The programme aims to provide you with an introduction to the approaches that are used for the collection and analysis of digital data, such as data mining and machine learning. We particularly aim to develop a critical skillset for understanding and questioning the political, economic, moral and societal implications of the use of digital data in contemporary society.
The programme has a strong interdisciplinary focus, with elements from communication studies, computer science, and sociology. It aims to provide you with the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of the dimensions that permeate the use of digital data. We will focus on topics such as big data capitalism and surveillance, the changing digital audience practices, and digital media infrastructures; as well as methods that allow you to use tools for digital data collection, digital media analytics, and data visualisations.
The MA provides a critical and technical overview on digital data, but it is also intended to answer the needs of students who wish to master skills and expertise as a means to building a career in the field of digital media and data analysis; and improve employability skills for a career in the broader digital sector or for further academic research on the topic.
Why Communication and Media at the University of Liverpool?
Active Research Community
The Department of Communication and Media employs around 35 permanent staff who work on a wide range of interdisciplinary research on topics including: digital and social media; political communication and journalism; media history and theory; film, television and other screen entertainment media; strategic communication; cultural studies and cultural anthropology; photography; computer games; television and magazines; global entertainment, and global events. We have particularly strong specialisms in the areas of social media, screen studies, media and everyday life, and gender and sexuality, notably LGBTQ+ inclusivity across television, film, magazines and online media. Another key specialism is multimodal and critical discourse analysis, making use of large datasets and new computational and machine learning techniques to analyse communication patterns across digital platforms.
Our six master's courses draw on the expertise of our staff research groups and research centres: the Culture, Space and Memory research group and the Centre for Culture and Everyday Life (CCEL) house cultural/anthropological research around memory and material cultures, photography, everyday life, media arts, mega-events and the spatial humanities, and partners with cultural organisations such as museums and galleries; the Discourse, Data and Society research group and the Language, Data and Society (LANDS) Research Centre bring together ground-breaking work in multimodal studies, artificial intelligence and data analytics with expertise in critical discourse studies, language and argumentation; the Media, Politics and Society research group and the Centre for Digital Politics, Media and Democracy (DigiPol) respond to urgent political challenges around the spread of misinformation and ‘fake news’, online harms, digital news audiences, democratic deliberation, human rights and climate change; and the Screen and Film Studies research group and the Centre for Converged Screen Media and Entertainment (COSME) boast an unusually comprehensive approach to film and screen that includes industrial and institutional aspects, stardom and performance, and encompasses Hollywood, American independent cinema, documentary, cult television, animation and virtual reality. There are also shared themes such as populism and politics, gender and sexuality, cultural labour, digital cultures and social inequalities, in addition to the Digital Media & Society Institute (DMSI) which brings together multidisciplinary teams of researchers to explore the role and impact of digital media in society today.
These research groups, research centres and the research institute provide the foundations for our vibrant and exciting research-connected master's programmes aimed at understanding contemporary issues in communication and media studies today. We host regular research seminars in which postgraduate students are encouraged to participate.
Liverpool
What better place to immerse yourself in the subject than Liverpool, a city with a reputation as a political and creative force, with a thriving production sector and a unique cultural heritage? The Department has close links to cultural industries and venues in the city, some of which collaborate with us in offering assessed work placements as part of our programme of study.