cultural, and political institutions, decisions, and events have shaped societies and nations around the world.

There is much cross-over to explore between the disciplines of History and Politics. The BA History with Politics at Goldsmiths combines and synthesises methods and concepts from both disciplines to inform and stimulate study. Many History modules, such as those dealing with revolutions, ideas, and social movements, are, of course, centrally connected to politics. Meanwhile, Politics modules on feminism and anarchism are strongly informed by the historical precedents of modern movements and ideologies.

Combine the study of History and Politics

• Rather than focusing on chronology or strict historical periods, combining History and Politics encourages and facilitates explorations and analyses of key issues, controversies, themes, and debates. The study, analysis, and understanding of the past are as important today as they have ever been. 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 in more intelligent, insightful, and compassionate ways.
• By combining the two disciplines, you will be able to peel back the formal veneer of political parties and institutions to reveal the major ideological, economic, social, and cultural conflicts which must be investigated to understand our world. This programme crosses boundaries between the traditional and the more radical understandings of political phenomena. Politics is much more than simply what happens in parliaments, it pervades the whole of society, domestically and internationally.

The academic study of children’s literature has developed over the past 30 years, and is now a recognised multidisciplinary field of enquiry. This programme will enable you to explore the relationship between reader, writer, text and context, and consider the critical perspectives that underpin those interactions.

Why study MA Childrens Literature at Goldsmiths?

• This course will deepen your familiarity with a range of children's literature, from 'classic' works, to contemporary texts. Through this, you'll develop a detailed knowledge of the issues and debates in the field, analysing children's literature using theories from education, cultural studies, literary theory, psychology, sociology, history and philosophy.
• We foster a critical stance towards children's literature, academic reading, and ideological underpinning. All of our staff are actively involved in research in the fields of education and children's literature. Award-winning author Michael Rosen is part of the leading team on this programme.
• The programme aims to incorporate and respond to your unique background as an individual. we encourage you to use this to address the challenging issues of representation and diversity in children's literature. You may come from a publishing background or work in education or children's media. If you have a passion for children's literature then this is the course for you.