Master of Arts in Gender, Media and Culture

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.

This programme provides you with a broad understanding of the theories and practices of dance movement therapy necessary for safe and effective clinical work, and enables you to practise as a dance movement therapist.

Your learning will be underpinned by the principles and practices of psychodynamic psychotherapy within the social, political and multicultural context of mental health care and educational settings. Study is informed by contemporary dance practice, Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and somatic bodywork.

Through theoretical studies, movement observation studies, dance practice workshops, clinical work and experiential learning, you integrate cognitive understanding and practical experience with a developing awareness of self and other.

The nature of the therapeutic relationship is explored in depth through movement and dance and you have the opportunity to put your learning into practice through at least 90 days of supervised placements. This gives you the opportunity to relate your practical experience to your theoretical studies.

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 MSc Psychology of the Arts, Neuroaesthetics and Creativity is the first postgraduate programme in the world for the scientific study of aesthetics and creativity.

At the intersection of the arts and the sciences, the programme introduces you to the psychology and the cognitive neuroscience of how humans generate new ideas, how we appreciate beauty, and how we form preferences.

Aesthetic and creative decisions are relevant in the visual and the performing arts, and in many applied and commercial contexts, ranging from clinical interventions to curating exhibitions, from dance choreography to marketing and advertising. Based in the Department of Psychology, in collaboration with Computing, Media and Communications and the Institute of Management Studies, the course builds critical knowledge, research and communication skills across the arts and the sciences, centred around two key topics: the psychological and brain mechanisms of making (Creativity) and appreciating (Neuroaesthetics) art. Conducting a research project with an interdisciplinary focus will prepare you for a research career in aesthetic or creative science, working in the creative industry, or to develop your artistic practice.

Goldsmiths is uniquely placed to offer this programme, with an internationally renowned reputation in the arts and the sciences. Existing courses combining art and psychology often have a largely therapeutic focus and rarely cover the psychology of aesthetic appreciation or creative cognition, in a broader profile. In contrast, business-oriented courses in marketing, advertising and consumer psychology often lack adequate scientific training in experimental psychology or cognitive neuroscience methods, which is required for a scientific approach to aesthetics and creativity. Optional modules based in the Departments of Media & Communications, Computing, and the Institute of Management Studies will complement and challenge the scientific perspective, acknowledging the richly diverse, unique and culturally-specific nature of human aesthetic and creative practice.

Our English degree gives you the opportunity to develop the critical and verbal skills needed for confident, effective reading of literary texts and criticism.

It develops your core skills in analytical and imaginative reading and writing and places a strong emphasis on social and cultural diversity. The flexible programme allows you to choose topics related to American literature and culture, comparisons of literature across different cultures and art forms (also known as Comparative Literature), and study all aspects of language use in linguistics modules. Throughout, your literary studies will be complemented by a series of lectures and activity-based seminars which will help you develop and consolidate your practical academic skills and research techniques.  

Why study BA English at Goldsmiths?

• We’re not just focused on the classics. You’ll leave us with a solid understanding of key literary texts, but you’ll also have the chance to look at less traditional subjects including surrealism, Hollywood cinema, fairy tales, and writing by migrants and refugees.
• We’re inclusive. We embrace literature from a variety of cultures, giving you the chance to study writing from America, Europe and the Caribbean.
• We also offer modules on the study of authentic language use in a range of everyday, professional and media communication, exploring topics such as language and gender, raciolinguistics, digital media discourse, language learning and teaching, attitudes to (non)standard language use, political correctness and the linguistic construction of identities. Watch a short discussion between our linguists.
• Our option modules offer a historical view of writing and also let you specialise in areas of interest, including thematic and genre-based approaches to literature, comparative analysis, and literary theory.

The MA Art & Ecology is a fifteen-month studio-based post-graduate programme for emerging artists who want to engage in meaningful and transformative ways with the most pressing ecological questions of our time.

This is a unique programme located in the urban environment of South East London that seeks to develop new ways in which contemporary art practice can make interventions in a wide range of ecological contexts and extend the ways in which ecology is understood. During this MA we support artists to develop art practices in diverse sites and scales dedicated to imagining and shaping liveable futures.

The MA invites artists to develop innovative art projects grounded in rigorous artistic research and a profound understanding of how ecological challenges such as climate breakdown, pollution, and biodiversity loss are inseparable from questions of social justice. Alongside media including painting, sculpture, printmaking, installation, performance, art writing, textiles, digital media and video, this course supports artists who engage with forms of practice such as food production, sustainable data, citizen and expert science, re-wilding, inter-species care and co-dependence, somatic work, and ritual.

