Cultural Studies

MA Cultural Studies

Postgraduate

2 www.winchester.ac.uk

Why study at Winchester?

The University of Winchester offers you a

postgraduate learning experience that targets

your career ambitions, deepens your knowledge

and enhances your skills.

LocationThe University of Winchester is located just

one hour away from London set in a pleasant

wooded setting overlooking the South Downs in

Hampshire. The campus is within walking distance

of Winchester city centre and the railway station.

Winchester is one of the most beautiful cathedral

cities in the UK. It is a small but lively historic city,

renowned for its ancient history, its cathedral and

high quality of life.

Postgraduate study optionsWinchester offers a range of postgraduate study

designed to enhance your career prospects and

develop depth of knowledge in your chosen area.

Programmes range from PGCEs (Primary and

Secondary) to a wide selection of MA and MSc

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education, humanities and social sciences.

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heart of activities at Winchester, and we have

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A diverse range of Research degree opportunities

(PhD, MPhil, ProfD and EdD) are available

and dedicated support is on hand from the

Universitys Research and Knowledge Exchange

Centre.

Research excellenceIn the most recent RAE (Research Assessment

Exercise) 75 per cent of the Universitys research

submitted was considered internationally

recognised, with some research achieving the

highest grade possible (4*) and a rating of quality

that is world-leading in terms of originality,

significance and rigour.

Visit usOpen Days and Campus Tours are a great

opportunity to explore the campus and see

whether Winchester is the place for you to

embark on postgraduate study. Visit www.

winchester.ac.uk/opendays for more information

and to book a place.

Course Enquiries and ApplicationsTelephone: +44 (0) 1962 827234

Email: [email protected]

www.winchester.ac.uk 1 www.winchester.ac.uk

Are you interested in national and global

perspectives on culture?

Do you wish to develop understandings

of specific forms of cultural practice or

behaviour?

Would you like to investigate the

cultural significance of media

representations?

Studying for an MA in Cultural Studies

at the University of Winchester offers

you the opportunity to consider such

significant contemporary issues. Within

the programme students will address

a diversity of topics which can include

cultural understandings of technology,

music, drugs, crime, landscape and the

body; national and global perspectives on

culture; cyberculture; writing and politics;

and apocalypse culture.

The MA Cultural Studies programme

provides a flexible curriculum to enable

you to develop approaches to culture

and theories of culture through the

investigation of film, literature and

cultural industries.

We offer a suite of three qualifications:

A Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in

Cultural Studies

A Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in

Cultural Studies

A Masters degree (MA) in Cultural

Studies.

With our system of modules and credits

(20 credits per module), you can gradually

complete the programmes, gaining

qualifications on the way, without the

need for you to commit yourself to

completing the MA full-time from the

outset. We equally welcome part-time

students and full-time students. You

can choose to complete the whole MA

full-time in one year, or you can study at

a different pace and complete a PgCert

over three semesters. In terms of contents

and focus, there is a clear progression

from the PgCert (60 credits) to the PgDip

(120 credits) and then onto the MA

(180 credits), with students developing

specialist knowledges and advancing to

independent study.

MA Cultural Studies

Entry requirements: Normally a

first or second class Honours degree

in a related subject or professional

experience in the area of study

Full-time: 1 year

Part-time: 2 years

This programme is delivered at:

Winchester

Programme Leader: Dr Steven Allen

Telephone +44 (0) 1962 827152

Email [email protected]

If English is not your first language:

IELTS 6.5 (including 6.5 in academic

writing) or equivalent

Start dates: January and September

Application process: UKPASS (full-

time applicants only) or Direct Entry

Application Form (part-time applicants

only)

FACT FILE


MA Cultural Studies

Programme contentMA Cultural Studies provides a framework

for the study of diverse and multiple forms

of cultural expression, whether in relation

to cultural texts (in literature, film and

the media); wider conceptualisations of

culture (the nation and globalism); specific

forms of cultural practice or behaviour

(music, crime, landscape and the body);

or the meanings of contemporary culture

(apocalypse, post-colonialism and the

writing of culture).

The programme investigates culture

in global, national and local contexts

and offers a variety of modules and

perspectives which should be of interest

to anyone wishing to further their study of

culture, media and film, or literary studies.

The programme develops approaches to

culture and theories of culture through

the exploration of areas relating to media

culture, textual and cultural approaches

and interdisciplinary study which examines

texts and cultural examples drawn from

different media (film, literature and the

culture industries).

