Media Studies - Media, Digital Transformations and Society
This MA programme offers a critical exploration of digital media within contemporary networked societies and trains students to work with (big) data in a responsible way.
Media platforms (including social media) have changed the fabric of everyday life and society. This has had important implications for how we inform ourselves, with whom we connect and in which ways, how we organize our daily lives, and how we perform as citizens. Besides increased access to information and connectivity, digital media have also increased divides in society and created new ones. Moreover, who can participate in the digital society depends on levels of literacy and critical understanding of the digital media that surround us. Knowledge of the ways these quickly emerging communication infrastructures are fundamentally transforming society is indispensable. At a time when intensive data-gathering and analysis is key for companies and governments, this MA programme's theoretical approach to social media, platforms and government technology – including their data-driven impact on society – helps students in understanding and reflecting on critical issues in order to respond to current societal transformations. From a practical perspective, students are trained to investigate data and digital technology in the context of social, political and economic change.
Applicants have to prove their English language skills either by an internationally recognized language test or upon previous studies. Usually English language skills can be proved by the following documents:
- TOEFL iBT*
- IELTS Academic
- A Cambridge English qualification
- Higher education degree completed in English
- Secondary education completed in English in a country or school qualification accepted by the university
- An English subject and grade on your secondary school leaving certificate that meet the university’s requirements
- Other
Important: Accepted methods and minimum results depend on study programme and the country where you completed your education. Check the official requirements for your chosen study programme.
*Use the Kastu promo code LTU1000102 when registering for TOEFL iBT and receive a 5% discount.
Students with a BA degree in Media Studies from the University of Groningen are directly admitted to the programme. Students with any other BA degree need to have at least 30 ECTS credit points from course units from the Minor in Media Studies provided by the University of Groningen, or course units equivalent to these in content followed at a different university.
- Reference letter: Names and contact of two referees;
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Motivation letter
- A sample of academic writing in English: i.e. your thesis or 10-15 pages of other academic coursework preferably related to the programme you are applying to.
Job prospects
Students who finish this MA degree have:
- A thorough understanding of the societal implications of the emerging social media ecology for democracy, social cohesion and the economy
- Strong analytical, methodological and professional skills that allow them to design and conduct critical research into social media, networks and their implications for society and to computationally collect, analyze, visualize and re-use social media data to study online behaviour and content on a large scale
Job examples
- Data analyst
- Market researcher
- Marketing officer
- Communication and public relations officer
- Consultant
- Entrepreneur
- Policy advisor
