Information about who will teach your course is correct at the time of publication. In some cases changes may be necessary and unavailable, such as staff changes due to illness or leaving the University.
Overview
Top reasons to study with us
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Hone your research skills via a group project
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96% Satisfaction with Learning Resources Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2023
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Engage with leading, socially-engaged academics
The School of Global Affairs offers four master’s degrees that share a common ethos and course structure. Each provides distinctive yet interconnected opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge, relationships and partnerships needed to meet the global challenges of our time.
Why Lancaster?
- Study AI from a unique interdisciplinary perspective that lies at the intersection of technology and humanities
- Develop the skills, knowledge and experience to understand, communicate and react to AI’s global impact
- Study for a career in a fast-paced industry, where new roles are constantly being created
- Work collaboratively with students across our suite of master’s courses to build your own interdisciplinary professional network
- Acquire practical, hands-on-skills to use and work with cutting-edge AI technologies
- Learn global leadership skills that will equip you to make an impact in this field
What does the rapid escalation in AI capabilities and implementation mean to society? What are the major concerns at local, national and global level? What are the current and potential future benefits? Lancaster’s MA in Artificial Intelligence, Society and Global Challenges will equip you to engage with these questions and prepare you for a wide variety of roles in this rapidly expanding sector.
A multi-disciplinary approach to AI innovation
This course bridges technological advancement in AI and the impact it is having on the world around us.
The acceleration of AI innovation across the globe has triggered fears of loss of control, privacy, and human value. How valid are these fears? How may they be countered? What sectors are being impacted? And what ethical considerations should we take into account when evaluating the use of AI in society?
By exploring humanity’s enduring fascination with creating intelligence machines and examining the latest applications across sectors, you’ll gain the skills to tackle AI’s challenges while critically assessing its benefits. Knowledge of critical concepts, theories and practices drawn from across the arts, humanities, and social sciences, will help you to understand the views of different stakeholders and unravel the complexities at the intersection of AI and society.
Collaboration in practice
This master’s course is one of a series of four interconnected courses that have a common ethos and structure.
You’ll take part in subject-specific modules designed to build in-depth knowledge of AI technology, society and global challenges. You’ll assess, engage in and create responses to real-world issues.
In studio modules you’ll work collaboratively with other course participants on live briefs. You’ll develop practical, hands-on-skills to use and work with cutting-edge AI technologies, assess ethical dimensions, and unpack the societal costs and benefits.
For some modules, you’ll join with students from other master’s cohorts on projects that will develop your leadership skills by using generative, collaborative thinking to create innovative solutions that are relevant to diverse external stakeholders.
Working with students from our other cohorts will bring you into contact with those specialising in global affairs, sustainability and the environment, and health and medical humanities . You’ll experience the benefits that harnessing skills and knowledge from diverse groups and subjects can bring.
You’ll have the opportunity to tailor your final project to draw on your academic, personal or professional experience. A range of innovative assessment types will give you the freedom to represent your chosen topic creatively and persuasively.
A new type of leader
With its dedicated leadership module, this course prepares you for a future as a collaborative change-maker. The course challenges traditional views of leadership. It adopts an understanding of inclusive leadership that is grounded in critical, creative and collaborative skills. This reflects the School of Global Affairs’ holistic and humanistic way of thinking.
By taking this interdisciplinary approach and engaging in the discourses of leadership ethics in relation to AI innovation, you’ll be equipped to perform a wide array of roles in this rapidly evolving domain.
You’ll benefit from Lancaster’s rich, collaborative academic environment, being able to participate actively in research events and opportunities provided by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Flexible study optionsStudy while continuing your career by taking this course on a part-time basis. Running over two years, you would take the following core modules each year:
- Year 1: Navigating, Applied Learning Studio 1, and Global Leadership
- Year 2: Applied Learning Studio 2 and MA Project
We would liaise with you over your choice of optional modules and your schedule, so that you can successfully balance your work and other commitments alongside the master’s programme.
Careers
Graduate opportunities in the AI field are plentiful and new roles are constantly evolving. With a higher-level qualification in AI, you can expect to find exciting prospects for your future career. Your future job role may not even exist yet.
