Social Media  MSc

Overview

City's Social Media MSc (previously known as Information, Communication and Society) aims to address the concerns of those with an active interest in leading edges of the development of Social Media, equipping students with technological understanding and social awareness. There is a pressing need for graduates with an understanding of technical issues as well as the social dimensions of informational issues.

The MSc Social Media is a joint degree of the Schools of Social Sciences and Informatics, bringing together long-established and internationally-acclaimed expertise at City in Information Science and the Sociology of Communications. The two departments have been leading centres in their respective fields for decades, and together they offer an impressive range of expertise in the informational area.

nullComputing and Information Systems Brochure

To download our course brochure with fees and funding
information click here.

Course Fees:

  • Full-time EU: £7,500
  • Part-time EU: £4,000
  • Full-time Non EU: £11,500

Start Date:

24 September 2012

How to Apply

Entry Requirements

You will usually need to have a good honours degree in any subject, but we also welcome applications from those who with substantial experience in the media, information services or the communication sectors.

English Requirements

If your first language is not English, one of the following qualifications is also required:

  • IELTS: an overall score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 for each subtest
  • TOEFL (internet based): 100 - 105

Visa Requirements

The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course at City, there are different rules for:

  • Students on courses of more than 6 months
  • Students on courses of less than 6 months
  • Students on a pre-sessional English Language course

For more information see our main Visa page.

Course Content

The MSc Social Media aims to provide a combination of technical and social competencies and skills central to working in today's information society.

The course is designed to prepare you to create, access and manage digital information in your own field of expertise and interest so that you can fully employ technology to address social and political aspects of information, communication and society today.  It allows maximum flexibility and opportunities for customising your programme, while ensuring that each student develops knowledge and skills in the foundational elements of technology, management and social/political analysis. You will learn theories and concepts of how social behaviours have been reformed by technological innovations, such as Web 2.0 and mobility of information.

Taught by experts in their fields, the course will provide you with established methodological approaches with which to address the social connotations of the wealth and ubiquity of information.

Course Structure

You take four core modules (plus the dissertation) and three elective modules from the selection below.

Core modules:

Elective modules:

Sociology modules (choose one module from this list)

Informatics modules (choose two modules from this list)


NB: Elective module choices are subject to availability.

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching

We will teach you through a combination of lectures, interactive sessions, practical workshops and group classes, taking place in the first and second academic periods (September-April).

Assessment

The majority of modules from the Department of Sociology are assessed by coursework (essays and assignments). Some modules in the School of Informatics may have different assessment methods so please check carefully. You are required to obtain a minimum pass mark of 50% in all assessment components.

Dissertation

The dissertation of 15,000 words accounts for one-third of the total marks for the MSc degree which you will focus on in the third academic period (April - September).

Fees

  • Full-time EU: £7,500
  • Part-time EU: £4,000
  • Full-time Non EU: £11,500
Please note that, for part-time courses, the tuition fee is likely to increase by a small percentage in subsequent years.

Funding

For up-to-date information about tuition fees, living costs and financial support, visit Undergraduate Fees and Finance or Postgraduate Fees and Finance.


Placements

Internships offer an exceptional opportunity to make you stand out in a competitive job market place. We have extensive experience in helping students to secure placement employment in the IT industry.

More information on Internships in Industry.

Career Prospects

82% of City's Sociology graduates are in employment or further study within 6 months of completing their course.

Upon graduation, you will be prepared for employment in local, national and international government institutions and related organisations, nongovernmental organisations, where a combined expertise in the use of technology to manage and disseminate digital information, and societal aspects of the transformations the 'information age' introduced, are required.

We foresee a range of career destinations for graduates of this degree: e.g. information specialists in public sector organisations - such as head of ICT; information analysts and implementation consultants - typically focused on supporting the delivery of large scale collaborative performance and information management programmes across the UK public sector.  Journalists working with new media, web presence consultants and managers, information officers in various sectors such as health and local government, librarians with digital responsibilities and interests, and think tank employees.

Find out more about City University London

Application Deadline

There is no fixed application deadline. Applications will close when the course is full, so you are encouraged to apply early.

MSc Social Media

To apply for one of our Sociology courses you will need to submit:

  • A completed application form (either electronically or by post)
  • Two references (at least one should be from an academic referee)
  • A certified copy of your undergraduate academic results and degree certificate
  • Proof of English proficiency (if you are not a native English speaker, or someone who has not been taught in English for their first degree subject)

Applicants are encouraged to apply online and either upload or email scanned copies of their supporting documents for convenience.

The application form and reference form can also be downloaded via the following link:

If you require a hard copy of the application pack (containing an application form and reference forms) then please email your name, address and the name of the programme to the Programme Administrator along with your request.

Return the completed form to:

Stefanie Arndt
Department of Sociology
School of Social Sciences
City University
Northampton Square
LONDON
EC1V 0HB