Screen and Media Studies
Screen and Media Studies at Waikato makes sure you keep pace with new tools and platforms for the rapidly evolving media industry. You'll get high-quality learning experiences with up-to-date resources in our top 250 QS-rated programme.
During your studies, you'll gain knowledge and learn transferable media skills that can be applied to future technical, social or experiential advancements. It is an area of study for critical, creative and innovative minds and attracts those who wish to not only understand concepts and ideas but also bring them to life. Knowledge is gained from study and hands-on experience writing media content, constructing films, exploiting and adapting media technologies, or designing games.
We expect our students to take their work beyond the classroom and enter competitions and festivals for more experience and greater exposure. Our students have been finalists in film festivals nationally and internationally, contributed specialised skills to feature-length film productions and work for, or run, their own media companies.
Our Screen and Media Studies major for the Bachelor of Arts has the staff expertise and resources to help you launch your career and inspire you to be an innovator in New Zealand and abroad.
Key information
| Study Locations: | Hamilton, Online Papers offered differ by location. The Catalogue of Papers has full location info. |
|---|---|
| Area of Study: |
Study Screen and Media Studies in these qualifications
Study Screen and Media Studies as a specialisation of
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Communication
- Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences with Honours
- Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Management Studies with Honours
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Technology)
- Bachelor of Social Sciences
- Certificate
- Diploma
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts (Applied)
- Master of Management Studies
- Master of Media and Creative Technologies
- Master of Philosophy
- Master of Science
- Master of Science (Research)
- Master of Science (Technology)
- Master of Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
Career opportunities
- Arts Administrator
- Audio Visual Production
- Creative Business Owner
- Cultural Policy Analyst
- Freelancer
- Journalist
- Producer
- Public Relations Practitioner
- Script Writer
Papers
Available Screen and Media Studies papers
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA100 | Understanding Visual Culture | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Our lives are dominated by still and moving images and visual technologies. This paper will constitute an important first step in learning to understand how images variously work to convey ideas, their impact and influence on our behaviour, thinking and culture. It draws on a broad theoretical platform from aesthetics, art history,... | |||
| MEDIA101 | Media, Culture and Society | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Do you ever pause to reflect on the media content that you engage with on a daily basis? Your product choices (e.g. smartphones), or practices (e.g. Googling)? Or how particular media structures are shaping our lives? In this paper students learn to understand the importance of developing a critical perspective on who owns and cont... | |||
| MEDIA102 | Film Production 1: Telling Stories | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| A hands-on practice paper in which students learn to apply film production theory to communicate ideas and tell stories. Students gain experience capturing, constructing and manipulating both audio and moving image in the process of designing, shooting and editing digital short films. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA201 | Conducting Media Research | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| How do we convert our questions into knowledge? This paper explores research as a process of inquiry that can lead to different results. Media researchers employ a wide range of research techniques in order to understand individual and societal experience with all forms of media, as well as examining the roles of media creators. In... | |||
| MEDIA202 | Film Production 2: Experimentation and Creativity | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Students are challenged to extend their creative practice beyond the conventions of narrative film making. Working with moving image and sound, students work in teams to experiment with the affordances of the medium and extend their own creative thinking and strategies. | |||
| MEDIA203 | Digital Arts and Cultures | 15.0 | 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| The 21st century has seen a fundamental shift from analogue to digital media systems. This paper will discuss some major aesthetic approaches and theoretical perspectives that have been developed as a means of explaining what is distinctive about digital media and its artistic and cultural applications (aka creative practices using... | |||
| MEDIA207 | Transmedia Storytelling | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores transmedia storytelling in a variety of contexts. Students will engage with narratives that are spread across multiple media platforms and develop a critical understanding of key concepts and frameworks. | |||
| MEDIA220 | Creative Media Production | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper will engage students with a client-based approach to media production. Students will be asked to produce creative projects adhering to strict criteria in a variety of media formats including film, animation, podcasts, audio-visual installations, and studio-based productions. | |||
| WRITE205 | Writing for the Screen | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores foundational concepts in writing for the screen and develops practical skills in the application of these concepts during workshop sessions. The paper is organised around four main topic areas: world-making, characters, structures, and scenes/sequences. Students will produce a portfolio of writing, including pro... | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA300 | Contemporary Television | 15.0 | 23H (Online) |
| Contemporary television has drastically changed how we tell stories. Over the past two decades, the shift in long-form televisual narrative has resulted in an abundance of high-quality TV dramas that challenge cinematic storytelling. This paper reflects on these changes and asks students to evaluate the success of high-end producer... | |||
| MEDIA301 | Animation | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| While providing a broad critical and historical context of animation and animated films, this paper introduces students to key principles, techniques, cultural expressions, aesthetic approaches and applications for animation. Students are encouraged to explore conceptual approaches, and apply these to innovative creative projects o... | |||
