Need info MA Global Media

Hi, I am Omkar from India and I am interested in applying for the MA Global Media course at University of Westminster / Goldsmiths / Warwick. However I have am not able to make up my mind as to which university is the best among the three wrt 1) course & faculty 2) job prospects in UK. It would be great if someone could help me with their views on the same.

Cheers!

Reply 1

vatsala1

hii i am vatsala from india. i have excepted offer for ma global media at university of westminster. according to the university ranking for media studies in uk, warwick is best. the following link will help:
http://www.university-list.net/uk/rank/univ-9018.html

applying for universities like warwick and goldsmith requires high percentage in graduation as well as around 8 band in ielts, they also prefer work experience in media field.i would suggest you to apply in all the three university.

Reply 2

omkargog

OP

Hi Vatsala, thanks for your input..I will be applying to all three, although I think applications for Goldsmiths are already closed. I do have relevant media experience, so fingers crossed for Warwick!

good luck

Good Points
1. The actual module Global Media is run by a very good professor who is a leading expert in his field. He has written many books on the subject and his classes are clear and of a high standard. He just happens to be of Indian descent.
2. There are many good modules in the first semester. Among the many are Theories of Communication, Reporting Diversity, Political Economy of the Media and the most over-subscribed, Media Production Skills. You can often sit in modules you are not officially taking, space permitting.
Bad Points:
1. The course is over-whelmingly populated by Chinese graduates, who don’t have much to say in class. Most theory based graduate classes have mostly Chinese, who are very passive. The British students are mostly undergraduates. They simply cannot afford the debt of staying on after 3 years, so you have the situation of segregation: British undergrads (practioners) and Chinese postgrads (theorists).
2. Some of the best teachers are busy researchers who go away in the second semester, to be replaced by less than satisfactory replacements. And it is too late to change them.
3. No one is going to hand you a job. There are plentiful opportunities to do internships etc., but you have to find them yourself. Apart from Media Production Skills and one media business course in semester 2, it is all theory, not job related. The year long research methods course is designed to help you think about future research, not a practical job. You MUST have a clear idea as to why you want this course. It is NOT for practitioners (the British do those courses). I would say, if you are not planning to do a theory-oriented PhD, this is not really for you. Take a practical course.

As for Warwick Vs Westminster, I have met a Chinese at Westminster who did media at Warwick before. He said Warwick is far stricter.

One last point: The Westminster Tradition. This is quite Marxist and very distinct. Many of the professors have a very strong personality. This is not a bland place. Be aware of the historical background that has shaped the culture of the place. This is one of the founding universities for media in the UK (along with Birmingham Uni), and has a strong personality which may or may not suit you.

I hope all this helps.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 5

jelly1000

21

Original post by Victoria2016

Good Points
1. The actual module Global Media is run by a very good professor who is a leading expert in his field. He has written many books on the subject and his classes are clear and of a high standard. He just happens to be of Indian descent.
2. There are many good modules in the first semester. Among the many are Theories of Communication, Reporting Diversity, Political Economy of the Media and the most over-subscribed, Media Production Skills. You can often sit in modules you are not officially taking, space permitting.
Bad Points:
1. The course is over-whelmingly populated by Chinese graduates, who don’t have much to say in class. Most theory based graduate classes have mostly Chinese, who are very passive. The British students are mostly undergraduates. They simply cannot afford the debt of staying on after 3 years, so you have the situation of segregation: British undergrads (practioners) and Chinese postgrads (theorists).
2. Some of the best teachers are busy researchers who go away in the second semester, to be replaced by less than satisfactory replacements. And it is too late to change them.
3. No one is going to hand you a job. There are plentiful opportunities to do internships etc., but you have to find them yourself. Apart from Media Production Skills and one media business course in semester 2, it is all theory, not job related. The year long research methods course is designed to help you think about future research, not a practical job. You MUST have a clear idea as to why you want this course. It is NOT for practitioners (the British do those courses). I would say, if you are not planning to do a theory-oriented PhD, this is not really for you. Take a practical course.

As for Warwick Vs Westminster, I have met a Chinese at Westminster who did media at Warwick before. He said Warwick is far stricter.

One last point: The Westminster Tradition. This is quite Marxist and very distinct. Many of the professors have a very strong personality. This is not a bland place. Be aware of the historical background that has shaped the culture of the place. This is one of the founding universities for media in the UK (along with Birmingham Uni), and has a strong personality which may or may not suit you.

I hope all this helps.

The OP asked in 2013...