New Media and Society

Contents

The digitisation of media and communication presents both users and companies with massive societal challenges. It also has far-reaching implications for our information society and innovation economy. The rapid pace of technological evolutions, forces the user to adapt accordingly. Both in terms of media consumption patterns, but also with regard to attitudes, skills, expectations and consumption. When combined with the heightened competition of new (often international) (internet) players, traditional business models are becoming increasingly threatened.

This means innovation and user focus are more than ever key in the quest to find new models of value creation and corporate management in a digital economy. This economy is irrevocably tied to the societal shift to a knowledge society. Economic insights are linked to political economic ones in this shift that is being felt on several different levels and stakeholders.

The specialisation in New Media and Society aims to prepare social scientists who are ready and able to tackle these challenges. Social scientists attuned with the quickly changing "homo digitalis", who possess the necessary economic and societal knowledge to translate these insights into innovation management, corporate models and policy makers. The specialisation is supported by the research group Media, Innovation and Communication Technologies (MICT).

Obligatory courses

This specialization focuses on the role of new media technology and innovation in society. The underlying philosophy that new media is more than technology is reflected in the structure of the programme and in the choice of individual courses. The offer of four courses that each approach technology from its own theoretical way puts multiperspectivism into practice with a focus on citizen/user, industry, policy and society.

The Master programme focuses on the following courses:

• New media studies: students get a critical view of the role of new media in our society from a social and political-economic perspective, with specific attention to the social changes as a result of the digital revolution.
• Business models for digital media: this course focuses on economic power relations within the media and technology sector. Students are made familiar with basic concepts of value creation and business models, and we address the challenges and evolutions sector by sector.
• Technology and innovation policy: students are made familiar with the tension between new technology and the policy level.

The close collaboration with the professional field is reflected in the course on Innovation research: Challenges. Students think about user experience, product innovation and design on the basis of real-life assignments in collaboration with business partners.

To complete the Master programme, students have to write a Master’s dissertation.

Elective courses and internship

Apart from the obligatory courses, students can further customize their programme by choosing elective courses. Students can also opt for studies abroad or for an internship. The latter can be a research internship or an internship within the professional field of new media.

Labour market

Our graduates often find employment as social media coordinators, consultants, UX experts, project leaders in innovation, (scientific) researchers, product designers, e-marketing coordinators, trendwatchers, digital content editors, journalists and data analysts. Some even start their own companies.

More info (Dutch)