Digital Media (BA) 3-year, full-time
Digital media is the study of the technologies, platforms, and practices through which content is created, distributed, and consumed in the contemporary world. It is a field that is simultaneously technical and cultural, concerned with understanding the tools and systems that make digital communication possible and with interrogating the social, political, and cultural consequences of living in a world shaped by social media, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and ubiquitous connectivity. A degree in digital media develops both critical analytical skills and practical creative competencies.
At Birkbeck College, this three-year full-time BA in Digital Media examines how digital technologies are transforming society, culture, and identity, from the influence of social media and AI algorithms to the politics of digital activism and the changing nature of work, creativity, and public life. Birkbeck's distinctive orientation as a primarily evening university makes the programme accessible to students who combine study with other commitments, and the three-year full-time version is designed for those who can engage with the programme during daytime hours. You will study the history and theory of digital media, the political economy of platforms, questions of digital identity and community, the ethics of data and surveillance, and the creative practices that digital tools enable.
The programme develops your critical thinking alongside your practical understanding of the digital landscape.
Graduates go on to careers in digital media production, journalism, communications, marketing, public policy, research, and the technology sector. The combination of critical cultural understanding and practical digital competence the degree develops is valued across the full range of industries that are shaped by and dependent on digital media, which is to say virtually every sector of the contemporary economy. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in media studies, digital humanities, journalism, or communications, and some pursue research or academic careers.