Master of Science in User Experience Engineering

at Goldsmiths, University of London United Kingdom

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.

What will I learn?

• This degree develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. Over a year (full-time) or two 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.

This programme engages with the newest military history research, addressing conflict, communities and identities to take military history beyond ’great men, great horses, great battles’.

The BA History with Military History will, of course, allow you to study aspects of national armies, world wars, and major battles. But our cutting-edge approach to the discipline also means expanding the way you think about militaries and learning to make links between military history and politics, society, gender, race, and culture.

Study military history from many different angles
Our military history places armed forces in broad contexts, examining how they are influenced by the societies from which they are drawn, and how they have influenced those societies. Central to this is an understanding of the politics of the military, analysing the causes for which people fight and the interplay between national identities and the military. Gender, (homo)sexuality, race, non-combatants, and ‘home fronts’ all figure here. National armies are still part of our approach to military history, as are those labelled ‘freedom fighters’ by some and ‘terrorists’ by others. Consequently, this programme analyses militaries in a broad sense, including those who took part in revolutions through arms, and those who resisted occupations and conquest by military means.

The past physically surrounds us: in landscapes, in places, people, museums, buildings and in the streets. People’s innate curiosity about the past is driving an expansion of the history and heritage industries.

These fields rely on people skilled in historical research and analysis, as well as those who understand the nature of the past in a modern post-colonial world. This dynamic and innovative programme will develop the skills you need to creatively use your discoveries in a range of public history and heritage contexts.

Over three years, you will learn the skills and methodologies of the historian, the relevance of historical awareness, and the importance of public history. You will also develop your understanding of the history and heritage sectors. You may have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in archives, museums, galleries, and other heritage organisations through a work-placement module. You graduate with a comprehensive portfolio of valuable and transferable knowledge and skills in public history and heritage, thus widening your career opportunities.

Explore the nature and social impact of crime and investigate the subject from a critical and sociological perspective. You'll graduate with the skills and experience suitable for a wide range of careers in the policy, legal, criminal justice, academic and civil sectors. You could find a job as a youth worker, counsellor, police or probation officer – or pursue a career in human rights, counter-terrorism or the intelligence services.

Why study BA Criminology at Goldsmiths?

• Issues of social inequality and justice are brought to the foreground in this degree. You’ll learn how race, gender, class and nationality connect to crime and control, taking an international perspective to explore differences across the globe.
• You'll be taught by researchers at the cutting edge of criminological and sociological research on urban crime, control and security, and globalisation and crime. And, as part of a tight-knit group of students, you'll benefit from the support and expertise of your teachers throughout your degree.
• Modules such as Criminal Justice in Context give you the opportunity to meet and learn from leaders in criminal justice, policy and campaigning sectors, offering up to date knowledge.
• You’ll have access to a range of work placements and volunteer opportunities and we’ll help you find an organisation that suits you. You might take part in training to support a victim of crime, attend court, or mentor young people.
• You'll learn how to research. Being able to gather and analyse different types of information from a wide variety of sources is a vital skill in the digital age where there is a lot of information but a shortage of truth.
• You'll be taught by experts in the social sciences, as well as those involved with and who have experience of criminal justice.

The BA Anthropology & Media programme combines anthropological and communications theories to provide you with a better understanding of cultural diversity, and a critical knowledge of communication processes.

Why study BA Anthropology and Media at Goldsmiths?

• You'll be taught by some of the leading names in anthropology, media, communications and cultural studies. And you'll have access to industry-standard practice facilities.
• You'll receive a solid grounding in anthropological methodology and practice, and in key media debates including representation, and symbolism. Most importantly, you'll learn how to apply these insights to the contemporary world.
• You'll develop the practical and transferable skills to help you find a career in media or anthropology – our recent graduates are now working as news readers, editors, journalists, producers, and photographers.
• You’ll be able to specialise and design your own learning experience in third year, choosing four Anthropology modules, and two Media, Communications, and Cultural Studies (MCCS) modules.
• We regularly host industry debates and talks by international figures; recent guests have included Danny Boyle, Gurinder Chadha and Noel Clark.

