This module aims to prepare you for the final year of study, when you conduct your own personal research project. You will be guided through the skills and techniques needed to design, execute, present, and reflect upon academic research. This includes how to formulate research questions, how to write literature reviews, how to choose appropriate methodologies and datasets, how to interpret data, and how to conduct ethical academic research.

This module aims to prepare you to find your critical voice so you can think and communicate like a media and cultural critic. You will look at how to take key theoretical frameworks and set these to work through the analysis of contemporary media and cultural phenomena. You will deploy a range of critical approaches, taking into account historical and critical contexts, and the varied texts, audiences and producers we are working with. For 2+2 students, this module is an opportunity to navigate your experiences of studying media in different countries, intellectual environments and academic systems.

Providing you with key conceptual tools to think critically about how we inhabit digital worlds, this module will open up fundamental questions about how digital worlds and data cultures are made, understood, and shaped.

We will ask questions such as:

• What is digital technology?
• What are the effects of increasing datafication spanning nearly all aspects of life?
• Who or what is in control in a digital world?

You will learn fundamental concepts and methods to investigate the latest developments in algorithmic and digital technologies. Meanwhile, spark your creativity to think about what other digital worlds are possible.

Not all professional contexts are the same – and within any organisation there are diverse people with varied backgrounds. This module focuses on enhancing your intercultural competency and cultural awareness, with a particular emphasis on ‘place-based’ learning. Considering the cultural dynamics of the North West of England and the broader UK helps us reflect upon intercultural dynamics in very different locations.

Through analysis, discussion and self-reflection you will strengthen your ability to navigate diverse workplace settings and enhance your employability in today’s interconnected world.

This module explores how digital technologies, in their multiple forms, figure in our everyday lives and the global societies we live in. We will analyse the affordances of digital technologies in connection to questions of power, context, and embodiment, particularly in relation to identities and issues of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality and class. You will consider how digital technologies order, shape and disrupt societies globally, but also develop in relation to local histories and practices. You will debate the promises of empowerment, liberation and participation that accompany the rise of digital media – and reflect on the challenges and limitations of these transformative potentials.

Hone a strong sense of purpose and gain the satisfaction of applying your skills and knowledge to a community, charity or student-led initiative.

Your challenge will be to take responsibility for arranging and completing a voluntary or fundraising activity—locally, virtually or during vacation periods at home. You will need to show that you have made a positive difference through this activity.

In class, you will be asked to reflect on this experience and explore the wider social impact of the work. In doing so you will build your confidence in your ability to contribute meaningfully to society through your future personal and professional path.

This module explores how gender identities are constructed, normalised, and navigated in relation to media and popular culture. Drawing on feminist media research, we examine how feminists have argued representations in the media play a role in reinforcing normative social roles and identities, as well as how they have been co-opted as a space of resistance. The module takes an intersectional approach, looking at the way gendered identities are classed, racialised and connected to sexuality, disability and mental health. We examine these questions by engaging with a wide range of media forms including screen media, digital and social media.

You are invited to collaborate in an interdisciplinary team with other students as you explore major global challenges such as climate change, inequality or emerging technologies.

Throughout the module you will examine how the humanities, arts and social sciences contribute to understanding and addressing complex issues. Classroom discussions and activities focus on the process of identifying problems and considering innovative, ethical responses, while helping you to consider and articulate the relevance of this work to your personal and professional development.

This module investigates how information systems are transforming modern organisations, work, and society. You will explore the significant impacts of digital technologies, focusing on key areas:

• shaping organisational culture
• analysing system successes and failures
• navigating the ethical dimensions of information technology
• addressing digital inclusion and exclusion

Using interactive case studies and key readings, you will dissect complex technological challenges facing contemporary organisations. You will learn to identify crucial technological developments, evaluate the consequences of implementing new systems, and develop appropriate management responses. This module will sharpen your critical and analytical skills, enhancing your understanding of key theories and practices for navigating the digital age.

Exploring groundbreaking projects that showcase how different artistic disciplines are tackling the challenges of the climate crisis, this module sheds light on sustainability in the creative industries.

Beyond using creative work to raise awareness of climate change, practitioners and producers from all disciplines are increasingly focused on finding practical ways to reduce the environmental impact of their work. From innovative models of touring to the use of revolutionary new materials, artists and makers are discovering that sustainability challenges can drive bold and transformative creativity.

Through lectures, seminars and practical workshops you will deepen your awareness of this emerging area and refine your own capacity to develop influential approaches within the creative sector.

Explore how ideas can be developed into real-world projects with lasting value. Through hands-on collaboration and problem-solving, you will develop innovative projects, learn how to bring ideas to life and explore ways to sustain them.

Whether you are working in a team or individually, you will be encouraged to experiment with different approaches to making a difference in artistic, cultural, social and community spaces.

Our everyday lives are saturated by images of all kinds. This module will introduce you to some key ‘ways of seeing’ our world of images. We will explore questions such as: How are images made, who gets to produce them and, importantly, from whose point of view? How do pictures circulate? How do viewers read and interpret images? Who gets to look and through whose eyes? And how do these processes and practices relate to power? We’ll consider these questions in relation to a range of media texts, from photographs and advertisements to television and film.

In this module, you will undertake an in-depth study on a topic of your own choice. The module is designed as a culmination of your learning journey on the programme, and to undertake the research, you will draw on the knowledge you have gained throughout your studies. You are expected to conduct your final project independently, with the support of an allocated academic supervisor, and will demonstrate skills in designing, planning, managing, and producing a substantial piece of work. The final project may focus on academic literature, empirical research, or incorporate elements of media practice.

