Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Anthropology and Sociology

at Goldsmiths, University of London United Kingdom

This programme introduces you to recent debates on gender in the disciplines of sociology and media, as well as to the interdisciplinary domains of feminist social and cultural theory. There are a range of topic choices available, including: embodiment, feminist methods, media and sexuality, and postcolonialism.

Why study MA Gender, Media and Culture at Goldsmiths?

• You'll be taught by experts in the Department of Sociology and Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, as well as the Centre for Feminist Research (CFR).
• You’ll develop cutting-edge critical skills in relation to cultural approaches to gender formation and gender theory.
• The degree will provide you with a solid understanding of the importance of epistemology and methodology for the evaluation of empirical investigations of gender formations.
• You’ll be introduced to, and trained in, the key socio-cultural methods for the study of gender in the contemporary world, including methods for the study of visual culture, the body and affect, and memory.
• You’ll benefit from tailored supervision in the development of a research project on a specific topic.
• As an interdisciplinary degree, this programme draws from a range of areas, including sociology, media and communications, humanities, science and technology studies, and philosophy.
• You’ll become part of a lively research environment in a politically active university.

The MA Contemporary Art Theory is for those with a special interest in contemporary art, and an aptitude for theoretical work in the subject.

Why study MA Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmiths?

• This degree explores a range of theoretical perspectives that shape art and visual culture, and attitudes towards them in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
• You’ll be encouraged to conceptually and creatively explore the ways in which contemporary artistic practice and urgent theoretical and political matters intersect.
• You’ll expand your knowledge of contemporary artistic developments and deepen your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of academic discourses on visual culture.
• The programme draws on the shifting fields of performance studies, art history, continental philosophy, ecology, feminist theory, queer theory, postcolonial/decolonial studies, and cultural studies in addressing the critical challenges posed by artistic practice, and you’ll be able to focus on an aspect that particularly interests you.
• You’ll take part in an assessed symposium, which provides you with a chance to present your dissertation topic at an early stage in order to define and progress your final project.

The MSc Psychology of the Arts, Neuroaesthetics and Creativity is the first postgraduate programme in the world for the scientific study of aesthetics and creativity.

At the intersection of the arts and the sciences, the programme introduces you to the psychology and the cognitive neuroscience of how humans generate new ideas, how we appreciate beauty, and how we form preferences.

Aesthetic and creative decisions are relevant in the visual and the performing arts, and in many applied and commercial contexts, ranging from clinical interventions to curating exhibitions, from dance choreography to marketing and advertising. Based in the Department of Psychology, in collaboration with Computing, Media and Communications and the Institute of Management Studies, the course builds critical knowledge, research and communication skills across the arts and the sciences, centred around two key topics: the psychological and brain mechanisms of making (Creativity) and appreciating (Neuroaesthetics) art. Conducting a research project with an interdisciplinary focus will prepare you for a research career in aesthetic or creative science, working in the creative industry, or to develop your artistic practice.

Goldsmiths is uniquely placed to offer this programme, with an internationally renowned reputation in the arts and the sciences. Existing courses combining art and psychology often have a largely therapeutic focus and rarely cover the psychology of aesthetic appreciation or creative cognition, in a broader profile. In contrast, business-oriented courses in marketing, advertising and consumer psychology often lack adequate scientific training in experimental psychology or cognitive neuroscience methods, which is required for a scientific approach to aesthetics and creativity. Optional modules based in the Departments of Media & Communications, Computing, and the Institute of Management Studies will complement and challenge the scientific perspective, acknowledging the richly diverse, unique and culturally-specific nature of human aesthetic and creative practice.

Computation consists of all the changes brought about by digital technology. Art is an open set of ways of acting inventively in culture. Mixing the two together in a systematic way gives us computational art. This is a very open field, and one that is set to expand enormously in the coming years. It is where the most exciting developments in technology and in culture can already be found. This degree will place you in the middle of this fast-evolving context.

This degree develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. Over a two years (full-time) or four years (part-time) you will develop your artistic work and thinking through the challenge of developing a series of projects for public exhibition which will explore the technological and cultural ramifications of computation.

You will learn the fundamentals of programming and how to apply this knowledge expressively. You will work with popular open source programming environments such as Processing, OpenFrameworks, P5.js and Arduino, and will learn how to program in languages such as Java, Javascript and C++.

Since computational artworks don’t necessarily involve computers and screens, we also encourage students to produce works across a diverse range of media. Supported by studio technicians in state-of-the-art facilities, our students are producing works using tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, wearable technologies, paint, sculpture and textiles.

You will also study contextual modules on computational art and the socio-political effects of technology. Modules provide students with the historical foundations, frameworks, critical skills and confidence to express their ideas effectively. You will have the opportunity to learn the cultural histories of technology, to reflect on computation in terms of its wider cultural effects, and to understand the way in which art provides rigorous ways of thinking.

The MSc Marketing & Technology aims to transform students into uniquely-trained individuals possessing the knowledge and skills required to be successful marketers in dynamic and technology-driven industries.

Companies such as Netflix, Airbnb, and Tesla have one thing in common: they break with the norms of existing markets and employ unconventional, technology-driven marketing approaches. Traditional marketing education all too often neglects the marketing abilities that these companies possess.

