Course Overview

This course will equip you with the theoretical, methodological, and practical skills required to work in charitable, community, NGO, grassroots, or non-profit organizations seeking expertise in media and communication strategies for enacting social justice-oriented action. For example, you could go on to work in media management, public relations, or communication strategy within groups, organizations, or teams focused on passing change in social institutions, drawing on practical knowledge of legal, policy, and corporate bodies. 

This degree is a good fit for professionals currently working on social justice issues in grassroots, public, private, or NGO sectors internationally, recent graduates aiming to enter social justice fields or corporate social responsibility, or anyone seeking to pursue further higher education in the areas of media studies, gender studies or social justice.

With the MA in Media, Gender, and Social Justice, you will gain a comprehensive view of the theories, concepts, and approaches related to media and communication for addressing inequalities and engaging in social justice work. This course is unique in the UK because it provides an interdisciplinary, critical, and practical focus on media, gender, and social justice.

You will study the role of media and communication technology in shaping inequalities globally and in a range of specific sites and organizations. You will examine how media and communication are crucial in framing, representing, and extending disparities related to gender and other identity markers. You will also investigate the conceptual and practical tools media and communication research can provide for making interventions into these inequalities through grounded case studies and engagement with real-world problems, groups, and questions.

This course will provide a rigorous and critical study of media, gender, questions, and social justice issues within contemporary society. In the various modules, you will engage with various international institutions, contexts, locales, and problems with an intersectional approach to gender that encompasses race, ethnicity, disability, class, citizenship, migration, language, and sexuality.

By completing this course, you will have developed a solid theoretical and methodological grounding in understanding the relationship between media and social inequalities and the opportunities for challenging these relations. This postgraduate degree provides an excellent basis for progressing to various media and communication roles in multiple organizations and groups in social action, justice, and change. You will also have a firm grounding in social sciences writing and research skills, allowing you to progress to further higher education.

General Eligibility

• A first or good second-class degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant social sciences or humanities subject area

• OR demonstrate equivalent professional or vocational skills based on their work experiences. We will recognize relevant experiences from both voluntary and compensated work within grassroots, public, private, or NGO sectors internationally, but evidence of this experience must be provided. If you do not have an undergraduate degree, you may be asked to complete an assessment, such as an essay, to demonstrate your readiness for postgraduate study. Clear guidance will be provided on assessment criteria.

Part Time Work Details

20 hours of work permit weekly for international students.

Language Requirement

• IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to prove your English ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.