POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Programme Title: Media Management Awarding Body: Teaching Institution: Staffordshire University Staffordshire University Final Awards: Postgraduate Certificate Postgraduate Diploma M.A. Intermediate Awards: Mode of Study UCAS Codes: QAA Subject Benchmarks: N/A N/A Professional/Statutory Body Date of Production: July 2008 Date of Revision: If you require this document in a larger text or a different media please contact us.
EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME To provide an awareness of the economic, political and social forces which frame the media, cultural and creative industries and the role of such industries in specific areas of contemporary political and cultural life. To provide an understanding of the development of media and cultural forms in a local, regional, national and international or global context To provide an historically informed knowledge of the contribution of media organisations to the shaping of the modern world To provide an understanding of the history of communication and media technologies and a recognition of the different ways in which the history of and current developments in media and communication can be understood in relation to technological change To provide an understanding of the professional practices relevant to media, cultural and communicative industries and the way creative organisations operate and are managed To provide an understanding of the student s own creative processes and professional practices through engagement with one or more production practices To facilitate the development of advance skills in research and communication through a virtual learning environment. To facilitate independence of study through a substantial student chosen and tutor supervised Dissertation or project. What is distinctive about this programme? The MA in Media Management aims to develop a critical understanding of the economics, institutions, and working practises of contemporary media whilst also developing the professional, creative and entrepreneurial skills needed for working within a range of contemporary commercial environments. The course aims to consider the impact of change on the media environment, in particular the implications of new technologies for the world of work. Through a critical analysis of new research the course will explore new ways of working, new markets, new technologies and emerging business practices enabling students to work towards developing their own business ideas. By combining an intellectual understanding of social and cultural theory with creativity and the application of this within a commercial context students will gain the conceptual tools needed to meet the challenges that media businesses are currently facing within a more competitive globalised world. The Media Management programme is given clear direction through its core modules. Management, in this case, should be interpreted as the development of faculties for understanding business contexts, ideas and transferable skills for managing ones own career. The course has been carefully designed to meet these requirements: the curriculum providing 1
students with a solid foundation in the social and cultural theories of the media with the opportunity to put into practice their theoretical reflections through the more applied modules. The emphasis on design, creativity and innovation in these modules are the critical aspects which allow for the understanding to translate into reflective practice. Media: Contexts and Change, for example, provides a critical insight into the changing nature of global industry through an examination of the political and economic contexts of the media. Digital Culture explores issues of relevance to media makers in a digital age and these are given practical relevance in the applied modules Design Management and New Product Development. Students are introduced to the practical nature of formulating a research problem and conducting research, practice & process, valuable transferable research skills, in Researching Media, Culture and Society. The Entrepreneurship modules encourage the generation of ideas and their exploitation. The programme therefore, purposively, draws on the wide disciplinary experience of a team from media studies, interactive multimedia, design management, research methodologies, history and international political economy to provide an understanding of the current media environment from a variety of perspectives. The aim is to develop, in students, the ability to think critically and creatively in relation to media practice and do so by means of detailed analyses of certain examples, cases and methods and their wider historical, political and social contexts. Our unique approach engages with the diversity of contemporary media industries enabling students to develop their individual interests and focus a study on small business contexts or globalised conglomerates in order to complement their lives. A selection of options is available, for example, which, with the material presented in the core and the flexibility of the dissertation or project, enables a degree of specialisation. An ever-increasing number of people are working in international oriented media institutions and may require a practical international understanding located in an appropriate conceptualisation of the modern world. This programme is designed to be attractive to both students from a variety of social science, arts and humanities backgrounds who may wish to take their career in these directions, or who may simply want to pursue an interest in such issues and/ or professionals who may be employed in the creative industries including those who may want to make the transition to selfemployment. However, with both a theoretical, creative and practical approach the degree can prepare students for a range of professional work including the public services, teaching for example, in the arts as well as commercial enterprise. Whilst the course is aimed, in the first instance, at UK based students, it is hoped that the focus of the course examining how the media operates within a globalised world will make it attractive to students from around the world. 2
