MA Critical and Creative Media

at Maynooth University

A single compulsory module, Critical and Creative Media Research, lays the foundation for the programme in Semester One. Students have the freedom to select individual pathways that combine critical media studies and practical work, honing creative computing, audio-visual production, and screenwriting skills. Modules in Irish Media History, Media Archives, and Identity Technologies explore media in cultural and historical context across formats and platforms, from print to celluloid to digital. The MA programme culminates with a supervised individual thesis project that may assume a variety of forms, from scholarly essay to a practice-based project, where creative outcomes are contextualised and framed theoretically.  A Postgraduate Diploma is available to students who do not wish to complete a thesis.

Candidates for the MA in Critical and Creative Media must have the equivalent of a 2.1 honours degree in Media Studies, or in a related subject in Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, or Communication and Information Technology.

Applicants from abroad must have a recognised primary degree that is considered equivalent to Irish university primary degree level.

For international students whose first language is not English, an English language exam certificate showing IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required.

The fees for MA Critical and Creative Media may vary from €6,500 to €15,000 annually for tuition fees. The fee's prices may get higher for International Students.

Knowledge of and skills in media are required across a whole range of sectors including media-specific organisations and also companies that interact with the public, that have internal communications and that wider social presence. These include sports, arts and heritage organisations, charities and NGOs, businesses and brands that increasingly require media-trained graduates particularly in the areas of writing/content production/publishing, social media, graphic design and video production/editing.

Graduates of this programme are well prepared to find employment in several sectors of the media industries or to pursue further media scholarship opportunities. They will be able to apply their critical understanding of the media industries and forms to organisations and businesses and identify future opportunities for innovation in creative media. The programme’s unique and flexible structure provides students with an accelerated route through three media-related areas to facilitate specialisation: media and histories, digital media and screen production.