The MSc Marketing & Technology departs from the rather passive marketing logic that assumes markets and marketing channels are fixed features of reality. Instead, it shows how managers can proactively shape and create new markets and marketing landscapes.

The goal of this programme is to transform students into uniquely-trained individuals who understand how to leverage emerging technologies, such as 3D printing, Virtual Reality, and the Internet of Things, to design unique customer experiences, disrupt existing markets, and create entirely new ones.

The programme will direct students’ attention to significant and emerging technological trends, and show how they can address important social and environmental problems.

It seeks to enable students to discover new market opportunities that will have a positive impact on the economy, society, and the environment. Students will be equipped with the skills required to effectively navigate today’s technology-dominated marketing environments, and they will learn how to be successful marketers in the digital marketing era.

This programme is the first of its kind at the University of London. It offers a scientific approach to the study of human behaviour, giving a broad understanding of psychological theory and research, and will help develop your understanding of the processes influencing how people think, feel, behave, and interact.

The programme is particularly well suited to those interested in a career change into the field of Psychology, or who have previously studied some psychology (but not sufficient to meet the BPS criteria for GBC) and would like the accreditation to work in the field professionally. It is also suited to applicants from outside the UK who would like to obtain a BPS accredited University of London qualification which will allow them to follow professional training programmes.

Conceived in the context of world-systemic transformation, this MA will give you the analytical tools to understand contemporary developments and world(s) through an encounter with post-colonial theory and international political economic issues.

We're witnessing today a tectonic shift in global geopolitics. The emergence of China, Brazil and India as global players, the development of global governance, the financial crisis, climate change – are all symptoms.

On this Masters you’ll grasp concepts like race, diaspora, hybridity, difference, grassroots development, HDI, multitude, immanence, and human rights.

These concepts are used to analyse practical, policy and activist issues arising from globalisation: global civil society, the role of international organisations (the IMF, WTO, UN and World Bank and global NGOs), intellectual property rights, social capital, financialisation, global governance and deep democracy.

You'll deal with issues like terrorism, microfinance, indigenous people, gender and sexuality, multiculturalism and environmental justice.

Explore the creative interplay between urban theory and the visual representation of urban cultures and places.

Why study MA Photography and Urban Cultures at Goldsmiths?

• Developed by the Centre for Urban and Community Research, the degree encourages creative interplay between practice and theory – you’ll develop your practical photography skills and examine key ideas and debates in the representation and evocation of contemporary city life.
• You'll have the chance to consider cutting-edge debates in cultural and social theory in a research setting that actively encourages the development of photographic practice.
• If you are already a working photographer, visual artist or media practitioner, this programme gives you space to reflect critically on your practice.
• For those with a background in sociology, urban and cultural geography, cultural studies or anthropology, the degree provides an opportunity to combine visual forms of representation with standard forms of research techniques in investigating urban life and the physical environments of the city.
• The programme aims to link directly to professional research outcomes, and many graduates have secured employment within urban research, ethnography, teaching, curatorial and arts practice, human rights, and architectural research.

This degree allows you to explore critical perspectives in literature and media alongside each other while developing your skills in creative writing (script and short story) and editing.

Why study BA Media and English at Goldsmiths?

• The media shapes our lives in many unseen ways, from our views on race and religion to the way we see the economy. You’ll be given the tools you need to understand and address these issues. We encourage you to be critical – a vital skill for questioning the status quo.
• You’ll develop a vocabulary for discussing and analysing works of literature from different genres and historical periods.
• This course offers you the chance to cultivate your creative skills – you’ll be creating screenplays for film and TV, plays for radio, and short stories. These will form a portfolio that you can show to future employers.
• You’ll gain an understanding of media production and how writing impacts on the technical aspects of the media industry.
• We regularly host events in which major international researchers, writers and critics present and talk about their work; they have included Danny Boyle, Gurinder Chadha, Noel Clark and Sir Lenny Henry.

Why study MA Politics, Development and the Global South?

• This degree responds to a need for a fresh, innovative approach to the study and pursuit of development, which has grown from major changes in recent decades – for example the emergence of new geopolitical powers on the international stage, growing challenges to neoliberal dogmas, heightened concern with increasing global inequality, and the recognition of the danger of ecological devastation.
• You’ll study the Global South as a producer of theory, and as a site where novel forms of political struggle are emerging. You’ll gain an understanding of the relationship between discourses of development and specific issues, such as gender, ecology and sexuality.
• The MA reflects Goldsmiths’ interdisciplinary academic spirit, drawing on expertise in the Centre for Postcolonial Studies, the Department of Politics and International Relations, and other departments from across the university.
• You’ll be able to choose options from a wide range of modules across the Department of Politics and International Relations, Anthropology, Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, and Sociology ­– so you can tailor your degree to your own interests and aspirations, and get the most out of your time at Goldsmiths.
• You’ll learn from scholars with an international reputation across a diverse range of research and area specialisms including Latin America, India, China, Japan, the Middle East and Africa.
• Alongside the compulsory modules, you’ll also gain insight into development as a career through a series of industry and activist seminars. You’ll have the opportunity to shape the speakers, format and content of these events to explore different facets of development, such as politics, activism, policy, journalism, charities, consultancy and NGOs.