Cultural and Critical Studies MA

Course summary

The Cultural and Critical Studies MA is part of the Cultural and Literary Studies Suite, a cluster of four MAs that bring together academics, curators and practitioners who share a commitment to investigating modern and contemporary culture from aesthetic, critical, literary and experiential perspectives. You'll share classes with students from the Art and Visual Culture MA, the English Literature: Modern and Contemporary Fictions MA and the Museum, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA, joining a fruitful and intellectually rigorous environment designed to facilitate interdisciplinary thinking.

The Cultural and Critical Studies MA offers you the rare opportunity to study contemporary critical and cultural debates across a wide range of fields. Exploring a variety of different visual, textual and popular forms of culture, the course will particularly appeal to those with wide-ranging interests in the arts and humanities, as well as those interested in cutting-edge theoretical debates.

We also draw upon a long tradition of practical engagement with the applied arts and culture. Our location in the cultural heart of London offers a unique educational experience and as one of the most internationally diverse universities in the UK, you’ll also be studying alongside students from a wide range of different cultural backgrounds. You'll be supported on the course through a series of academic skills workshops, on subjects such as improving academic writing and undertaking research projects, which are designed to support you in your progression to essay and dissertation writing at postgraduate level.

Modules are taught by expert staff from a number of different disciplines, giving you the flexibility to follow the themes that most interest you. Our staff's published work is at the forefront of radical and experimental interdisciplinary areas such as memory studies, urban culture, digital culture, migration studies and contemporary critical theory. As postgraduate students, you'll also become members of the Institute of Modern and Contemporary Culture and enjoy the opportunity to engage with a rich and diverse program of research events.

Westminster is a leading provider in this academic discipline and is ranked first in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2022 for Research Quality in Art and Design.

Top reasons to study with us

• Our course offers a rare opportunity to undertake interdisciplinary study of textual, visual and popular forms of culture in light of cutting-edge theoretical debates
• You'll be taught by experts in cultural and literary studies, critical theory and philosophy, archival practice, urban studies, art and visual culture, and museum studies
• You can enjoy studying in the heart of London and benefit from close links with cultural institutions such as the Photographers’ Gallery and the Museum of London

Graduates from this course have gone on to pursue a wide variety of careers both within the educational, cultural and creative sectors and beyond.

This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:

• Editor
• Educator
• Journalist
• Digital content producer
• Museum, gallery, library or archive professional
• Public relations or communications professional
• Researcher