Through studying Artificial intelligence, Society and Global Challenges, you will gain a clear understanding of how AI is affecting society. You will develop critical thinking skills and the ability to understand the important role humanities has to play in the development and use of AI globally.
It is likely that many roles across different sectors will, in the future, require an understanding of AI. However, AI specialists may be in particular demand as:
- Human-AI Interaction Specialists
- AI Diversity and Inclusion Advocates
- AI Compliance Managers
- AI Innovation Strategists
- Digital Humanities Consultants
- Global AI Governance Advisors
- Ethics Consultants
- Creativity Managers/Producers
- Inclusion Specialists
- Policy Analysts
Entry requirements
Academic Requirements
2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in any subject, or 2:2 with professional experience relevant to the programme (please give further detail of your experience in your personal statement).
The personal statement should be a 300-500 word reflection on your interest in the programme, the relevance of your experience and what you hope to gain from the programme.
The department plan to interview all eligible applicants.
If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.
English Language Requirements
We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.
We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.
If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.
Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk
Pre-master’s programmes
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Course structure
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
Core
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Running in an innovative studio format across 5 weeks, this module will provide learning through practice by setting you a live brief which you will work towards in group projects. Offering learning in project management and practice at an advanced level, projects will centre on how interdisciplinary humanities approaches can be applied to contemporary place-based challenges.
You will apply learning from your specific topic of expertise (e.g. Artificial Intelligence, Society and Global Challenges, Global Affairs, Sustainability and Environmental Futures, Global Medical and Health Humanities) to address these multi-dimensional challenges through multifaceted approaches.
Projects may be based on academically significant topics, thereby enabling you to become exposed to areas of contemporary research. Alternatively, they may be linked to ‘real world’ issues and external clients, thereby developing your abilities in professional practice.
This project-based module will incorporate studio sessions with lectures from a range of disciplinary experts and external stakeholders, workshops to support practical skills, and student-led group working in the studio space.
Running in an innovative studio format across 5 weeks, this module will provide learning through practice by setting you a live brief which you will work towards in group projects. Offering learning in project management and practice at an advanced level, projects will centre on how interdisciplinary humanities approaches can be applied to contemporary global challenges encompassing multiple locales and contexts.
You will apply learning from your specific topic of expertise (e.g. Artificial Intelligence, Society and Global Challenges, Global Affairs, Sustainability and Environmental Futures, Global Medical and Health Humanities) to address these multi-dimensional challenges that require multifaceted approaches.
Projects may be based on academically significant topics, thereby enabling you to become exposed to areas of contemporary research. Alternatively, they may be linked to ‘real world’ issues and external clients, thereby developing your abilities in professional practice.
This project-based module will incorporate studio sessions with lectures from a range of disciplinary experts and external stakeholders, workshops to support practical skills, and student-led group working in the studio space.
This module equips you with a range of practical skills required to lead the development and implementation of innovative solutions to global challenges within education, academia, business and society. As well as theories of leadership and followership, you will learn skills for leadership and collaboration which may include project and self-management, entrepreneurship, research and information literacy, communication, and partnership building.
A critical, decolonial lens is applied throughout, enabling you to reflect on your own positionality and prior learning and experience and connect these with discourses of leadership (and leadership ethics) in a range of contexts. Emphasis is placed on a humanities-led approach to leadership, grounded in critical, creative and collaborative skills, a holistic approach to the role of leadership in society, and humanistic thinking.
The teaching and learning are designed to be flexible and prioritise self-directed study, enabling you to develop your own unique set of leadership skills and traits which will prepare you for a wide range of leadership roles, further study or employment outside of academia. You will participate in workshops and work in self-directed Action Learning Sets which meet independently on a regular basis outside of the classroom.
This project module is a core component of the MA programmes in the School of Global Affairs. Students will be encouraged to explore and experiment with topics, ideas and methods during the core modules of their programme in order to devise and design their project. The project will normally be realised as a piece of individual work and can take a number of formats, which may include: a long form written dissertation, a multi-media formatted project, a creative intervention or a policy document. The School of Global Affairs will support students in working collaboratively and identifying external partnerships through which to develop the project. Students will be expected to draw on the multi-disciplinary aspects of their MA programme to devise critical, creative and future facing work.