What will our digital future look like? How could AI transform global societies? What media will we watch, listen to, wear, be tracked by, or collaborate with – whether in smart cities, virtual workplaces, or even in outer space? These are big questions this module will explore, addressing how past visions of technological futures inform the speculative digital landscapes we imagine today. This module examines the social, cultural, and political implications of these technologies, addressing issues such as personalisation, surveillance, platform governance, and digital inequalities. You will explore critical debates on issues such as automation, data governance, digital labour, and ethics while reflecting on the future of digital media in everyday life.

What happens when radically different forms of art meet? How do these fused forms change our understanding of the world? We will draw on material from different periods and continents, to explore works of art where, for example, film meets history, poetry meets philosophy, fine art meets sociology, religion meets fiction, and theatre meets politics.

How has the experience of being part of a media audience transformed in recent years? How do we make sense of being a fan nowadays? In what ways do fan culture and audience community manifest social transformations on both local and global scales? This module aims to provide you with a critical understanding of fandom and audiences in a global and transnational context. The module will focus on issues such as participation, pleasure, performance, and power by investigating fan culture and audience communities of a wide range of transmedia texts in a global perspective. You are encouraged to analyse the multi-layered dynamics between individual fan, fan community, audience participation, media texts, and industries through interdisciplinary lenses, for example, feminist studies, queer studies, and postcolonial studies.

How might we engage with the implications of environmental transformation locally, nationally and globally? Where do we have agency and capacity to intervene?

This module brings together a range of perspectives—historical, political, philosophical and cultural—to explore the nature and severity of the effects of the climate crisis on our world.

What does it mean to be global? How can we navigate global structures of power and meaning in and with media? The module is designed to complement and extend what you have learned so far in the programme, by paying particular attention to the role of media in global systems of power and meaning through various sociological and interdisciplinary lenses, such as media studies, cultural studies, critical race theory and postcolonial studies. The module also aims to move out of the Eurocentric comfort zone by encouraging you to engage with media products from different regions.

Creative industries are at the forefront of digital innovation, shaping and redefining how content is created, distributed, and experienced. This module explores the historical development and impact of digital technologies across a range of creative sectors. You will examine key technological advancements, from early digital experimentation to contemporary innovations like AI (Artificial Intelligence) and VR (Virtual Reality). Through case studies and practical exercises, you will analyse how digital tools influence creative processes, business models, and audience engagement.

You will consider the challenges and opportunities digital innovation presents, including issues of accessibility, monetisation, and ethical concerns. By engaging with both theoretical perspectives and hands-on activities, you will develop a critical understanding of digital transformation within the creative industries. You will gain the knowledge and skills to navigate and contribute to the evolving digital landscape, preparing you for future roles in creative and cultural sectors.

What does it mean to imagine a world without borders? Using materials typically derived from case studies, reports, archives, film, television and literature, this module foregrounds interdisciplinary approaches.

You will be encouraged to develop your understanding of migration and displacement, and to envision alternative global migration futures in ways that can impact future policy, political and societal perspectives.

In this module, you’ll delve into the structure, function, and evolution of ‘traditional’ and digital media industries, ranging from journalism and consumer industries to streaming services and online content creation. You will consider the economic, cultural, and technological forces driving these industries, and their societal impact. You’ll debate the role of media regulation and policy in shaping the ever-changing media industries today.

‘The body’ is a key site of both control and resistance in media culture. This module explores how media representations, cultural norms, and societal structures shape perceptions of the body, identity, and agency. Thinking about body politics through an intersectional lens, you’ll critically examine issues like gender, sexuality, race, disability, class, and body type, unraveling the intricate connections between media and the lived experience of the body. We’ll think about what kinds of bodies fit social and cultural norms, how these norms are circulated and embedded in the public imaginary, and whether bodies can be re-imagined as sites of resistance.

What are the possibilities and pitfalls of community and citizen action, voice and agency? This module uses interdisciplinary case-studies to critically examine collaboration with communities.

You will participate in activities such as a mock citizens' assembly, visit local community groups and hear different points of view from a range of guest speakers on concepts like power, race, gender, class, affect and justice.

This module critically examines the relationship between technology, power, and society. You will challenge the conventional view of technology as a neutral force, exploring its profound impact on work, organising, and social inequalities, including those related to gender, race, disability, and coloniality. You will investigate the complex interaction between technological development and societal structures.

You will learn to analyse dominant narratives surrounding technology, examining diverse perspectives. A key focus will be on developing your ability to critically examine the discourses and applications of technology. This will encourage you to question your own assumptions and those of others.

By the end of the module, you will gain tools to contextualise how technology is discussed, deployed, and experienced within contemporary organisations and society.

What do we understand by queerness? Looking back at earlier interpretations, we imagine how queerness might evolve—how it might be lived, felt and understood in the future.

You will explore queer futures from a range of perspectives and viewpoints, while examining both feminist and queer theory, as well as queer media and cultural texts and material relating to areas such as activism, politics and healthcare.

Who does technology benefit or harm, and what should its role in society be? This module examines the social and ethical issues surrounding the development of modern technologies and their use in the modern world, with a vision to shape our future relationship with technology.

How do ideas understand, transform and conserve the world? In this module we will study examples of powerful ideas such as the nation, free speech, liberation, the free market, culture and nature. We will use case studies to help us explore the relationship between analysis, imagination and practice.