MSc Global Media Economics

Key details

MSC GLOBAL MEDIA ECONOMICS

Start Year

2023

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Master of Science

Duration (years)

Are you fascinated by the media industries? On this Master’s, you'll examine the worlds of film, literature and TV from the perspective of economics.

You'll take modules covering economic concepts and econometrics, as well as specialist modules in the areas of media and communication. Through this work, you'll explore the economic and political contexts of global media and advance your analytical and numerical skills. You'll apply what you have learnt on the course by writing a dissertation, which will be supervised by a member of the School of Economics.

You’ll graduate with the skills and edge required for a successful career in media – whether that’s as an account executive in advertising, a role in publishing, or in finance or management positions within broadcasting.

About

MSc Global Media Economics is part of our Applied Training Programme, which is designed to provide key skills in economics. It’s ideal if you’re a graduate without an economics background, yet wish to develop the analytical skills of an economist. It's also suitable if you’re an economics graduate wishing to develop specialist expertise in this area without committing to full research training.

You’ll gain a firm foundation in your subject through core compulsory taught modules in Economic Concepts, Econometrics, Economics of the Mass Media, Politics and Media, and International Trade. You'll then be able to tailor your course with an optional module and your dissertation, which you'll write towards the end of your 12 months with us. You will be able to choose your own dissertation topic from within the area of media economics, and you'll benefit from supervision and support from a member of the School of Economics.

We offer specialised structural support to help you negotiate your masters course. This includes compulsory, intensive pre-sessional training before the start of teaching on your course modules. This training incorporates the techniques of calculus and matrix algebra and an introduction to the specialist econometric software that you'll use in your MSc programme.

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Successful Alumna

UEA MSc Media Economics alumna and award-winning Chinese actress Jiang Shuying visited UEA as part of a UK trip to promote the benefits of links between China and the UK.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

Your coursework will be in a variety of forms – including take-home assignments, seminar presentations, written tests, computer tests and your dissertation (which you'll submit at the end of August).

Throughout your course, you'll be given guidance on your work and constructive feedback to help you improve. You will receive written feedback for all pieces of coursework and further guidance will be available from module organisers.

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, please talk to our Student Support Service about how we can help.

Structure

The MSc Global Media Economics is a one-year course. In each semester you'll take three modules, followed by writing your dissertation in the period between June and August.

In your autumn semester, you'll take Economic Concepts, Econometric Methods, and Economics of the Mass Media. In the spring semester you'll take International Trade, Politics and Media and one of Multinational Firms, Financial Mathematics, or Environmental and Natural Resource Economics.

Although you will write your dissertation between June and August, you'll begin your dissertation module with a sequence of dissertation training lectures and workshops in spring. Here you will discover how to choose a topic, how to access data and search literature, how to reference, and how to analyse quantitative data.

You'll be able to take advantage of further dissertation training workshops in late June and early July.

Teaching and Learning

UEA’s School of Economics is lively, friendly, research orientated and committed to excellence in teaching. We have an international reputation in many key areas, including theoretical and applied economics. Our research interests include behavioural and experimental economics, competition economics, environmental policy, conflict, contests and corporate behaviour, finance and financial markets.

Teaching on each of your modules will be spread over two semesters. In a typical module, you'll have lectures and seminars each week. Your seminars are more interactive than lectures and provide you with an opportunity to raise questions arising from lectures.

In your econometric modules, you'll learn how to conduct econometric analysis using specialist econometric software.

You will also become practiced in independent study, spending time working on coursework assignments, preparing for seminars, and doing your own wider reading.

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Open Days

Assessment for Year 1

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, please talk to our Student Support Service about how we can help.

Compulsory Modules

ECONOMETRIC METHODS

Code ECO-7000A

Credits 20

Are you interested in working with data? Would you like to be able to make economics forecasts or predictions, or test an economic theory? If so, this module will introduce you the empirical techniques you need to satisfy these interests. This module will introduce you to econometrics, which is a combination of economic theory, mathematical economics, economic statistics and mathematical statistics. You’ll learn some basic econometric techniques that will enable you to obtain numerical estimates of, for example, the relationship between expenditure on a good and income, or the relationship between years of education and pay. In addition, as your seminars will take place in the computer labs, you’ll gain skills in analysing data using the econometric computer package STATA. In the first part of the module, you’ll be shown how to estimate a simple regression model, interpret your findings and test the relationships between variables. As you progress, you’ll learn how to identify problems with your model and how to address these problems. In lectures you’ll learn about the techniques; in seminars you’ll apply these techniques to a variety of economic problems and estimate models with the help of STATA. In the later part of the module you’ll consider a more advanced style of modelling, which is appropriate for dealing with data on the choices made by individuals. For example, owning your own home rather than renting, or going to university instead of entering the labour market. By the end of the module you’ll be able to estimate appropriate regression models, identify problems which may arise and know how to address them. In addition, you’ll be able use STATA and understand some of the methods, models and techniques that may be useful in the workplace.