Optional
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In this module you consider the forms of power and control underpinning algorithmic cultures, and cultures of data and quantification.
What ethical and political questions can we ask about ‘smart’ digital infrastructures, that are typically overlooked by engineers and tech corporations? How can students in media, sociology, gender, or environment & culture intervene in technological developments and debates? How can we approach the social (including cultural, political and ecological) connections forged by ‘smart’ digital infrastructures?
Decades of technological progression have only made the relationship between the digital and non-digital more complex. You will consider difference, accidents, and unforeseen ramifications that challenge a simplistic, instrumentalist view of technology. Juggling these various lenses, you will study ‘smart’ infrastructures underpinning phenomena such as networked affect and smart cities. Rather than assuming we now live in a homogeneous global society of control, you will consider the unexpected: the messiness of datafication and algorithmic culture tied up with affective contagion, unpredictable ecosystems, and electronic waste straddling the planet in ways that remain unaccounted for.
Intercultural business communication plays a key role in the global economy and world commerce as it considers cultural differences between international business partners and clients. This interdisciplinary course examines how communication is affected by different values, attitudes and beliefs, in the context of our volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment.
The ability to effectively interact, work and develop meaningful relationships with professionals across different cultures and social groups is essential in a global workforce. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, this course will provide you with the necessary awareness, know-how and practical skills needed to become more effective at intercultural interactions. You will draw on various models to analyse your own experiences in order to develop a personal development plan to address effective interactions at work in the face of significant challenges. Studying intercultural business communication fosters an understanding of your own cultural, linguistic and communication related background. This may benefit future careers that operate within a multicultural context.
This module will give you the opportunity to study a language formally, in a way that will support any learning that you may have undertaken / be undertaking alongside your studies. You can enrol either as a beginner or as a more advanced student, building on existing knowledge.
Spanning over two terms, the module will help you develop transferable communicative skills and reflect on cultural and linguistic challenges which are relevant to your postgraduate studies and beyond, whether you intend to use these skills to research matters relating to intercultural and/or interlinguistic issues, work with archives, develop an international research network, or simply add them to your CV. You will be given opportunities to practise in your chosen target language, building on materials posted on the learning space (flipped classroom videos, self-study links) as well as other events organised for the community of linguists in the university, such as our weekly lunch clubs.
In the seminars & workshops, as well as through a series of optional drop-ins offered in the second term, this module will also give you the tools to approach materials which are relevant to your own academic and work interests.
In this module, you will be in control of your language learning and how you apply these skills to your studies / future work, which is reflected in the optionality offered for your final assessments.
Fees and funding
Location | Full Time (per year) | Part Time (per year) |
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Home | £11,960 | £5,980 |
International | £24,830 | £12,415 |
Additional fees and funding information accordion
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
College fees
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
Computer equipment and internet access
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
For most taught postgraduate applications there is a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.
For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
Scholarships and bursaries
You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.
Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.
If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.
Scheme | Based on | Amount |
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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.
Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.
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Data, Computing and Communications
- Artificial Intelligence MSc
- Communication Systems MSc by Research
- Communication Systems PhD
- Computer Science MPhil/PhD
- Computer Science MSc by Research
- Cyber Security MSc
- Cyber Security Executive MBA MBA
- Data Science MSc
- Data Science PgCert
- Data Science PgDip
- Health Data Science MSc
- Health Data Science PhD
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Sociology
- Applied Social Science PhD
- Environment and Society PhD
- Environment, Culture and Society MA
- Gender Studies MA
- Gender Studies PhD
- Gender Studies and English MA
- Global Medical and Health Humanities MA
- Public Policy MSc
- Public Policy (Distance Learning) MSc
- Science Studies PhD
- Social Research MA
- Sociology MA
- Sociology PhD
- Sustainability and Global Environmental Futures MA
Postgraduate digital open event - 6 November
Join us online and let us tell you about postgraduate study at Lancaster and how to apply.
Book our online eventImportant Information
The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
Our Students’ Charter
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.