Digital Media and Society (MA)

How will I be taught?

You’ll be taught by internationally recognised academics who are global leaders in research on digital societies, digital politics, digital cultures and AI. 

Using the most up-to-date and interactive teaching methods and contemporary real-world case studies, your teaching will be informed by their world-leading research. 

Teaching is delivered through a mix of interactive lectures and smaller workshops and seminars. This creative and collaborative environment, with peer-to-peer learning together and independent study, will play a vital role in your success and academic development.

If you’re an international student, you have access to weekly, one-to-one sessions and group classes to support you in developing your academic writing and speaking skills. If you’re a UK student, you also have dedicated, one-to-one writing support from our Royal Literary Fellow. Combining academic rigour with real-world relevance, this programme offers a strong employability focus in the second semester where you'll also learn from experienced professionals. 

How will I be assessed?

As generative AI becomes an increasingly common part of study and professional life, our assessments are designed to help you develop the skills that matter most: critical thinking, independent judgement, effective communication, collaboration and ethical decision-making. Through a diverse range of assessment types, you'll also learn how to engage with AI tools responsibly and thoughtfully, preparing you for a workplace where human expertise and AI work together.

Our focus is on developing your skills in critical analysis, writing, researching, speaking, reading and working collaboratively with others, alongside your practical employability skills. To achieve this, you'll be assessed through a diverse range of formative and summative assessments, including essays, reports, presentations, reflective journals, creative collaborations and pitches.

Each module has clearly defined learning outcomes, and assessments are designed to evaluate your knowledge, practical skills and intellectual capabilities in ways that reflect both academic expectations and contemporary professional practice.

Our assessments are designed to support a wide range of learning styles and help you build your skills throughout the programme, culminating in a dissertation project that enables you to apply your research methods and theoretical knowledge to an area of digital society you are passionate about.

How will I be supported?

We’ll support you every step of the way, helping you make the most of university life - whether it’s managing your timetable, settling in, building academic skills, or accessing wellbeing and specialist services. We also run events and activities to make your experience enjoyable and rewarding.

Academic and pastoral support

Your personal tutor will guide you academically and offer pastoral support. 

Our expert teaching staff are available through lectures, seminars, one-to-one meetings, email, and office hours. If you’re writing a dissertation, you’ll work closely with a supervisor to shape and refine your project.

Learning resources

Learning Central is your 24/7 online hub for success. It provides module resources, lecture materials, recorded presentations, e-learning tools, discussion boards, and links to external resources.

Feedback and facilities

We offer formative feedback before assignments and detailed written feedback after assessments to help you improve. You’ll learn in modern facilities with lecture theatres, seminar rooms, an on-site library, quiet study spaces, and collaborative areas -all equipped with digital resources.

University-wide support

University-wide services (co-located in our Centre for Student Life) will help you thrive and includes careers advice, health and wellbeing support, disability support, and financial guidance. You’ll benefit from having a specialist Careers Adviser within the School and have access to the wider Student Futures service, who organise employer events and can support finding work experience, starting a business and applying for jobs.

What skills will I practise and develop?

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will achieve by the end of your programme at Cardiff University and identify the knowledge and skills that you will develop. They will also help you to understand what is expected of you. 

On successful completion of your Programme you will be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:

• Critically analyse, organise and evaluate key concepts, debates and trends in digital society and their impact on politics, culture, economy and industry practices.
• Evaluate the historical and contemporary role of media and communications industries in shaping society, drawing on relevant media theories.
• Critically evaluate the role of data, AI, algorithms and platforms in shaping digital cultures and societies.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of the global, political and societal dimensions of digital media.
• Select, critique and analyse relevant theories and methodological approaches to produce an original piece of research related to digital media and society. 

Intellectual Skills:

• Develop original arguments using evidence-based insights and understanding of relevant theories.
• Analyse and communicate complex ideas effectively and accessibly in textual, oral and visual formats and for a variety of audiences.
• Examine and extend the benefits and limitations of different quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches.
• Synthesize complex ideas from diverse sources, such as media theory, journalism, and primary data, to critically understand the challenges and transformations in digital society.
• Utilise and develop varied methodological approaches to analyse specific case studies from digital media, culture and society. 
• Demonstrate advanced intellectual autonomy by critically formulating a research problem and selecting and justifying appropriate methodologies in an original piece of research.

Professional Practical Skills:

• Showcase and generate original thinking and argumentation, using relevant theory and methods.
• Design innovative and tailored solutions to problems and briefs, deploying varied analytic and research skills appropriately.
• Develop independent critical thinking to structure and defend strong, clear, and persuasive arguments.
• Generate professional-quality outputs that demonstrate thoughtful engagement with project remits.
• Proactively drive tasks and projects forward by anticipating challenges and developing strategic solutions to overcome them.
• Demonstrate advanced collaborative skills by working effectively within diverse teams to manage and deliver complex tasks, negotiate roles, resolve conflict, and support collective accountability.

Transferable/Key Skills:

• Critically assess your learning by analysing personal successes and failures, fostering continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Manage your capacity to work independently and collaboratively, effectively integrating diverse perspectives and valuing the contributions of others to achieve shared goals.
• Effectively synthesise and critique sophisticated and diverse information and concepts and reconstruct into original perspectives.
• Demonstrate advanced project management by independently planning and completing a substantial research project, using effective time management skills, risk mitigation responding effectively to feedback and changing conditions.
• Communicate and critique complex ideas and research findings clearly and coherently, in varied formats, to a variety of audiences, adapting style and content according to purpose, audience, and medium.