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About Global Media and Communications, MA - at SOAS University of London

The MA Global Media and Communication is unique in that it offers a critical appraisal and critique of Western Media and Communication theories and approaches through focusing on the complex specificities of Asia, Africa and the Middle East and their diasporas. Drawing on the grounded expertise of staff, it offers a specialised study of the global media environment in relation to Asian, African and Middle Eastern societies and cultures, together with rigorous training in and questioning of contemporary media and communication theory.

We ask what concerns and hopes the people of the regions we study have; how should we address comparatively the global role of mass and digital media in contemporary politics and conflict, as well as processes of exclusion, inequalities, development, participation and empowerment. By considering how, where and by whom media is produced, consumed and used, students develop advanced knowledge and understanding of the theoretical, methodological and empirical issues involved in the analysis of non-western media and communications within historical and contemporary contexts. Students will address alternative ways to situate mediated articulations of agency and subjectivity in non-Western contexts through engaging with various texts challenging the hegemonic claims of mainstream Western media theory that insists the rest of the world subscribe to a narrow exclusive vision of the world.

Our research in film and media has been ranked in the top 20 in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, with more than a third of our research publications assessed as 4* (world-leading). See Centre for Global Media and Communications.

The SOAS MA Global Media and Communication will appeal to students with a variety of backgrounds and objectives:

• those coming from a media or journalist background who wish to engage more deeply with global media and communication theory in relation to regional specialisation, especially, but not exclusively, the societies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East;
• those coming from Asian, African or Middle Eastern Studies who wish to incorporate the study of global media and communication into their own areas of expertise; and
• those having previously trained in other disciplines, such as Anthropology, politics, international relations, Religious Studies, History, etc.
• those wishing to pursue further study through doctoral research

Prospective students should contact the MA Convenor, Dr Dina Matar (dm27@soas.ac.uk), at an early stage of their application in order to seek advice on the most appropriate options for study.

Please note that not all optional modules are available every year (see the 'Structure' tab for more information).

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

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Entry requirements

Contact SOAS University of London to find course entry requirements.

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Why study at SOAS University of London

• SOAS is in London, which is officially the best student city in the world - and has been for five years in a row (QS World Rankings 2024)
• There are 5,630 students on campus, from 135+ countries 
• 2nd in the UK for international faculty (QS World Rankings 2024)
• Top 30 in the UK (The Times Good University Guide 2024)
• Top 40 in the UK for research quality Complete University Guide 2024)
• 6th in the UK for employment outcomes (QS World Rankings 2023)
• Top 100 in the world for addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals for Peace, Justice, Poverty and Gender Equality (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, 2023)
• One of 35 National Research Libraries in the UK. We have over 1.5 million volumes, periodicals and audio-visual materials in 400 languages, focusing on Asia, Africa and the Middle East
• 87% of research ranked 'world-leading or internationally excellent' (Research Excellence Framework 2021)