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Course information

Length

1 year full-time

Department

Centre for Academic Language and Literacies
Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship

Course overview

Please note that this programme has been suspended for 2023-24 entry. You can explore other programmes by visiting our Course Finder.

This Pre-Masters programme is aimed at postgraduate students who are considering undertaking an MA in subjects related to the cultural and creative industries, but need a year to develop or consolidate their language skills in academic English.

You'll also have the opportunity to study some background theory, and to familiarise yourself both with ways of working in British academic culture and in the standards required at Masters degree level. 

If you wish to go on to study either at Goldsmiths or elsewhere in Britain you'll be given help and support in finding an appropriate programme.

Guaranteed progression

If you pass the programme at the required level (a pass in all modules with an overall score of 50% or more and completion of a successful interview), you can progress onto the following MA degrees: 

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Margaret Remana or Marl'ene Edwin.

What you'll study

Overview

Half of the programme is made up of English for Academic Purposes modules, concentrating on different areas of language development, made up of:

  • Academic Writing and Grammar Development
  • Academic Listening and Speaking

You will also take the following compulsory modules:

Module title Credits
Contemporary Theories

Contemporary Theories

30 credits

This lecture-based module takes you through the major intellectual ideas and the major thinkers associated with them, from the period of the European Enlightenment in the 18th century until the contemporary period.

 30 credits
Images and their Interpretations

Images and their Interpretations

30 credits

The aim of this module is to provide students with a brief introduction to some of the tools available in interpreting the kinds of images that surround us in everyday life. Initially, the module will focus on Barthes’ original approach to Semiology, the ‘study of signs’, and how these signs create a ‘system of representation’ and meaning through both language and image.

From this initial discussion, the module will progress on to what may be considered as an extension of Barthes’ focus on the everyday. Reference will be made to the concepts of ‘otherness’ and the ‘male gaze’ and how these concepts can be utilised in an examination of the images within such historical contexts as the colonial project and in more contemporary contexts such as the portrayal of the black body and the female body in the media and contemporary art.

 30 credits
Introduction to Arts Administration and Cultural Policy

Introduction to Arts Administration and Cultural Policy

15 credits

This introductory module starts by looking at some of the big questions and discussions on arts and culture. There is much disagreement about the definitions and terms used in talking about culture, and we begin to investigate what these might mean in different cultures and countries. The module looks at both the theory and practice of cultural policies, looking, for example, at public value and access, as well as its connections with regeneration and cultural diplomacy.

By briefly studying the UK cultural system, how it is organised, funded and how it is affected by current politics, a view is provided of how both the state and commercial arts systems work from the point of view of government and their agencies as well as civil society. We also look at aspects of arts management such as audience development and arts marketing. Besides the UK, the module further analyses different models of cultural policies, with emphasis for European and Asian cultural policies.

 15 credits
Introduction to Creative and Cultural Industries

Introduction to Creative and Cultural Industries

15 credits

This module is designed to introduce students to the range of and activities and operations of some of the most important and interesting creative and cultural industries in the UK in preparation for further studies in this or a related subject area at MA level.

The module will explore the background to a range of influential organisations, their growth and development. Students will examine the successful operational and business models of these and a broader range of creative organisations, and look at how and if management can support creativity.

 15 credits

Assessment

Continuous assessment includes regular seminar presentations and researched essays. There will also be written, listening and oral examinations.

Credits and levels of learning

An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project.

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Between 2020 and 2022 we needed to make some changes to how programmes were delivered due to Covid-19 restrictions. For more information about past programme changes please visit our programme changes information page.

Entry requirements

You should normally be expected to meet any particular entry requirements of the degree you intend to progress onto.

For this programme we require: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) IELTS 5.5 overall with no component lower than 5.5. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

Fees & funding

Funding Opportunities

The McKenna Charitable Trust Postgraduate Scholarship

This scholarship will be awarded to 4 Masters students from the UK or Europe, who are studying postgraduate Masters programmes within the Institute of Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship.

The scholarships will each cover 50% of tuition fee for the Masters programme totaling individual awards of £3,880 for the academic year of study.

In addition to the above award, students may apply for or ask to also be considered for The Harprit Sekhon Scholarship in the Creative and Cultural Industries. This consists of one award of £1,000.

Find out more about applying for these scholarships

Find out about our general postgraduate tuition fees and funding opportunities.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online

          Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement

  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. 

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Staff

Joan Turner
Director of English Language Centre, Senior Lecturer.
Research: language in higher education; English for Academic Purposes; academic writing research;  academic literacies; intercultural communication; cross-cultural pragmatics; conceptual metaphor; English as an international/transnational language. Find out more about her book, 'Language in the Academy'. 

Timothy Chapman, BA, MA, DELTA
Academic writing; discourse communities; learner identities; interculturalcommunication; Computer Assisted Language Learning.

Dr Stella Harvey, BA, RSA Dip TEFLA, MA PhD
Discourse analysis; intercultural communication; home students' academic writing; EAP for PhD students; EAP for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship; content-based EAP for Arts and Humanities; translation; Guillevic.

Julia Lockheart BA MA MA 
Design and language; metadesigning, languaging, collaborative writing, co-authorship, cross-disciplinarity, writing purposefully in art and design (Writing PAD)

Paul Stocks BA, MA
English for academic purposes; academic writing; the East Asian learner; English for media studies; English for theatre and drama; English for computing.

Gary Riley-Jones MPhil (Cantab) MA PGCE BSc RSA Dip TEFLA 
Language and linguistics; English for Academic Purposes; Content-Based Language Teaching in the Arts; Critical thinking; Rancière; Teacher training; Academic writing.

Julia Lockheart BA MA MA 
Design and language; metadesigning, languaging, collaborative writing, co-authorship, cross-disciplinarity, writing purposefully in art and design (Writing PAD)

Paul Stocks BA, MA
English for academic purposes; academic writing; the East Asian learner; English for media studies; English for theatre and drama; English for computing.

Gary Riley-Jones MPhil (Cantab) MA PGCE BSc RSA Dip TEFLA 
Language and linguistics; English for Academic Purposes; Content-Based Language Teaching in the Arts; Critical thinking; Rancière; Teacher training; Academic writing.

Marl’ene Edwin, MA
Caribbean oral literature; creolistics; orality.

Careers

This programme will develop your skills in:

  • Critical reasoning
  • Textual interpretation
  • Oral and written communication

Successful completion at the required level will guarantee you a place on a relevant Goldsmiths degree programme.

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