MSc Social Media and Interactive Technologies Programme Specification 2024-25

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1	ACADEMIC QUALITY TEAM
2	Programme Specifications 2024-25
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5	Programme Title			MSc Social Media and Interactive Technologies
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7	This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:			2024			Award type			MSc
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9	What level is this qualification?			7			Length of programme			1 year
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11	Mode of study (Full / Part Time)			F/T
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13	Will the programme use standard University semester dates?			Yes			For York Online programmes, will standard dates for such programmes be used?			N/A
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15	Awarding institution			University of York			Board of Studies for the programme			Sociology
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17	Lead department			Sociology			Other contributing departments			Computer Science
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19	Language of study and assessment			English			Language(s) of assessment			English
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21	Is this a campus-based or online programme?			Campus Based
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23	Partner organisations
24	If there are any partner organisations involved in the delivery of the programme, please outline the nature of their involvement. You may wish to refer to the Policy on Collaborative Provision
25	N/A
26	N/A
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28	Reference points
29	Please state relevant reference points consulted in the design of this programme (for example, relevant documentation setting out PSRB requirements; the University's Frameworks for Programme Design (UG or PGT); QAA Subject Benchmark Statements; QAA Qualifications and Credit Frameworks).
30	There is no QAA Sociology Subject Benchmark Statement for PGT level but the UG benchmarking was consulted as well as the QAA ‘Framework for Higher Education'.
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32	Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
33	Will this programme involve any exemptions from the University Policy and Procedures on Credit Transfer and the Recognition of Prior Learning? If so, please specify and give a rationale
34	No
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36	Exceptions to Regulations
37	Please detail any exceptions to University Award Regulations and Frameworks that need to be approved (or are already approved) for this programme. This should include any that have been approved for related programmes and should be extended to this programme.
38	N/A
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40	Internal Transfers
41	Please use the boxes below to specify if transfers into / out of the programme from / to other programmes within the University are possible by indicating yes or no and listing any restrictions. These boxes can also be used to highlight any common transfer routes which it would be useful for students to know.
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43		Transfers in:	Yes. Restrictions = meeting entry grades and availability of space on the desired programme. Transfer must be by end of Week 4				Transfers out:	Yes. Restrictions = availability of space on the desired programme within Sociology or another Dept and meeting entry requirements.
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46	Statement of Purpose
47	Please briefly outline the overall aims of the programme. This should clarify to a prospective student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
48	Social media are radically transforming the world we live in. Nowhere is this more profound than in the relations between humans and emergent media and technologies. How we relate to new media, technologies and devices is at the heart of how they are coming to change our lives. Understanding how technologies and social media implicate human activities, practices and behaviours is crucial to formulating responses, articulating ideas of the future and being active within the reshaping of the way we live today. It is this reshaping of our everyday lives at the level of our interactions with these media and interactive technologies that this programme seeks to help you understand. The combination of modules on social media and those on interactive technologies, will tell you not only about the transformative power of media, it will also match this with a detailed understanding of the interactive technologies that facilitate the spread and integration of those media forms. Operating on a global scale, social media are central to the functioning of new types of capitalism and are rapidly reshaping organisations, brands and consumption. Understanding social media is key to understanding the changes that we continue to experience. Social Media and Interactive Technologies combines two vital area of knowledge for contemporary professionals in the fields of media, research and technology design. As a Social Media and interactive Technologies student, you will learn to combine a critical social science understanding of relevant social, economic, cultural and political factors, by applying social theory, concepts and evidence. You will develop a deep appreciation of user-centered practices and processes as you progress as a student within the fields of both sociology and computer science. As a graduate of the programme you will be prepared for a range of careers in the commercial, voluntary, and policy sectors, including technology design, policy research, and social inclusion advocacy. You will be in a position to contribute distinctive interdisciplinary knowledge and skills, such as socially sensitive application design, to an emerging and vibrant social media landscape and shape the future of that area through evidence based decisions that benefit members of society.
