Master of Arts in Script Writing

at Goldsmiths, University of London United Kingdom

This programme looks at language from a sociocultural perspective. It's designed for anyone with an interest in the relationship between language, culture and society but also provides a solid understanding of English language and linguistics.

Why study MA Sociocultural Linguistics at Goldsmiths?

• This degree focuses on (socio)linguistics and discourse analysis and enhances your analytic and linguistic skills by introducing different approaches to the analysis of written and spoken language from a range of everyday and institutional contexts.
• You'll cover topics such as language and ideology, linguistic performances of identity (particularly language and gender, sexuality, ethnicity and social class), language and the media, talk at work, English in a multilingual world, intercultural communication, English as a Lingua Franca, multilingualism and code-switching, and attitudes to different varieties of English.
• You'll be encouraged to engage with these topics by drawing on your own social, cultural and occupational backgrounds in class discussions and in your written work. The opportunity to explore new interests in written work, including the dissertation (dissertation), has allowed many of our students to forge new career trajectories, e.g. in internationalisation, diversity and inclusion, marketing, advertising, journalism, work for NGOs and many different educational contexts, including language teaching.  
• You will be encouraged to engage in hands-on analysis of spoken and written language, after receiving training in how to collect, transcribe and analyse different types of language data, in interviews, natural conversational context, and a various written texts and corpora.
• You will learn how authentic spoken English is used as a resource by speakers to achieve their goals, signal intimacy or dislike, gossip or report, persuade or interview others, position themselves and their identities in different ways. You will learn how written English and other semiotic practices are used to report and to distort, create ingroups and outgroups, reflect and perpetuate ideologies in a variety of print and social media.

This challenging and ground-breaking degree introduces you to core ideas and issues in politics, philosophy and economics (PPE). It will help you understand how the economy is governed, how public policy gets made, and the ideas which shape our world.

Why study BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Goldsmiths?

• We offer a distinctive, fresh and critical take on the well-established combination of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE), drawing on our strengths in social science and theory. You'll gain an introduction in the ideas and concepts that have shaped the world you live in, and learn to challenge established political and economic policies, institutions and methods.
• As one of the top political universities in the UK as voted by students (Which? University 2019), Goldsmiths offers a dynamic undergraduate culture, with active student media and politics groups. By the time you graduate, you will have gained a wealth of practical experience, and discovered what excites you for your career ahead.
• You’ll be taught by highly engaged lecturers working across politics, philosophy and economics, all of whom are active researchers and accomplished writers in their fields.
• The programme includes a basic introduction to economics, so you don’t need any prior experience of economics or an A-level in Mathematics before you start.
• Over the three years, you’ll be introduced to alternative approaches to the economy, drawn from anthropology and sociology. You will be encouraged to think more broadly and imaginatively about the way in which markets, states and public policies operate in the 21st century.
• You’ll focus on contemporary, real-world problems, such as financial and environmental regulation, which will prepare you for a career in public policy, NGOs, media, consulting or social innovation.
• In addition to the taught curriculum, you will have the opportunity to hear from experts and policy-makers at special guest lectures.

Why study for an MA in Creative Writing and Education at Goldsmiths?

• This is an MA in Creative Writing like no other. If you want to thrive as a creative writer and are passionate about learning, then this unique programme is for you. You will not only progress exponentially as a writer, but also learn how to research and teach writing in a wide range of contexts. You will study how writing can be used in dynamic, real-world settings such as charities, prisons, schools, creative and mental health organisations, and the cultural/corporate sector.
• The programme will provide you with an invaluable toolbox of writing, teaching, and research strategies that will help you personally and professionally. You will grow as a writer, and gain skills and experience which could open doors to creative professions such as publishing and arts management, as well as roles in educational institutions. Alumni include some of the most significant writers to emerge in recent years such as Raymond Antrobus, Dean Atta, S.K. Perry and Sara Hirsch – read what our students and graduates had to say below.
• You will be taught by some of the best known prize-winning authors and innovative teachers in the country, including Ros Barber, Maura Dooley, Blake Morrison, Francis Spufford, Ardu Vakil, and Erica Wagner. The Head of Programme, Francis Gilbert, has taught creative writing to all ages, and is the author of best-selling memoirs, novels, and educational guides.

Taught jointly by the Departments of Anthropology and Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies, this MA offers a stimulating synthesis of theory and practice. In short, it is at the heart of what Goldsmiths is all about.

This MA, launched in 2015, is the third of three related pathways. The first, the MA Applied Anthropology and Community and Youth Work, was started in 1992 and is aimed at students who wish to pursue a career in youth and community work and who need a professional qualification.

A second pathway, the MA Applied Anthropology and Community Development, was launched in 2012 as an option for international or home students who do not need an NYA qualification and for those who want to specialise in community development.

This third pathway has been created in response to a growing number of applicants with an arts background and arts interests, and is aimed at students who wish to work in community arts. The three pathways entail different placements but are taught together, providing many opportunities for exchange of ideas and collaboration amongst students.

This programme is an exciting opportunity to focus on global issues within the framework of a History degree, crossing continents and chronologies.

History at Goldsmiths is global. It explores the multidirectional travel of people, practices, resources and ideas across boundaries (local, regional, national, continental, oceanic) and the changes occurring along the way. It explores questions of power, domination, and asymmetry, as well as responses to global processes from the people worst affected by them.