| MEDIA302 | Film Production 3: From Concept to Screen | 15.0 | 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Do you want to create a festival-ready short film? Develop your creative practice in filmmaking and challenge yourself with a hands-on practical paper that builds on the skills acquired in MEDIA102 and MEDIA202. Students hone their craft in several areas, including: cinematography, sound design, scriptwriting and directing to produ... | |||
| MEDIA304 | Documentary | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Students explore documentary theory and practice by examining a range of forms associated with documentary culture, including documentary photography, feature film documentary, 'mockumentary', reality gameshows, and animated documentary. | |||
| MEDIA305 | Interactive Media Design | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) & 23X (Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou China) |
| Create your own interactive projects that expand your creative practice. Students will engage with contemporary arts practices to devise audio-visual installations, evaluate the rise of interactivity in gaming and VR, and create projects that blend different media formats. | |||
| MEDIA309 | Game, Play and Society | 15.0 | 23G (Online) |
| This paper examines interactive digital gaming as a technological, aesthetic and social phenomenon that constitutes a distinct form of expression and discrete category of cultural activity. Students will understand the affordances of games and explore key principles of game design. | |||
| MEDIA310 | Human Interest Storytelling | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper will explore creative non-fiction audio-visual storytelling in a variety of contexts. Students will produce a portfolio of practical outputs within a human interest framework that focuses on specific social, cultural, and political issues. | |||
| MEDIA320 | Creative Media Project | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides an opportunity for students to develop and carry out a small scale creative media project with relative independence. Students will work with a supervisor to develop original creative content as a multi-platform experience. | |||
| MEDIA330 | Podcasting | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Podcasting has become an increasingly popular way of telling stories, exploring issues and educating. This paper will explore this relatively new format introducing its emerging codes and conventions and developing scripts and production skills for producing podcasts. | |||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA501 | Critical and Creative Approaches to Research | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper identifies the constraints and freedoms of research methods, and places a strong emphasis on research as an intellectual, theoretical, and processual activity as well as the roles of interdisciplinary projects in creating unique methodological and conceptual media research. | |||
| MEDIA504 | Media Design and Aesthetics | 30.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Audio-visual media are undergoing continual transformations that question the roles of makers and audiences alike. Students are encouraged to experiment with sensory perception in order to question current notions of aesthetics in relation to cultural practices and media creations. This process of reflection encourages critical per... | |||
| MEDIA507 | Theory and Research in Action | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23B (Hamilton) |
| Have you got a topic you are passionate about to research? This supervised paper provides students the opportunity to engage with primary texts in preparation for writing their dissertation. You will explore research design frameworks which will support the completion of a robust dissertation. | |||
| MEDIA508 | Creative Practice Research | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23B (Hamilton) |
| Are you a creative practitioner that wants to experiment with practice-led research? This supervised paper offers a site for experimentation and development of a practical project to be included in a final dissertation. | |||
| MEDIA591 | Dissertation | 30.0 | 23A (Hamilton), 23B (Hamilton) & 23D (Hamilton) |
| Provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx 10,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led investigation in the fi... | |||
| MEDIA592 | Dissertation | 60.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| Provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx 15,000 - 20,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led investigation ... | |||
| MEDIA593 | Screen and Media Studies Thesis | 90.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| Provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx. 30,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led investigation in the f... | |||
| MEDIA594 | Screen and Media Studies Thesis | 120.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides students with an opportunity to engage with a topic of their choice from the field of Screen and Media Studies under the guidance and supervision of a lecturer from the programme. The outcome is a report of approx 40,000 - 50,000 words or equivalent on the findings of a theoretical, empirical or practice-led inv... | |||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA800 | Screen and Media Studies MPhil Thesis | 120.0 | 23X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA900 | Screen and Media Studies PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 23I (Hamilton), 23J (Hamilton), 23K (Hamilton) & 23X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
| MEDIA901 | Screen and Media Studies Creative Practice PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 23I (Hamilton), 23J (Hamilton), 23K (Hamilton) & 23X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
Expand to read Subject Requirements
Candidates for the MMCT in Screen and Media Studies should normally have completed an undergraduate degree with a major in a relevant discipline and have achieved at least a B average or better.
Please note: Students applying for the MMCT will be encouraged to submit a portfolio comprised of examples of written or practical work (film, animation, VR etc). Candidates are expected to have some experience with any software packages they wish to use for their projects.
Students can choose the following options to complete their MMCT in 1 calendar year, or 1.5 calendar years.
Option 1: Creative Practice-Based MMCT - Students must complete 180 points at 500 level including MEDIA501 (30 pts), MEDIA508 (30 pts) and a 120 point thesis, MEDIA594.
Option 2: Traditional Research-Based MMCT - Students must complete 180 points at 500 level including MEDIA501 (30 pts), MEDIA507 (30 pts) and a 120 point thesis MEDIA594.
Option 3: School of Arts/Design MMCT - Students must complete 180 points at 500 level including MEDIA501 (30 pts), 60 points from MEDIA504, MEDIA507, MEDIA508, MEDIA590 (all 30 pts) or any other 30 point 500 Level paper offered by the University, and MEDIA593.
Contacts
School of Arts
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4543
General and Undergraduate Email Enquiries: [email protected]
Graduate and Postgraduate Email Enquiries: [email protected]