New Media MA Programme at VUC
The Norwegian National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NOKUT) approved the new Master’s programme in a letter received Monday February 13. The new study programme will be the first English-taught degree programme offered at VUC and is tuition-free for all students, including international students.
Based in industry needs
The new MA programme will provide students with advanced knowledge about the media industry in general, but also skills and insights in a specialized area the students choose. The areas of specialization are journalism, communication, animation, media production and media design. The common components in the programme assures a shared and interdisciplinary learning environment for all students.
– We find that this is the appropriate time to introduce this study programme. The media industry is facing massive and rapid changes, which means that there is definitely a need for this type of programme – says the Dean of the Faculty of Media and Journalism, Audhild Gregoriusdotter Rotevatn.
The new MA programme, which will start up in the autumn of 2017, will be practically oriented but will also allow students to choose a theoretical focus in the Master’s thesis. Students may choose a thesis consisting of a practical media production with a limited written text or a more research-based and theoretical Master’s thesis.
A broad Master’s programme
The requirements for admission to the programme will be completed higher education equivalent to a Norwegian Bachelor’s degree, and with a specialization (major) within journalism, communication, animation, media production and/or media design. Students accepted to the Master’s programme will be able to tailor their thesis work and choose courses/modules depending on their area of specialization.
– Journalism students may for example produce a radio doumentary or web documentary, whereas students with a background in animation could submit a stop-motion film, says Gregoriusdotter Rotevatn
The Dean is not aware of any similar study programme in Norway today, with so many options and such a wide focus.
– The broad scope of the Master’s degree is what makes it special. Until now, VUC has offered a Master’s programme in Documentary Journalism, a programme that was rather “narrow”. Therefore, we are so happy to be able to offer a Master’s in Media to all of our bachelor students whether they are currently specializing in animation, PR/Communication, journalism, media production or media design, says Dean Rotevatn who was interviewed directly after a meeting with the VUC management and Statsbygg about the plans for a new media building at VUC. If that process is successful as well, future media students at VUC will have the possibility of studying in a brand new media house with world class facilities in a few year’s time.