Understanding the relationship between brain, cognition and behaviour is one of the biggest challenges the scientific community is currently working on. Computational cognitive neuroscience is a young and exciting discipline that tackles these long-standing research questions by integrating computer modelling with experimental research.

This Masters programme will foster a new generation of scientists who will be trained in both neuro-computational modelling as well as cognitive neuroscience. Its core topics include:

• Creating computational/mathematical models of neurons, circuits and cognitive functions
• The fundamentals of cognitive neuroscience (brain mechanisms and structures underlying cognition and behaviour)
• Advanced data analysis and neuroimaging techniques

The programme is suitable for students from a variety of disciplines including – but not limited to – psychology, computing, neuroscience, engineering, biology, maths and physics. Students with no prior programming experience are welcome.

Graduates of this Masters will acquire a unique set of complementary skills that will make them extremely competitive in securing research or analyst positions in both academia and industry.

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.

Why study MA Race, Media and Social Justice at Goldsmiths?

• Goldsmiths is a centre of pioneering critical race scholarship and you will be taught by leading figures in the field.
• You’ll examine a range of different theoretical and philosophical approaches to race and ethnicity, including postcolonial and critical race theories, poststructuralist approaches, and theories of intersectionality.
• The degree is underpinned by a focus on the cultural industries and you’ll learn to apply these theories to understand why representations of race and ethnicity take the shape that they do in news, film and social media.
• You’ll expand your practical and academic knowledge of diversity in the media and other sectors through a series of industry talks from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) practitioners working in the industry.
• This MA is taught across two departments – Media, Communications and Cultural Studies and Sociology – that are recognised as world-leading in their respective disciplines.
• As a postgraduate student you will join a thriving intellectual community at Goldsmiths, while learning the skills that you will be able to apply to a range of careers, from media, to policy, to charity/NGOs and other forms of social enterprise.

The world of news and journalism is changing at an unprecedented rate. This programme offers an individual and innovative blend of contemporary multimedia journalism that ensures you will be prepared for the future of a rapidly developing news industry.

You’ll learn a range of cutting-edge digital skills to help you investigate news stories. You’ll also learn how and why good journalism matters by putting it in its wider cultural context.

Why study BA Journalism at Goldsmiths?

• Learn from media professionals with extensive industry experience and leading academics involved in ground-breaking research.
• Work on a real-world news website (EastLondonLines), covering breaking news stories that really matter to the local community.
• Develop an arsenal of digital skills, and learn to integrate them with a core of essential reporting and news-writing skills. Digital skills taught on this programme include:
  • Video journalism
  • Data Journalism
  • Mobile Journalism
  • Web programming
• Get training with a range of digital video equipment to support your practice, including DSLRs, and ENG (electronic news gathering) cameras.
• Produce a long-form news feature on a subject of your choice, which will allow you to bring together all the digital and news-writing skills learned over the course of this degree. Examples of previous projects can be found below.
• Build up a portfolio of work, get advice on careers and work experience, and benefit from our close links with London’s thriving world-class media industry.

The MMus Popular Music builds upon our international reputation in the popular music field established by our ground-breaking undergraduate degree.

The Popular Music pathway is designed for music artists who are seeking to deepen their creative practice. We are songwriters and composers, producers and performers, engaged in making work that has relevance to real music scenes.

The programme centres the creative artist in a stimulating and supportive environment where critical enquiry, testing of songs/compositions/performance and experimentation in practice lead to a portfolio of new work.

The development of industry-relevant skills and key cultural-theoretical understandings is led by the needs of our own projects and foundational knowledge. Typically, students make records, explore performance and production methodologies, present shows, write and release new sets of songs/works. The programme offers the opportunity to extend the boundaries of artistry and critically reflect upon our own creativity in music.

You’ll also be able to extend your own practice through options in sonic and studio art, advanced music technology, exploration in audiovisual media, and ethnomusicology.

You’ll acquire graduate-level training in creative practice and subject-specific skills that could set you up for a career as a composer-performer or studio practitioner/producer, as well as other jobs in the popular music sector.