About Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths

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From the future of the BBC to disaster relief in the Philippines, the study of media, communications and cultural studies addresses the important issues of our times.

At Goldsmiths, that study is creative, critical and radical. We explore media through hands-on experience of professional and experimental media-making and through a range of cultural, philosophical, political, psychological and technological perspectives – from the global arrangements of the world to the intimate construction of identity. Why choose Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths?

We’re ranked among the world's best

We're ranked 12th in the world (and 2nd in the UK) for communication and media studies (QS World Rankings by subject 2022) and second in the UK for 'world-leading or internationally excellent research' (Research Excellence Framework 2021). We work closely with the Centre for Feminist Research, the Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Media Reform Coalition and house important research centres in media democracy and cultural studies. We've also been ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top graduate universities for media professionals.

We’re dynamic and creative

You’ll have access to a calendar of events featuring world-renowned practitioners, thinkers and policymakers that have recently included the Guild of British Film and Television Editors, the Anti-Austerity and Media Activism conference, the Putnam Enquiry into the future of the BBC and New Urban Multicultures workshop. We are the home of East London Lines – a 24/7 news website run by our students, and work closely with Goldsmiths Press and new gallery and installation spaces on campus.

We’re inside the media

You’ll take practice courses taught by industry professionals and skilled practitioners in a department devoted to integrating criticism and creation. Industry speakers, networking events, careers fairs and the option to undertake work placements alongside international exchange programmes connect us to the wide world of media work.

Our graduates are working as:

  • Advertising and marketing executives
  • Designers
  • Illustrators
  • Animators
  • Directors
  • Editors
  • Journalists
  • Media researchers
  • NGO, government and corporate communications staff
  • TV producers
  • Photographers
  • Public relations officers

In the 21st century, every business, government department and charity has to deal with media, communications and cultural issues. Our degrees offer you the skills, knowledge and intellectual agility to meet current demands and to adapt and lead in a rapidly changing world. Our graduates have gone on to become leading teachers and researchers, and to employment in organisations including the BBC, The Times and Oxfam.

Hands-on Experience

You won't just be pressing buttons: you'll learn to ask how and why media technologies, institutions and audiences work the way they do, and how they could work differently. You’ll gain hands-on experience in excellent media facilities with active industry and creative professionals. Our industry connections have seen students working with companies such as M&C Saatchi, Google, YouTube and Motorola, as independent creators, and in charities and activist organisations.

Transferable Skills

You’ll gain transferable skills critical to your success across all sectors: commercial awareness, critical analysis and research, teamwork, craft knowledge and a creative and independent approach to tasks. In developing your skills, we encourage you to use critical thinking to become independent, imaginative and inventive.

Students Win Prizes

Among other prizes, our students have recently won The Royal Television Society, Charles Parker Student Radio and BBC World student awards and had films shown at BAFTA, the Sheffield Documentary and Annecy Animation festivals. Graduates have gone on to become leading figures in fields from music video to global news.