Why Study / Key Benefits

The Graduate Diploma in Arts (Media Studies) at Massey University is designed as a bridging qualification for graduates who already have a bachelor’s degree in another subject and want to gain the equivalent of an undergraduate major in Media Studies without completing a second bachelor’s degree. Massey describes the programme as combining media analysis with creative and practical media work.

Key benefits include:

• Study of film, television, social media, popular music, smartphones and other contemporary media.
• Analysis of how media texts, audiences and users create and circulate meaning.
• Exploration of relationships between media, culture and society.
• Development of critical thinking, lateral thinking, research, communication and analytical skills.
• Practical and creative media production experience.
• Access to contemporary digital technology, media facilities and Massey's online learning system.
• A possible pathway to a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts or Master of Arts after successful completion.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The programme provides the equivalent of an undergraduate Media Studies major. Students study both theoretical and practical aspects of media.

The currently published course options include:

• 154202 Advertising and Consumer Society – advertising, consumerism, capitalism, branding, art, creativity and agency.
• 154203 Popular Culture and the Media – cultural theory, identity, representation and cultural politics.
• 154204 Digital Media Production: Photography – planning, producing and editing digital images, photographic genres, techniques and ethical issues.
• 154208 Screen Media – film and television, their formal characteristics and relationship with technological change and digital media.
• 154224 Digital Media Production: Documentary – planning, producing and editing short digital documentaries, together with documentary history, techniques and ethical issues.
• 154250 Digital Media: Theory and Practice – social, cultural, economic and technological changes associated with contemporary digital and networked media, alongside digital media production.
• 154301 Culture, Power and the Media – advanced theories of media and popular culture and the relationship between media and power.
• 154302 Gender and Race in the Media – critical study of gender, race and ethnicity in media.
• 154303 Hollywood Cinema – Hollywood cinema's formal, social, cultural, technological and industrial development.
• 154304 Digital Media Production: Visual Storytelling – advanced video projects, motion graphics, visual effects, colour grading, music videos and social-media-focused content.
• 154311 Social Media and Digital Cultures – social media's effects on identity, relationships, work, politics and society, including misinformation and influencers.
• 154313 Global Media Cultures – global media distribution, transnational communities, collaborative media production and cultural identity. 

Disciplines / Specialisations

The specific specialisation is:

• Media Studies

The discipline covers several interconnected areas:

• Media and society
• Film and television
• Digital media
• Social media
• Popular culture
• Advertising
• Photography
• Documentary production
• Visual storytelling
• Gender and race representation
• Media power and culture
• Global media cultures.

Programme Highlights

• NZQF Level 7 graduate qualification.
• 120 credits.
• Normally completed in one year full-time.
• Eight 15-credit courses.
• Designed for graduates changing or broadening their academic specialisation.
• Provides the equivalent of an undergraduate major in Media Studies.
• Available in Auckland, Wellington and Manawat, as well as distance/online.
• Combines media theory with creative practice.
• Includes hands-on digital media production.
• Covers contemporary areas such as social media and digital cultures.
• Provides potential progression to a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts or Master of Arts.

Career Outcomes

Massey identifies the following potential career areas for Media Studies graduates:

• Advertising
• Digital post-production
• Film and television production
• Web content editing
• Journalism
• Public relations.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

The current programme information confirms:

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent is required.
• Official transcripts from previous universities must be provided.
• Students entering the specialisation do not need to complete 100-level Media Studies prerequisite courses.
• Students whose previous study was not completed at Massey may need to use the Special Request function when enrolling in some 200-level courses.
• Students choosing electives in areas such as Languages, Economics, Mathematics or Statistics must meet the applicable 100-level prerequisites.
• 154304 Digital Media Production: Visual Storytelling has prerequisites including 154204 Digital Media Production: Photography, 154224 Digital Media Production: Documentary or 289211, as specified on the programme page.
• Not all courses are available in every year.

International Student Visa Requirements

An international student attending the programme physically in New Zealand will generally need a Fee Paying Student Visa from Immigration New Zealand.

Current requirements include:

• An offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Sufficient funds to pay tuition fees, or an acceptable scholarship.
• Sufficient funds for living expenses or an acceptable sponsor.
• Acceptable medical and travel insurance.
• Compliance with applicable health and character requirements.
• Genuine intention to study.
• Evidence of ability/intention to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay where required.