This programme will allow you to explore the following themes:

• World history
• Migration
• Empire, decolonisation and race
• Subaltern history
• The global south
• Postcolonialism
• History in transnational perspective

Studying Global History at Goldsmiths involves applying knowledge and understanding of these themes to contemporary issues such as the UK’s changing place in the world, colonial/postcolonial relationships, and complex histories of race and racism around the world. You will develop your skills in multidisciplinary approaches and engage with a range of historical methods/ideas.

You will learn about histories of culture, ideas, politics, and power – beyond boundaries and borders. You will be taught by a multi-national community of scholars whose expertise means that history can be understood globally, and you will develop your understanding of how countries operate within global frameworks, both in the past and today, and how empires of the past continue to affect present-day societies and politics.

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 MA will take a distinctively interdisciplinary and critical perspective. It will highlight the concept of “ecology” in an expanded sense and encompass the complex web of interconnections that bind people, animals, bodies, soils, ideas, technologies, practices, institutions, cultures, and histories with their changing environments. Drawing on perspectives from the humanities and the social sciences, this programme explores the many shifting relationships between natures and cultures around the world. It introduces critical new approaches to the connections between humans and animals in more-than-human worlds, and it will enable you to develop a critical understanding of the ways in which ecological issues are intertwined with the question of social justice, cultural difference, and decolonisation.

You will be encouraged to explore the philosophical, cultural, political, and social dimensions that shape our understanding of contemporary socio-ecological issues and to explore imaginative responses to them. You will also learn to develop and apply ecological perspectives on various forms of social, political, and cultural analysis.

This programme will give you a critical understanding of our times and will help you develop key interdisciplinary skills for critical socio-ecological scholarship, creativity, communication, and activism. It will equip you with the insights, concepts, and skills needed to understand and engage with the tangled relationships between nature and culture, and the ethics and politics of our relationships with animals. You will also acquire knowledge and understanding of key concepts such as Anthropocene, anthropocentrism, value, difference, domestication, human exceptionalism, extractivism, decolonisation, radical pluralism, and the arts of living.

Whether your sights are set on being behind the camera as a producer, appearing on screen as a foreign correspondent, or heading off to far-flung parts of the world to make investigative documentaries - it’s vital you get a solid understanding of the basics, from the ground up.

That’s exactly what this programme will teach you: newsgathering, production, reporting skills, writing for broadcast, filming and self-shooting, video editing, presenting, online longer-form current affairs, using social media, mobile journalism, researching stories and verification. We provide a broad curriculum to the highest professional standards, so you’re prepared to work in today’s ultra-competitive, ever-changing media environment.

The programme is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), which represents broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV News, Sky, Reuters, Channel 4, and AP. The BJTC also provides valuable input from key figures within television to make sure we teach the skills the industry demands and supports the provision of work placements.

What will you learn as an MA Television Journalism student?

• Employers tell us that when they’re recruiting the journalists of tomorrow, they’re looking for all-round skills, innovative ideas and a can-do attitude. You’ll also get a thorough grounding in media law and ethics, media theory and journalistic research skills and tools.
• You’ll learn your craft from dedicated, hugely experienced media practitioners with careers in broadcasting and extensive teaching experience. Our teaching staff get to know all of our students personally, helping them to achieve their full potential by providing continual feedback and support.

This degree encourages you to develop an independent critical involvement with works of art and visual culture, to examine changing historical conceptions of art and the artist, and to explore the visual arts in their wider cultural and political contexts.

Why study BA History of Art at Goldsmiths?

• You'll investigate modern and contemporary art, art theory and visual culture from around the world, approaching the subject from a fresh perspective which puts an emphasis on key areas of debate rather than chronology.
• We'll explore visual culture in all forms to broaden your outlook. You’ll not only examine the kinds of artefacts you might see in museums and art galleries, but also those that make up our everyday environment: like architecture, city and landscapes, adverts, TV and film, websites, the body, and street style.
• You’ll study at one of the top creative universities in the UK (Which? University 2018) based in vibrant South-East London, where you’ll discover everything from art spaces and studios to foodie pop-ups and markets.
• Our London location means you can take advantage of the many galleries, art spaces, museums, cultural facilities and specialist libraries the city has to offer.

Explore the nature and social impact of crime and investigate the subject from a critical and sociological perspective. You'll graduate with the skills and experience suitable for a wide range of careers in the policy, legal, criminal justice, academic and civil sectors. You could find a job as a youth worker, counsellor, police or probation officer – or pursue a career in human rights, counter-terrorism or the intelligence services.

Why study BA Criminology at Goldsmiths?

• Issues of social inequality and justice are brought to the foreground in this degree. You’ll learn how race, gender, class and nationality connect to crime and control, taking an international perspective to explore differences across the globe.
• You'll be taught by researchers at the cutting edge of criminological and sociological research on urban crime, control and security, and globalisation and crime. And, as part of a tight-knit group of students, you'll benefit from the support and expertise of your teachers throughout your degree.
• Modules such as Criminal Justice in Context give you the opportunity to meet and learn from leaders in criminal justice, policy and campaigning sectors, offering up to date knowledge.
• You’ll have access to a range of work placements and volunteer opportunities and we’ll help you find an organisation that suits you. You might take part in training to support a victim of crime, attend court, or mentor young people.
• You'll learn how to research. Being able to gather and analyse different types of information from a wide variety of sources is a vital skill in the digital age where there is a lot of information but a shortage of truth.
• You'll be taught by experts in the social sciences, as well as those involved with and who have experience of criminal justice.