MA in Cultural and Media Studies
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Taught Masters
- Code
- F17
- Level
- Postgraduate
- Made up of
- 180 credit points
Description
Please note that this qualification will be withdrawn at the end of December 2010. In order to claim this qualification you must have completed the required 180 points by this time. This qualification is not available to new students. If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification please contact the Awards and Ceremonies Centre on +44(0) 1908 653003 or email us.
The MA in Cultural and Media Studies covers the major themes and debates in contemporary cultural and media studies. Systems for making and circulating meanings have expanded dramatically in the last 50 years and have become an important mediating element in the production and regulation of all areas of social organisation. Many established disciplines have also recognised that social processes involve a cultural component, creating meaning and ‘ways of doing things’ which are often taken for granted.
The MA explores these areas and aims to:
- enable you to deploy and evaluate different social theoretical frameworks from the sociological and historical to the linguistic and psychoanalytical
- provide a historical and social context for the invention and development of particular media genres and technologies
- provide empirical knowledge of the relationships between production, distribution, consumption and reception in the cultural industries.
Planning your studies
Courses start in either May or November. 30-point courses are taught over a sixteen-week study period. Examinations are held in April and October.
You can choose whether or not to do a dissertation. If you decide to take a dissertation course, it must be the final course you take. You can take courses worth a maximum of 240 points, though only 180 points will count towards your degree.
We cannot guarantee that the same selection of courses will continue to be available. Because of the demands that courses in the degree will make on you we recommend that you take only one course at a time.
To claim this qualification, you must complete the required 180 points of credit within eight years of the commencement of your study.
You must include at least 60 credit points from OU courses that have not been counted in any other OU qualification you have been awarded.
Courses
For this 180-point masters degree you require:
30 points from the discontinued compulsory foundation course D820
And a minimum of 90 points from these discontinued Group A optional courses (or 120 points if you are including the dissertation course D856).
D850, D851, D852, D853, D854, D856, D857
And 60 points (or 30 points if you are taking the dissertation course, D856, from Group A) either from the Group A optional courses listed above or the following Group B optional courses:
| Postgraduate optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | Nov 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses A813, A821, A823, A831, A832, A833, A834, DZY843, DZY844
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
For this qualification, we do not allow you to count credit for study you have already completed elsewhere.
On completion
On successful completion of 180 points of required courses you will be awarded an MA in Cultural and Media Studies entitling you to use the letters MA (CMS) (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity of being presented at a degree ceremony.
After successfully completing 60 points (including the discontinued course D820) you can qualify for a Postgraduate Certificate in Social Sciences (C24) and after gaining 120 points (again including D820) you can gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Sciences (D41).
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.
Award Regulations
- Introduction to the Award Regulations
- General Award Regulations
- MA in Cultural and Media Studies
- Schedule B to the Award Regulations
Student Regulations
The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.
How to register
To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the course you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that course.
About this page
A postgraduate qualification.
Study explained
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Got a question?
Contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service
Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90
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