What will this programme teach me to do? PROGRAMME OUTCOMES At the end of your studies you should be able to: Postgraduate Certificate An appropriate knowledge and understanding of the relevant literature, debates, and issues which are the concern of the programme (in the modules studied) (knowledge & understanding; learning; enquiry; analysis; problem solving; communication; application; reflection) Postgraduate Diploma An appropriately broad and in-depth knowledge and understanding of the relevant literature, debates, and issues which are the concern of the programme (knowledge & understanding) An advanced understanding of contemporary theories and conceptual approaches to the analysis of media and technology in a business context (learning) Competence to synthesise, analyse, critique and apply the literature, theories and concepts involved in studying the programme, at a level appropriate to postgraduate study (enquiry; analysis; application) A capacity to integrate theoretical, textual, empirical and ethnographic considerations in their work (analysis) Communicate information and conclusions in written, oral and multimedia forms (communication) Select, justify and reflect upon the choice of methodology employed (reflection) Masters Show a full awareness of the theoretical relationship between their project and the content of the core modules (knowledge & understanding) Produce a piece of independent research which addresses a problem or set of issues in a manner that is sophisticated, methodologically self aware, self-critical and appropriately innovative (learning; enquiry; reflection) Develop transferable skills including the intellectual skills of interrogation of sources and ideas, formulation of questions or issues to be addressed, selection of appropriate material, analysis, and the construction of a written argument (analysis; application) Develop appropriate presentation and stylistic skills for a project of this level (communication) 3
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE, MODULES AND CREDITS Award: MA MEDIA MANAGEMENT Teaching Block 1 Core AM75153-7 Media: Contexts and Change (VLE) Conditional Core AM50347-7 Design Management(VLE) (30) OR AM75357-7 Media and Leisure Industries(VLE) (30) YEAR 1 Teaching Block 2 Core AM75272-7 Creativity and Innovation Options (30) (30) (30) Conditional Core AM75327-7 Dissertation (VLE) (60) Teaching Block 3 OR AM75172-7 Creative Entrepreneurship Preparation (VLE) (15) and AM75167-7 Creative Entrepreneurship (VLE) (45) 4
Options (subject to availability): Option Modules Teaching Block 1 Cats Teaching Block 2 Cats AM75170-7 Work Experience Project (VLE) 30 AM75173-7 Work Experience Project (VLE) 15 AM25538-7 Money, Trade and Development in the Global Political Economy (VLE) AM75187-7 The Marketing Context (VLE) 30 AM75166-7 New Media and Society (VLE) 15 AM23556-7 AM71517-7 AM70000-7 Consumer and Media Cultures in a Globalising World (VLE) Researching Media, Culture and Society (VLE) Researching Media, Culture and Society (VLE) AM75347-7 Culture and Identity (VLE) 15 AM70002-7 Culture and Identity (VLE) 30 Potential Awards: Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) - comprises AM75153-7, AM75271-7, AM71517-7 Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) comprises PG Cert plus AM50201-7, AM75168-7 and 30 credits of option modules Master of Arts (180 credits) comprises PG Dip plus AM75169-7 or AM75172-7 and AM75167-7 Progression: In order to progress from one stage of an award to another (i.e. PgC to PgD, PgD to Masters), you must normally obtain a Pass in all modules. Otherwise, award specific regulations must permit compensation of a failed module or retrieval of failure at a subsequent stage of your programme of study 30 30 15 30 5
HOW WILL I BE TAUGHT AND ASSESSED? Teaching and Learning Students on the MA Media Management will share modules with students on other Awards hence it is vital to construct a student identity and community for the cohort. Students will initially come into a central page for the Award which will contain announcements, information aimed specifically at them, the student cohort and a café for non-academic discussion and socialising. It is imperative that, whilst studying particular modules, the MA Media Management cohort are kept together in their learner groups as far as possible. The learner groups will be allocated early on in the module and will provide students with a sense of cohesion and belonging working towards building a community online. Assessment The team recognises the importance of enabling students to benefit from a range of different forms of assessment, with a focus on work-related learning. On the Postgraduate Programme in Media Management, students will be exposed to a number of variations on the standard written