Programme Specification: MSc Gender, Media and Culture

1. Awarding Body / LSE
2. Details of accreditation by a professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC; BPS etc / N/A
3. Name of final award / MSc
4. Programme Title / Gender, Media and Culture (formerly MSc Gender and the Media)
5. Duration of the course / Full-time 12 months; part-time 24 months
6. Based in the Department/Institute: / Gender
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark statements / N/A
8. Application Code / Y2U7
9. First written/last amended / April 2009/ November 2012
10. The programme aims to:
  • Provide advanced postgraduate education to the highest standard to students from a wide range of countries;
  • Offer a rigorous training in theories and issues in the analysis of culture and communication;
  • Provide the theoretical and methodological training for PhD research in the field of the media and gender research;
  • Enable students to develop the necessary analytical and theoretical sophistication, and breadth and depth of understanding to engage in debates within this field;
  • Prepare students for employment as gender specialists in the media industry or media analysts in a range of other organisations.

11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
  • A critical understanding of the main theoretical and policy debates within the field of gender and the media;
  • The ability to apply a knowledge of gender theory to the analysis of media and culture;
  • The capacity for critical analysis and precise argument in both written work and oral presentations;
  • The ability to employ library and internet resources to generate relevant material in their chosen fields of research;
  • The degree preparation for employment in media-related professions;
  • Advanced training in research methods for gender and media analysis;
  • The ability to design and independently execute a dissertation on an approved independently designed topic within the field.
Information relating to careers can be accessed here
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
  • Students take a core course in Gender Theories in the Modern World, which will provide them with a critical understanding of contemporary gender theory;
  • Students take a combination of core courses in the media department which provide an advanced knowledge of concepts and methods of research in media and communications and broad experience in the use of a number of research techniques relevant to advanced work in the field;
  • Students take a half unit core course in Gender and Media Representation, which provides contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches to representations of gender and other axis of differenceand identity in the media, considers questions of film spectatorship and audiences; and considers the changing relations between gender and a range of media;
  • Students have the option to take a course on gender research and practice;
  • Students are supported in their choices of options by their academic advisor;
  • Students will be required to write essays and make oral presentations in their core courses, where they will be assessed by a combination of course work and unseen examination;
  • The assessment regime in optional courses varies according to departmental practice, but over the programme as a whole, all students will be required to submit assessed course work, make oral presentations to their seminar groups, and pass unseen examinations;
  • Students will write a 10,000 word dissertation, designed to test their capacity to carry out independent research and analysis. This will be supported by a ten week dissertation module held in the LT, and by individual supervision.

13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See MSc Gender, Media and Culture programme regulations

Additional information

14. Criteria for admission to the programme
A first degree from a UK university or the international equivalent in a subject appropriate to further study of the programme at postgraduate level at 2.1 level or above. Students from countries using the GPA system will normally require a 3.5 or above. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate their interest in studying media and culture from a gender perspective, and/or its relevance for their future goals. All students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of competence in the English language.
15. Indicators of quality
In the 2001 Review of Educational Provision in the Gender Institute, the Institute’s teaching programme was commended for the quality of its lecturing, seminar facilitation, and feedback to students and the positive co-ordinating structures of its inter-departmental programmes.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and learning
This programme will be administered within the Gender Institute and will follow our own systems of quality control. These include:
  • MSc teaching meetings (1 per term), which discusses teaching issues and reviews
assessment methods. This is in addition to continuous communication between all teaching and admin staff within the Institute. MSc course review, Teaching Committee meeting held in the summer term to review all GI courses;
  • Programme specific MSc Staff/student consultative forum (1 per term);
  • The Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects of teaching quality;
  • TLAC review of the Institute once every five years;
  • The Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all graduate programmes and ensures that significant changes to programmes and courses pass through a sequence of formal stages, so that curricular changes are appropriate and compatible with other developments;
  • Course teaching surveys by TQARO;
  • The Institute’s system of periodic review for its own programmes.