You will also have access to workshops on how to develop your artistic practice after graduation, including on topics such as the ethical and legal dimensions of working in particular situations and environments, which will give you real-world insights into the kinds of negotiations and realisations that are part of having an expanded practice.

The MA Research Architecture is for graduates from a range of disciplines who want to examine how architecture can engage with questions of contemporary culture, politics, media, ecology and justice and question whether spatial practice can become a form of research.

Why study MA Research Architecture at Goldsmiths?

• You’ll combine studio work with theoretical research. Lectures, seminars and workshops will equip you with a grounding in critical spatial practices and related areas of inquiry.
• The theoretical module provides thorough coverage of the historical, philosophical and technological aspects of the intersection of space, power and conflict in light of changing geopolitical conditions.
• You’ll take part in an annual field trip during the winter break to a site of special interest to Research Architecture, for example, Athens, The Hague, Berlin or Istanbul.
• You’ll join a group of students and practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and disciplines and have the opportunity to work collaboratively and benefit from peer-to-peer learning under the guidance of a tutor.
• There are several workshops on the programme as part of the Forensic Architecture or Research Architecture Studio Module. These day-long participatory events are led by invited guest speakers with specific expertise in the field.
• Graduates of the MA will be well-suited for doctoral research or to pursue or enhance their career in the areas of architecture, design, law, journalism, filmmaking, art and curating.

Explore the creative interplay between urban theory and the visual representation of urban cultures and places.

Why study MA Photography and Urban Cultures at Goldsmiths?

• Developed by the Centre for Urban and Community Research, the degree encourages creative interplay between practice and theory – you’ll develop your practical photography skills and examine key ideas and debates in the representation and evocation of contemporary city life.
• You'll have the chance to consider cutting-edge debates in cultural and social theory in a research setting that actively encourages the development of photographic practice.
• If you are already a working photographer, visual artist or media practitioner, this programme gives you space to reflect critically on your practice.
• For those with a background in sociology, urban and cultural geography, cultural studies or anthropology, the degree provides an opportunity to combine visual forms of representation with standard forms of research techniques in investigating urban life and the physical environments of the city.
• The programme aims to link directly to professional research outcomes, and many graduates have secured employment within urban research, ethnography, teaching, curatorial and arts practice, human rights, and architectural research.

The MSc Marketing & Technology aims to transform students into uniquely-trained individuals possessing the knowledge and skills required to be successful marketers in dynamic and technology-driven industries.

Companies such as Netflix, Airbnb, and Tesla have one thing in common: they break with the norms of existing markets and employ unconventional, technology-driven marketing approaches. Traditional marketing education all too often neglects the marketing abilities that these companies possess.

The MSc Marketing & Technology departs from the rather passive marketing logic that assumes markets and marketing channels are fixed features of reality. Instead, it shows how managers can proactively shape and create new markets and marketing landscapes.

The goal of this programme is to transform students into uniquely-trained individuals who understand how to leverage emerging technologies, such as 3D printing, Virtual Reality, and the Internet of Things, to design unique customer experiences, disrupt existing markets, and create entirely new ones.

The programme will direct students’ attention to significant and emerging technological trends, and show how they can address important social and environmental problems.

It seeks to enable students to discover new market opportunities that will have a positive impact on the economy, society, and the environment. Students will be equipped with the skills required to effectively navigate today’s technology-dominated marketing environments, and they will learn how to be successful marketers in the digital marketing era.

The MA Queer History is a pioneering programme in one of the most exciting areas of historical enquiry, giving a voice to those who throughout much of history have been denied one.

Why study MA Queer History at Goldsmiths?

• This is the world’s first MA in Queer History and it provides a comprehensive introduction to the themes and methods of Queer History as well as laying a solid foundation in general historical study.
• Our emphasis is in the Early Modern and Modern periods: both the Western invention of ‘homosexuality’ in the 1860s and the emancipatory movements, especially of the post-1969, post-Stonewall period, figure prominently.
• You’ll gain a first-rate overview of important thought and methods from the fields of queer theory as well as the histories of gender and the body and sexuality.
• We aim to historicise often binary categories, such as male/female, heterosexuality/homosexuality, active/passive, and uncover the processes through which these categories came to be seen as ‘natural’.
• You’ll also pay close attention to questions of power, including how sexual orientation and race throughout history have often become interlinked in asymmetrical, oppressive ways.
• You’ll be able to choose from a range of option modules so you can tailor your learning to your own interests and get the most out of your year at Goldsmiths.