coursework, including essays, portfolios, and projects. The variety of forms of assessment will ensure that students will be exposed to forms of assessment to enable them to demonstrate a range of learning outcomes appropriate to the particular modules. This variety will be extended to include more diverse forms as the Award team develop confidence and training in teaching and learning within a VLE. Module handbooks and tutorials will provide clear guidance for the students on what is expected for each assessment. Assessment strategy All of the assessment consists of coursework rather than examinations. The coursework takes a number of forms including essays, reports, virtual seminar presentations, annotated bibliographies and a range of shorter submitted tasks (such as short responses to questions, evaluations of documents, critical analyses and comparisons). Specific details about the format required for each assessment are provided in the Module Handbooks and the information that is associated with each Activity. The overall result will be based on at least three forms of assessment: virtual presentations, written coursework and the Master s project. The presentation requires students to demonstrate the presentation, discussion, and analytical skills required in both the academic and external professional environments. The essay, which will constitute the main form of assessment for the award, is modelled on the published paper which is the main method of professional discussion in the social sciences. Consequently, presentations, essays and other written assignments should have a clear structure facilitating the presentation of an analysis or clear line of argument that focuses directly on the question under review. Essays and other written assignments should follow correct academic conventions of referencing and citation. The titles of all forms of assessment are designed to reflect the learning objectives and planned skill enhancements of that module, as included in the module descriptor. Some modules will require two pieces of assessment, allowing feedback from the first to assist in preparation for the second (offering an element of formative assessment). For the remaining modules, the assessment will be a single longer essay allowing a specialist undertaking within the objectives of the module. This 6
focus on larger pieces of written work will meet the needs of students in full-time employment who work on their own in the evenings and on weekends. It will also reflect the emphasis on report writing in their working environments, and enable them to engage in sustained individual preparation and research for their assignments. Throughout the Postgraduate Programme, formative feedback will be regularly provided in tutorials, in one-to-one discussions, and in discussions relating to formal assessment feedback. This aspect of assessment is critical to those taking a DL course. Within each module students are set tasks early on and will be provided with prompt feedback in order that they feel prepared for formal assessments. It will be strongly recommended that students participate in these tasks in order to receive this important advice. The Project will be assessed on the basis of a range of criteria (see the separate Project Guidance handbook). The Dissertation itself will be the result of sustained research on the part of students and will be considered to be the defining element of the Master s level. The assessment workload has been devised to ensure that the distribution of work across the award is appropriate, equitable and balanced. This balance comprises two elements: the workload is approximately equal regardless of the combination of modules taken learners experience a range of assessment types across the Award and these are delivered in such a way that the assessment load is as even as possible throughout the duration of the course. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Entry Requirements (including ILETS score) What qualifications would I need to join this programme? The entry requirements for the award are normally: Admission is by one or more of the following: 1. An Honours degree of a United Kingdom institution of higher education or international equivalent. 2. A Post-graduate Diploma or Post-experience Diploma recognised as bei equivalent to an Honours Degree. 3. Accredited prior experiential learning. In addition we would also accept non-standard applicants who have considerable relevant experience and a record of academic achievement. Accredited Prior Learning Students may be considered for APL/APEL on the basis of credit achieved in prior study; work based training, substantial employment or other experiential learning. This will be considered in accordance with the APL/APEL Handbook. Evaluation is delegated to the Faculty which is required to assess each application according to the specified procedure. For the Masters, postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate awards a maximum of 75% of the total credits for the award may be set against accredited prior learning/experience. 7
Disability Statement Staffordshire University operates a policy of inclusive teaching and learning to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/study_here/disabled_students/index.jsp Further information about the award can be found in the relevant Student Handbook and on the University Website. This includes information about optional modules, student support, and academic regulations. ==================================== 8