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59	If there are additional awards associated with the programme upon which students can register, please specify the Statement of Purpose for that programme. This will be most relevant for PGT programmes with exit awards that are also available as entry points. Use additional rows to include more than one additional award. Do not include years in industry / abroad (for which there are separate boxes).
60	Exit Award Title			Is the exit award also available as an entry point?	Outcomes: what will the student be able to do on exit with this award?				Specify the module diet that the student will need to complete to obtain this exit award
61	Postgraduate Certificate			Exit Award only	Students will have a basic understanding of the key aspects of sociology and computer science achieving PLOs1-2, 4 and 7-8 and to a lesser extent 6				60 credits excluding dissertation module
62	Postgraduate Diploma			Exit Award only	Students will have a deeper understanding of the key aspects of sociology and computer science, achieving PLOs 1-4 and 5-8				120 credits excluding dissertation module
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64	Programme Learning Outcomes
65	What are the programme learning outcomes (PLOs) for the programme? (Normally a minimum of 6, maximum of 8). Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme and represent the outcomes that students progressively develop in the programme and achieve at graduation. PLOs should be worded to follow the stem 'Graduates will be able to...'
66	1	Combine appropriate theoretical and empirical methods from both sociology and computer science to respond to questions at the frontier of international and cross cultural social media knowledge to develop insights into both technical and social transformations.
67	2	Deploy a comprehensive appreciation of contemporary research in understanding and responding to the complex relationships between social media and socio-cultural change.
68	3	Utilise research in the areas of Human Computer Interaction and design practices, and to use this to design new technologies in a research, third sector or commercial career.
69	4	Critically assess dynamic and specific contexts/tasks in the design, implementation and management of social media and interactive technologies by combining knowledge of social science theory, methodology and technology design techniques.
70	5	Identify and explore emerging research and commercial ideas and assess their value for improving social media and interactive technology from a social and user-centered perspective.
71	6	Develop prototypes that would be suitable to evaluate user-centered designs for interactive system in a user-centered way and appropriate to the stage of the design process.
72	7	Lead and collaborate within groups to realise effective teamwork, a thriving workplace, and successful project management.
73	8	Analyse empirically gathered data and communicate findings from those data to non-technical, professional or academic partners.
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75	Diverse entry routes
76	Detail how you would support students from diverse entry routes to transition into the programme. For example, disciplinary knowledge and conventions of the discipline, language skills, academic and writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity.
77	We support students from diverse entry routes to transition into the programme through support from academic advisors who direct students to additional sources of advice and help over and above the academic skills embedded into the design of our postgraduate modules.
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80	Inclusion
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82	Please confirm by ticking the box on the right that the design, content and delivery of the programme will support students from all backgrounds to succeed. This refers to the University's duties under the Equality Act 2010. You may wish to refer to the optional Inclusive Learning self-assessment tools to support reflection on this issue.										TRUE
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84	Employability
85	Please give a brief overview - no more than 5 sentences - of how the programmes helps develop students' employability. Your Faculty Employability Manager can help reflection on this issue. This statement will be used by Marketing as the basis for external content with respect to employability.
86	The programme helps students to develop excellent employability skills that they can utilise in a range of different future careers. Throughout the programme, students are encouraged to develop their critical thinking and to work ethically, are equipped with opportunities to source and evaluate information, and to engage in personal reflection. Students are also given opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of key criminological issues, and to communicate complex ideas in a range of written and verbal formats that are also relevant for and used in the contemporary workplace.
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91	[For Undergraduate and Integrated Masters Programmes Only]
92	Are you offering any variations of this programme, such as additional years abroad or industry?
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94	Year abroad			FALSE		Will the year abroad programme be available directly via UCAS; for students to transfer in having entered the main programme; or both?				N/A
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96	Year in industry			FALSE		Will the year in industry programme be available directly via UCAS; for students to transfer in having entered the main programme; or both?				N/A
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98	Year in enterprise			FALSE
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100	Placement year			FALSE