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Graduate Diploma
Media, Culture & Social Sciences

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Why study the Graduate Diploma in Media, Culture & Social Sciences

This Pre-Masters programme aimed at postgraduate students who are looking to develop their language skills in academic English and study some background theory in media, culture and social sciences.

  • You'll have the opportunity to study some background theory, familiarise yourself both with ways of working in British academic culture and in the standards required at Masters degree level.
  • If you wish to go on to study either at Goldsmiths or elsewhere in Britain you'll be given help and support in finding an appropriate programme.
  • You will attend a number of lecture modules taking place in other academic departments, putting into practice your developing language and study skills.
  • You will have a personal tutor and will receive support in researching and considering various MA degree options for your future studies.
  • You will be encouraged throughout the programme to work independently and will have full access to all the resources available in the Goldsmiths Library.
  • If you pass the programme at the required level you can progress onto one of the MA programmes listed below.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Margaret Remana or Marl'ene Edwin.

Length

1 year full-time

Fees

International - full-time: £17650

Department

Centre for Academic Language and Literacies

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If you pass the programme at the required level (a pass in all modules with an overall score of 50% or more), you can progress onto one of the following MA programmes:

What you'll study

All the modules are compulsory.

Two modules consider interdisciplinary themes and integrate academic content with language and study skills development. These modules provide a useful background for students in European intellectual approaches and some key theories of relevance to a range of academic disciplines.

You will also attend a number of lecture modules taking place in other academic departments, putting into practice your developing language and study skills.

Module title Credits
Contemporary Theories 30 credits
Images and their Interpretations 30 credits
Issues around Modern Knowledge, Modern Power 15 credits
Issues around Media and Technologies 15 credits

You will also take two modules that concentrate on different areas of language development (both worth 15 credits):

  • Academic Writing and Grammar Development

  • Academic Listening and Speaking

How you'll be assessed

Continuous assessment includes regular seminar presentations and researched essays. There will also be written, listening and oral examinations.

Skills you'll develop

This programme will develop your skills in:

  • Critical reasoning
  • Textual interpretation
  • Oral and written communication

Find out more about how Goldsmiths can develop your skills to boost your employability. 

Download programme specification

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online 
    See our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement
  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September.

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification.

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

 

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject. 

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

For this programme we require: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) IELTS 5.5 overall with no component lower than 5.5. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2025/2026 academic year.

 

  • International - full-time: £17650

Find out about our tuition fees and funding opportunities.

 

Funding opportunities

We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries, and our Careers Service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies. Find out more about funding your studies with us.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Visit the scholarships finder

Staff

Teaching on the programme is carried out by subject specialists including:

Timothy Chapman, BA, MA, DELTA

Academic writing; discourse communities; learner identities; interculturalcommunication; Computer Assisted Language Learning.

Dr Stella Harvey, BA, RSA Dip TEFLA, MA PhD

Discourse analysis; intercultural communication; home students' academic writing; EAP for PhD students; EAP for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship; content-based EAP for Arts and Humanities; translation; Guillevic.

Julia Lockheart BA MA MA

Design and language; metadesigning, languaging, collaborative writing, co-authorship, cross-disciplinarity, writing purposefully in art and design (Writing PAD)

Paul Stocks BA, MA

English for academic purposes; academic writing; the East Asian learner; English for media studies; English for theatre and drama; English for computing.

Gary Riley-Jones MPhil (Cantab) MA PGCE BSc RSA Dip TEFLA

Language and linguistics; English for Academic Purposes; Content-Based Language Teaching in the Arts; Critical thinking; Rancière; Teacher training; Academic writing.

Julia Lockheart BA MA MA

Design and language; metadesigning, languaging, collaborative writing, co-authorship, cross-disciplinarity, writing purposefully in art and design (Writing PAD)

Paul Stocks BA, MA

English for academic purposes; academic writing; the East Asian learner; English for media studies; English for theatre and drama; English for computing.

Gary Riley-Jones MPhil (Cantab) MA PGCE BSc RSA Dip TEFLA

Language and linguistics; English for Academic Purposes; Content-Based Language Teaching in the Arts; Critical thinking; Rancière; Teacher training; Academic writing.

Marl’ene Edwin, MA

Caribbean oral literature; creolistics; orality.

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