ModulesAll students must take the following core

modules:

Introduction to Cultural Studies

(20 credits)

This introductory module explores

culture and theories of Cultural Studies

by reference to relevant case studies and

develops students understandings of

critical and theoretical approaches such as

the politics of culture, identity and cultural

politics, socio-cultural perspectives,

theories of representation, media culture,

audience studies and consumption.

Postgraduate Seminar (20 credits)

This module is designed in a flexible way

so students can bring their own interests

to bear on the module in order to focus on

topics they wish to explore within the area

of culture and cultural studies.

Research Methods (20 credits)

The module refers to various models and

practices and serves to equip students to

gather, analyse and organise information,

communicate concepts, and research with

skill and intensity. It therefore develops

the research skills required for higher level

academic work.

www.winchester.ac.uk 3

MA Cultural Studies

www.winchester.ac.uk

Full-time Study Pathway

Semester 1


Postgraduate Seminar

Research Methods

Semester 2

Option taught module 1


Independent Study Registration

module

Post Taught Modules: Independent

Study (x3) [Dissertation]*

* The submission date for the

dissertation is the last working day of

September in the year following your

registration.

Part-time Study Pathway

Semester 1


Semester 2


Semester 3

Postgraduate Seminar

Research Methods

Semester 4


Independent Study Registration

module

Post Taught Modules: Independent

Study (x3) [Dissertation]**

** Students may complete the

dissertation at the end of Year Two

or complete the Independent Study

modules in Year Three.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE


MA Cultural Studies

Optional taught modules

(20 credits each)

The core modules on page 2 introduce

students to key debates in Cultural Studies

and the skills required for postgraduate

research. From here students progress to

a range of optional taught modules which

are focused on specific aspects of culture

to unable students to undertake more

detailed analyses of topics of particular

interest to them.

Each student chooses (subject to

availability) two taught modules from the

following:

Drugs, Identities and Popular Culture

Crime and Culture

Popular Music

Theorising the World

The Apocalypse in Contemporary

American Literature and Culture

The Body in Contemporary Culture

Writing and Politics

The Construction of National Identity

and National Institutions

Contemporary Mediated Femininities

New Technologies and Culture

Cultures of Third Cinema

Fairytale and Gothic Horror

Space and Place: a Landscape of British

Cinema

Post-Colonial Literature and Theory

In addition, students complete an

Independent Study Registration Module

(20 credits). With comprehensive tutorial

support, students plan the design of a

research project, which will form the basis for

their dissertation.

Students that successfully complete the core

modules, the two optional taught modules

and the Independent Study Registration

Module will be awarded a PgDip in Cultural

Studies. Students that instead wish to

achieve an MA in Cultural Studies proceed to

the Independent Study (Dissertation).

Independent Study (Dissertation)

(60 credits)

With full tutorial support in critical methods

and writing skills, students undertake a

dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words as part

of their independent study. This original

piece of research work is the culmination

of the degree, both in terms of complexity

of ideas and analysis, and as a personally

rewarding task. The dissertation must relate

to the programme but it does not have to

focus on the topics of the taught modules.


MA Cultural Studies

Learning and TeachingThe programmes have been designed to

offer stimulating taught modules and

encourage and support students as they

develop their own enquiries into culture

and progress towards independent study

(with comprehensive tutorial support) via

the dissertation.

We are aware that postgraduate students

have very busy lives, often involving other

commitments during the day, so teaching

always takes place in the evenings (usually

6-9pm). Full-time study involves two to

three evenings per week during semesters.

Part-time study involves one to two evenings

per week during semesters. Students also

undertake group and individual tutorials

and discussion groups, e-learning, as well as

independent study, including tutorials with

their dissertation supervisor.

Modules are all assessed by coursework,

with a variety of exercises including

presentations, workshops, essays,

textual analysis, critical evaluations and

collaborative work. Assessment criteria

are always circulated in advance for

consultation, so students are able to be

involved in the assessment strategy and

plan their time effectively.

Teaching TeamThe modules are taught by a team of

academics drawn from the Faculty of Arts.

We therefore offer a range of different

approaches to Cultural Studies, including

strengths in the study of representation

and culture, socio-cultural and social

science based methodologies, and

approaches grounded in cultural politics.

Members of the teaching team have

published widely on a large range of topics

related to Cultural Studies including

postmodernism, postcolonialism,

Americanisation and culture, cinema, drug

culture and representations of landscape,

genre and various aspects of identity.

Below lists members of the teaching team

and their specific research and teaching

interests:

Dr Steven Allen: cultural understandings

of landscapes, memory and the body; an

interdisciplinary approach to cinema.

Imruh Bakari (Senior Research Fellow):

African cinema; diaspora studies; global

culture.


MA Cultural Studies

Dr Liam Connell: globalisation;

postcolonialism; Scottish literature; theory

and modern culture.

Professor Jude Davies: literary and

cultural studies; cross-disciplinarity

and interdisciplinarity; identity in film,

literature and TV; Americanisation and

culture.

Dr Leighton Grist: classical and

postclassical Hollywood; psychoanalysis

and cinema; politics and film; matters of

film theory.

Dr Laura Hubner: art, literature and

film; dream, fantasy and reality; debates

attending matters of value.

Dr Paul Manning: news cultures and drug

cultures; consumption; popular culture; the

mass media.

Dr Fran Mason: postmodernism and

postmodernity; cyberpunk writing,

cyberculture and cultures of new

technologies; theories of culture; film and

the city.

Justine Mortimer: popular music with

regard to its histories, identities and

cultural formations; representation of

femininity; cultural theory.

Carol Smith: British and American fiction

and theory; the formation of American and

British identity; nationhood in art, film and

other visual media.

Alasdair Spark: conspiracy theories

and their role in providing people with a

popular understanding of the present.

How do I apply?These exciting qualifications in Cultural

Studies are suitable for graduates from

a range of academic backgrounds. We

particularly encourage applications from

those who have previously studied Cultural

Studies or associated disciplines including

Media Studies; Film Studies; American

Studies; English, History; Geography;

Theology; Religious Studies, and Sociology.

The list is not exhaustive, however, and we

welcome applications from anyone who can

demonstrate a passionate commitment to

exploring culture.


MA Cultural Studies

Entry requirements are normally a

first or second class Honours degree or

professional experience in the subject

area. However, what is most important is

that you have an enthusiasm to examine

and investigate culture in its totality and

variety, and a willingness to engage with

the conceptualisation and theorisation of

culture.

Students that complete the MA

programme can progress to MPhil/PhD

study, and we welcome research proposals.

Contact usFor further information, please contact the

Programme Director Dr Steven Allen.

Telephone: +44 (0) 1962 827152

email: [email protected]

Course Enquiries and Applications

Telephone: +44 (0) 1962 827234


The Cultural Studies MA at the

University of Winchester is an intensive,

enjoyable exploration of contemporary

culture. Your own areas of interest will

be combined into the course so you

can develop these academic curiosities

into a sustained examination and

interrogation. Youll learn about the

culture we inhabit and produce, and

wont ever experience it in the same

way again. Moreover, Ive made friends

with students from other postgraduate

programmes, with which this course

shares modules, and these interchanges

have brought new dynamics to group

discussions. I highly recommend the

course.

Rebekah Jenkins

MA Cultural Studies, graduated 2012

BA (Hons) Film Studies and History,

graduated 2009

Rebekah Jenkins


MA Cultural Studies

Campus life for Postgraduate students

There is a wealth of academic and social facilities

offered on or close to the campus providing

excellent opportunities for study, research,

enterprise, learning, teaching, socialising, sports

and recreation.

Research and Knowledge Exchange CentreThe key facility for postgraduate students is

the Research and Knowledge Exchange Centre,

which is dedicated to research, enterprise and

consultancy. It provides excellent resources,

particularly for research students, as it is the

centre of research administration and support

services.

The Martial Rose Library The central library is a modern three-storey

building offering excellent facilities for study

and research. It houses a collection of 250,000

books, videos and sound recordings and receives

some 1,000 journals with electronic access to

thousands more. There are study spaces for more

than 450 readers, of which over 100 are equipped

with computers.

IT resourcesThere are over 600 networked PCs for students

located within the library, the IT Centre, faculty

buildings and the 24-hour access Learning Caf.

There is also wireless internet access available

across the campus.

University CentreThe University Centre offers a number of social

facilities including the Student Union, an internet

caf, mini-mart, dining hall and a bookshop.

The Student Union caters for a wide selection of

tastes offering comedy nights and film showings

in its cinema.

AccommodationCampus accommodation and university managed

housing is available. The Student Housing

Services team ensures you have quality

housing throughout your study and can advise

on private housing in the city.

SportsWe offer excellent sports facilities located

on and close to the campus. The Winchester

Sports Stadium offers a 400m eight-lane

running track with supporting athletic facilities

for field events, an all-weather hockey and

general sports pitch, floodlighting and a

pavilion. We also have a gym, sports hall and

outdoor tennis courts.

The University of WinchesterWinchesterHampshire S022 4NR

www.winchester.ac.uk

Finding out more...Course Enquiries and Applications

Telephone: +44 (0)1962 827234


a large print version of this booklet is available on request03464/11/12

Documents

Cultural Studies