Postgraduate Subject Specific Courses
MFA Art Practice
This course is designed for MFA Art Practice students. Primarily the course highlights the specific language used at this level. As a starting point, you are asked to deconstruct and analyse the structures and approaches used in past students’ writing models. This gives a specific understanding of the writing that has developed around the integration of theory and practice at Goldsmiths. You will also learn about the various stages of the writing process.
The course enables you to build other academic language skills, including reading, listening and speaking. Presentation skills may be practised too, if required. The content of the course is flexible and is regularly updated to accommodate the changing debates in Art and the needs of the current students.
Postgraduate Visual Cultures
The postgraduate programmes in the Department of Visual Cultures share many common concerns, so if you are studying either the MA Contemporary Art Theory, the Postgraduate Diploma in Art History or the MA Aural and Visual Cultures you may benefit from this course. The classes tend to focus on writing skills, examining both the ‘traditional’ and more performative forms of English academic writing. Writing tutorials may be offered to give individual support as essay deadlines approach.
MFA Curating
This course initially focuses on review writing, which is a key element of this programme. This is supplemented by presentation practice (both in class and at art galleries), revision of formal academic writing styles for assessments and, as part of the Curating projects, advice on writing letters and e-mails to a wide range of individuals such as gallery owners, potential sponsors and artists.
MA Design Futures: Design and Language
This course is designed for MA in Design Futures students. Though it is taught through the LSC, it is fully integrated with the full degree programme and runs throughout the three terms of the MA course. Some sessions are team-taught with Professor John Wood, the Head of Design Futures. In the autumn term, all students attend, while the spring and summer term courses are designed for all students with English as an additional or second language.
Primarily the course highlights language used in design, and gives advice and practice on all aspects of the writing process. We aim to create a community of writers who discuss their work openly and learn from each other, for example, you are encouraged to contribute your ideas about language to a Wiki website where your writing is on show to a wider network (www.writing-pad.org). In class, the writing process is taught through open analysis and detailed observation of your own writing models. The course also enables you to develop other academic language skills, including reading, listening and speaking. Presentation skills may be practised too, if required. Course content is flexible and is regularly updated to accommodate the changing debates in design and the needs of current students.
Postgraduate Drama
This course is for all students on one of the Department of Theatre and Performance’s postgraduate programmes. The course focuses on the academic skills and language you will need to be successful, with emphasis placed on researching and writing essays. Theatre and drama-related vocabulary, useful phrases for discussing and expressing your opinions of productions, and aspects of the history and context of the UK theatre scene are also covered, all of which will help you to understand your lectures more clearly.
MA Interdisciplinary
This course is designed for students taking an MA at Goldsmiths whose department has not requested a specific class for them, or who are unable to attend other specialised sessions. Primarily the course gives advice and practice on all aspects of academic writing, providing training in the various stages of the process, ranging from understanding an essay title, to researching the assignment, organising ideas coherently, planning, structuring paragraphs, supporting opinions, avoiding plagiarism and ensuring correct referencing and other academic conventions are followed. The course also enables you to develop other academic language skills, including reading, listening and speaking. Presentation skills may be practiced too, if required.
The above language work is placed clearly in a postgraduate context with readings and questions taken from a variety of subjects based on modernist and post-modernist theory. You are also encouraged to work on your time-management skills. You will have the opportunity to discuss any difficulties that you may be experiencing as a result of a new academic culture. Feedback from former students indicates that these classes provide a non-threatening forum where you can ask questions you might be reluctant to ask elsewhere. The content of the course is to some extent flexible, and can be adjusted according to the needs of the students.
MA Media and Communications (Practice)
This course is designed for students taking any practice-based postgraduate course in the Department of Media and Communications. The course aims to give advice and support on any academic or general English issues you may have. Although academic essay writing plays a less important role on the practice MAs than on the theory MAs in the Department, it is still important to know how to approach written work, including understanding the title, researching, organising and providing accurate referencing. We can also help you with understanding your lectures, and improving your presentation skills.
We also have dedicated classes on how to approach examinations, in preparation for the Media Law and Ethics assessment, which international students have found particularly difficult in previous years.
On the practical media side, you will look at improving grammar for writing links and interview questions, and take part in role-plays of interviews and telephone research conversations. The classes will expand your specialist media-related vocabulary, and involve class discussions on current issues in the media, usually from a media practitioner’s perspective. These classes offer a friendly, relaxed environment for international students to find out more about the media context in the UK, and to ask questions they might be reluctant to ask elsewhere. Course content is flexible, and is adjusted each year according to the needs identified by the students.
MA Media and Communications (Theory)
This course is designed for students taking a theory-based postgraduate course in the Department of Media and Communications. The main aim of the course is to give advice and practice on all aspects of academic writing, by training you in the various stages of the process, from understanding an essay title, to researching the assignment, organising ideas coherently, planning, structuring paragraphs, supporting opinions, avoiding plagiarism and ensuring correct referencing and other academic conventions are followed. The course also enables you to develop other academic language skills, including reading, listening and speaking. Presentation skills may be practiced too, if required.
The language work is placed clearly in a media context, by analysing previous media essay questions. You will also use media-related texts to practise your reading, expand your media vocabulary, and debate current media issues. Previous classes have included debates on the new guidelines for using ‘citizen journalism’, and the role of the media in uncovering political corruption. These classes provide a friendly, relaxed environment for international students to find out more about the media situation in the UK, and ask questions they might be reluctant to ask elsewhere. For example, the concept of the Television Licence is unusual to international students, and explanation of this leads to a deeper understanding of the BBC, its remit and its place at the heart of British media. Course content is to some extent flexible, and can be adjusted according to the needs of the students.
MA Brands, Communication and Culture
This course is designed for students taking the MA Brand Development offered by the Media & Communications Department. There is a strong subject-specific focus, with texts from the core course reader used where possible as teaching materials. The main focus will be on essay writing. We will cover the main aspects of the writing process including understanding essay titles, structuring an argument and use of sources, and will also practise key essay writing sub-skills such as summarizing and defining. Writing tutorials will be offered where appropriate. Presentation skills will also be practised. The content of this course is to some extent flexible, and can be adapted to students’ needs.
MA Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship
This course is designed for students taking the MA Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship offered by the Institute for Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE). There is a strong subject-specific focus, with texts from the core course reader used where possible as teaching materials. The main focus will be on essay writing. We will cover the main aspects of the writing process including understanding essay titles, structuring an argument and use of sources, and will also practise key essay writing sub-skills such as summarizing and defining. We will look too at the other writing genres required for this course, namely report writing and the business plan. Writing tutorials will be offered where appropriate. Presentation skills will also be practised. The content of this course is to some extent flexible, and can be adapted to students’ needs.
MPhil/PhD
This course is open to students across Goldsmiths who are embarking on a research degree. In the first term you focus on developing your academic writing skills. You will receive regular feedback on your writing, with emphasis placed on self-correction. Course content is flexible and can be altered to meet students’ requirements. Topics that may be covered include summary writing, constructing an argument, engaging with critical sources, developing cohesion, writing a literature review, writing a study plan and writing an abstract. The class also provides a space for research students to discuss any difficulties they may be experiencing with the research process. The second term focuses on presentation skills, and tutorials are offered that provide the opportunity to discuss a longer sample of your writing.