Master of Science in Digital Journalism

at Goldsmiths, University of London United Kingdom

This Masters, a pathway of the MA Filmmaking, will encourage your understanding of the politics, aesthetics and ethics of documentary production, and the nature and diversity of documentary practice in contemporary society.

What we offer

• The programme is housed in a new purpose-built media facility equipped with state-of-the-art teaching spaces including a range of digital cameras, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Film Editing suites, Animation, Digital Special Effects, Pro Tools Audio Postproduction suites.
• You will be able to make your own documentaries, learning and refining research, interviewing, self-shooting and editing techniques – but also have the unique opportunity to be part of a programme that includes specialised producers, cinematographers, editors, sound recordists and sound designers, so that you can develop the scope and range of your filmmaking by collaborating with them.
• You work on at least two films during the year, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. In addition you can attend classes in related disciplines such as Cinematography and Editing and may collaborate with students across other specialisations on film projects. This framework is designed to provide you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in your chosen filmmaking discipline.

The MA encourages you to develop

• An awareness of documentary production techniques, ethics and aesthetics
• Specific filmmaking and production management skills
• Technical skills (including camera, lighting and sound editing)
• An understanding of the workings of the media and their broad cultural and social impacts

The MSc Data Science will provide you with the technical and practical skills to analyse the big data that is the key to success in future business, digital media and science.

The rate at which we are able to create data is rapidly accelerating. According to IBM, globally, we currently produce over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data a day. This ranges from biomedical data to social media activity and climate monitoring to retail transactions. These enormous quantities of data hold the keys to success across many domains from business and marketing to treating cancer or mitigating climate change.

The pace at which we produce data is rapidly outstripping our ability to analyse and use it. Science and industry are crying out for a new generation of data scientists who combine the statistical skills of data analysis and the computational skills needed to carry out this analysis on a vast scale.

Studying this Masters, you will learn the mathematical foundations of statistics, data mining and machine learning, and apply these to practical, real-world data.

As well as these statistical skills, you will learn the computational techniques needed to efficiently analyse very large data sets. You will apply these skills to a range of real-world data, under the guidance of experts in that domain. You will analyse trends in social media, make financial predictions and extract musical information from audio files.

The programme includes:

• A firm grounding in the theory of data mining, statistics and machine learning
• Hands-on practical real-world applications such as social media, biomedical data and financial data with Hadoop (used by Yahoo!, Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, IBM, Amazon, and many others), R and other specialised software
• The opportunity to work with real-world software such as Apache

Computation consists of all the changes brought about by digital technology. Art is an open set of ways of acting inventively in culture. Mixing the two together in a systematic way gives us computational art. This is a very open field, and one that is set to expand enormously in the coming years. It is where the most exciting developments in technology and in culture can already be found. This degree will place you in the middle of this fast-evolving context.

This degree develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. Over a two years (full-time) or four years (part-time) you will develop your artistic work and thinking through the challenge of developing a series of projects for public exhibition which will explore the technological and cultural ramifications of computation.

You will learn the fundamentals of programming and how to apply this knowledge expressively. You will work with popular open source programming environments such as Processing, OpenFrameworks, P5.js and Arduino, and will learn how to program in languages such as Java, Javascript and C++.

Since computational artworks don’t necessarily involve computers and screens, we also encourage students to produce works across a diverse range of media. Supported by studio technicians in state-of-the-art facilities, our students are producing works using tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, wearable technologies, paint, sculpture and textiles.

You will also study contextual modules on computational art and the socio-political effects of technology. Modules provide students with the historical foundations, frameworks, critical skills and confidence to express their ideas effectively. You will have the opportunity to learn the cultural histories of technology, to reflect on computation in terms of its wider cultural effects, and to understand the way in which art provides rigorous ways of thinking.

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.

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 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.

This MSc is tailored for people who want to work in the game industry. You will learn multi-platform game development and gain a solid foundation in programming to help you develop your own skills. The MSc has a strong focus on business and entrepreneurship, including the possibility to work with industry partners as part of your internship.

As a fast-growing 150 billion dollar business, the game industry offers countless professional opportunities. The MSc Computer Games Programming is right for you if you want to make game development a sustainable career and to work in this creative and rewarding industry.

This is also one of the only programmes taught by actual game developers, designers, and artists with years of experience in the game industry.

Why Study MSc Computer Games Programming at Goldsmiths

• Learn how to design and develop games, using state of the art tools and game engines from actual game developer and industry veterans
• Focus on which skills you want to learn through a selection of option modules
• Collaborate with colleagues from other courses, including the MA Computer Games Art & Design and the MA Independent Games and Playable Experience Design
• Build your portfolio through practical coursework
• Access state of the art game labs and facilities
• Get your first internship in the game industry (or work on a research project instead)
• Take part in annual events and game jams organised by the department, and be part of the creative and diverse environment that surrounds Goldsmiths
• Access a strong UK community of publishers and creators with innovative voices creating groundbreaking titles

Why study MA Black British Literature at Goldsmiths?

• This degree is a world first. There’s nowhere else you can study black British writing in such an in-depth way – in the actual country where the writing is produced. We trace diasporic and aesthetic routes and draw upon the expertise of literary and drama specialists.
• You’ll analyse an extremely diverse range of texts from novelists, poets, short story writers, essayists, life-writers and playwrights. You’ll also locate these writers in their historical context, gaining an understanding of the history of black people in Britain through how they are represented in literature.

The MA Social Work is an academic and professional qualification which also provides a gateway to more specialist therapeutic qualifications and research degree programmes. Social work education at Goldsmiths has a long and distinguished record – we have one of the most respected social work units in the UK, and you'll be taught by established social work academics and associate lecturers who have considerable research and/or practice experience in their fields.

You will learn the values, skills, and knowledge needed to practise as a reflective and ethical social worker, and be well equipped for the challenges of contemporary social work practice. You also will be encouraged to make links between anti-oppressive practice, the social work values, the legal framework, theories, methods and skills of intervention, and social work practice throughout the programme. You will cover some of the following areas:

• Human growth and development
• Community needs and services
• Social work methods and skills
• Assessment in social work
• Law and organisational contexts of social work
• Research methods
• Children and families pathway
• Adults pathway
• Mental health and disability

If you are passionate about pursuing a career as a cinematographer in an environment that promotes innovative filmmaking, this programme is for you. With its unique blend of hands-on workshops, studio and location filming exercises, and high production value collaborative film projects, the MA Filmmaking (Cinematography) elevates your skills as a moving-image storyteller to the level of Director of Photography.

What we offer

• The MA Filmmaking (Cinematography) is a pathway of the Goldsmiths MA Filmmaking. It is housed in a new purpose-built media facility with state-of-the-art teaching spaces including film and photography studios equipped with Arri cameras and lighting.
• You'll learn sophisticated camera, lighting and gripping techniques, and will perform all camera department roles from Director of Photography to Camera Operator, Focus-puller, Gaffer, Camera Assistant, Spark and Grip. You’ll work on a number of exercises and films per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major film production towards the end of the degree. Throughout the degree, you’ll also gain parallel experience in related cine roles by crewing for your fellow cinematographer classmates.
• In addition to developing professional-level skills in your specialist craft area, you’ll attend classes in related disciplines such as Directing and Editing and advance your collaborative skills by working with students across all specialisations, including writers, producers and sound designers. The horizontal framework is designed to stimulate collaborative practice by introducing you to a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise as an accomplished cinematographer.