ECONOMICS OF THE MASS MEDIA

Code ECO-7007A

Credits 20

This module is concerned with the economics of the mass media industries, with an emphasis on TV broadcasting, film, advertising and the ‘new media’ industries. Module content is guided by the broad question: What can economic theory tell us about the organisation and behaviour of the mass media industries and about the consumption of media goods and services? You’ll focus on competitive conditions in the mass media industries, the conditions under which intervention may be required, consumer behaviour and welfare, and the implications of technological change both for producers and for consumers. Students without a background in economics and who are not taking the module ‘Economic Concepts’ are not typically permitted to take this module.

ECONOMIC CONCEPTS

Code ECO-7011A

Credits 20

Introducing micro and macro economic analysis, this module will familiarise you with a wide range of economic tools which can be applied to issues relating to your Applied Training Programme. It covers, in particular, consumer and producer choice, market equilibrium, market structure, externalities and public goods, the macroeconomics of inflation, unemployment and growth and macroeconomic policy.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Code ECO-7016B

Credits 20

In this module you will develop your understanding of the international economy, specifically international trade. You’ll examine patterns in the global flows of goods using models of international trade theory and ask who benefits from trade and who it can harm, relating your insights to the current debate about globalisation. This module also deals with controversial issues like the effect of trade on the environment and strategic trade policy.

ECONOMICS DISSERTATION (60 CREDITS)

Code ECO-7023X

Credits 60

Economics Dissertation is the “icing on the cake” of an Economics MSc. It is a module that brings together the skills that you have learnt throughout your degree programme and applies these skills to study a particular topic of your interest. This module gives you an opportunity to spend a period of 2 or 3 months working exclusively on a topic of your own choice, at your own pace, with guidance from a supervisor. The module commences with a sequence of “dissertation training” lectures during the Spring Semester, including such themes as choosing a topic, accessing data, searching the literature, referencing, and qualitative data analysis. There are further dissertation training lectures during late June and early July, held in computer labs, with the objective of providing the types of econometric skills often required in dissertation research. The Econometric software STATA is used, the same as used in taught modules in Econometrics. At the end of the Spring semester, you will submit a research proposal stating the research question you would like to address and proposing a suitable methodology. You can also select to work on a dissertation topic either with a business, charity, or other organization. In all cases, it is your responsibility to come up with a research proposal although you are encouraged to speak with instructors and the PG Course Director for advice and guidance. On the basis of your proposal, a suitable supervisor will be allocated to you. At least three meetings with the supervisor should take place between May - July. The total contact time over these meetings should be at least three hours. At the first meeting, the research proposal is discussed. By the time of the third and final meeting, you should ideally have supplied a first draft of the dissertation for your supervisor to provide feedback on. The deadline for the dissertation is at the end of August and the word limit for dissertations is either 8,000 or 12,000, depending on which MSc you are taking. If you want to work on a dissertation topic with a business, charity, or other organization you must get your dissertation topic pre-approved by the PG Course Director.

PUBLIC RELATIONS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE MEDIA

Code PPLX7005B

Credits 20

This module enables students to develop an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of public affairs, interest intermediation, and the strategies used by interest, advocacy groups and others to influence the political process. As well as covering the main debates in the academic literature, it draws directly on the experience of practitioners and offers unique insights into this under-studied area of politics.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

MULTINATIONAL FIRMS

Code ECO-7010B

Credits 20

This module is structured around three main questions: Why do multi-nationals exist? What are their beneficial effects? Why might they sometimes be a cause for concern? In answering these questions we confront a variety of theoretical and empirical methodologies (e.g, oligopoly theory, transactions costs, econometric methods, case studies in corporate strategy) and draw upon various branches of Economics ( e.g. International Economics, Industrial Economics, Labour Economics, Financial Economics and Political Economy).

FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS

Code ECO-7013B

Credits 20

This technical finance module is suited to students who wish to pursue a career in the financial sector. The focus is on valuation and risk analysis of financial products, and the module is highly analytical, with weekly exercise sessions in computer labs. Topics covered include: continuous-time stochastic processes, stochastic models for security prices, bonds, term structure of interest rates, futures and forwards, options, swaps, hedging and credit risk.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS

Code ECO-7020B

Credits 20

Gain a thorough grounding in the key issues in environmental and resource economics. This module provides an overview of the economic and econometric principles that serve as pivotal tools in ensuring that natural resources are sustainably valued and managed in a global economic environment. The applied nature of the module is complemented by technical papers that form the subject of the discussions in seminar sessions. Open to postgraduate students enrolled on both ATP and APP programmes, this module will enhance the econometric principles taught in the Autumn Semester by applying analytical and statistical methods to the field of environmental economics so as to emphasise the empirical relevance of these theories.

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Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent

Degree subject

Any Subject area

Additional entry requirements

INTO University of East Anglia

If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study one of the International Graduate Diploma programmes offered by our partner INTO UEA. These programmes guarantee progression to selected master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details please click here:

International Graduate Diploma in Economics

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in only two components with 6.0 in the others)
PTE (Pearson): 64 (minimum 59 in only two components with 64 in the others)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests

INTO University of East Anglia

If you do not meet the English requirements for this course, our partner INTO UEA run pre-sessional English courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk