Programme summary for MA, Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate Innovation Studies

Programme Leader: Josephine Anne Stein
Please click here to Apply online

This programme will next run in academic year 2010/11, starting in September 2010.

The MA in Innovation Studiesis offered as part of the European Society, Science and Technology (ESST) Master’s programme, which is run by an association of 15 European universities. Students have the option of moving to another European university in the second semester, each offering different specialisations. Funding for mobility is available for EU nationals under the Erasmus scheme. All students benefit from the European ESST partnership through exchange of pedagogical and resource materials, guest lecturers from other European universities, and on-line discussion fora. For more information, please click here.

The first semester of the MA draws upon the sociology of scientific knowledge, information, information society theory, the economics of technical change, geography, political theory and policy evaluation, and other perspectives associated with innovation systems and processes. You take a research methods module in the social sciences and begin to develop ideas for your dissertations.

In the second semester, you receive a concentrated programme of lectures on sociotechnical dynamics of the information society, take one option module, and proceed to write a dissertation under supervision.

About the programme

This programme explores the complex and dynamic relations between the social and technological forces that shape the innovation process in an international context. It is closely linked to active research at UEL and beyond. In particular, there is an emphasis on inequalities due to gender, socio-economic status and/or race, social distribution of responsibility, wealth, and ethical considerations related to the governance of innovation in both business and the public sphere.

Programme structure

The programme offers a Master of Arts (MA) to students who complete four taught modules, including two core modules in Innovation Studies, one required module in Research Methods, and one optional module, plus a research dissertation. It may be taken part-time or full-time. In addition to the MA in Innovation Studies, the Programme offers a PG Certificate to students completing both core Innovation Studies modules, and a PG Diploma awarded to students who complete all four taught modules. The PG Certificate is offered part-time, whilst both the PG Diploma and the full MA are offered in both part-time and full-time modes.

The MA is awarded to students who have accumulated 180 credits; the PGDip is awarded to students who have accumulated 120 credits from taught modules; and the PG Cert is awarded to students who complete both core Innovation Studies modules. All taught modules = 30 credits; Dissertation = 60 credits.

Specialist Innovation Studies Core Modules:

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies
Socio-Technical Dynamics of the ‘Information Society’

Core Module:

Quantitative Research Methods (Social Sciences)

Optional Modules:

Students are invited to select, by negotiation, one option from the following:

Software as Culture
Globalisation, Media and Policy in a Digital Age
Managing Policy
Global Media: An Introduction
a University-wide option

Research Dissertation:

The research dissertation is a key element of this programme and as such counts as a double module (60 credits). The objective of the dissertation is to develop the student's ability to study independently, making their own critical appraisal of their chosen subject and drawing conclusions from it.

Students will be required to demonstrate that the research undertaken has been completed to an appropriate level for a Masters award. The dissertation must therefore, in general terms, include elements of research, independent work, and the collation and analysis of data. The research will be required to make a contribution to the understanding of the field studied and will be supervised by a member of staff with an interest in the field.

Mini Outline

MA Innovation Studies (if Full Time)

SEMESTER A (Sept – Jan)

Science, Technology and Innovation

This module provides an overview of the roles and impacts of science, technology and innovation in contemporary society and the complex dynamics of social and technological forces shaping innovation. The focus is on innovation in the developed world, and also how the costs and benefits of innovation are distributed unevenly in political, economic, social and environmental terms.

Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences

The module presents the ways in which quantitative data are used in social science research, offers instruction on developing the necessary practical skills through project work using key software and builds confidence in the manipulation of large quantitative datasets.

SEMESTER B (Feb – June)

Socio-Technical Dynamics of the ‘Information Society’

This module investigates the ways in which agencies and organisations at different levels attempt (and sometimes fail) to control networked services and media. Particular attention is paid to regulatory principles, theoretical analysis of the forces influencing regulatory outcomes and the ways in which regulatory actions are legitimated.

Option Modules

The ONE option module may be:

Globalisation, Media and Policy in a Digital Age
Software as Culture
Managing Policy
Global Media: An Introduction
a University-wide option

Summer (until Sept/Oct)

Dissertation

Specialist supervisors from a range of backgrounds will supervise students’ dissertation work and provide a supportive environment for theoretically informed projects tailored to students’ interests. Students will begin planning and thinking about this substantial piece of work from the beginning of the programme. The project may include critical reviews of literature and/or policy documents, field research (such as the administration of questionnaires, interviewing, focus groups or on-line interactive research), and theoretical and/or methodological innovations. The work will be original, integrative and prepared according to high standards of writing, structure and presentation.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this degree can go on to develop successful careers in a wide range of occupations in both the public and the private sectors. These include posts in government, law, regulatory agencies, finance, charities, media and public services such as healthcare and education. The international dimension of the MA equips you to work across a broad range of national and cultural environments and in careers that involve aspects of international innovation processes. You can also go on to pursue further study at PhD level and an academic career.

Support

Innovation Studies postgraduate students benefit from a wide range of personal, practical, and pedagogical support mechanisms. The MA is conducted within the vibrant research culture of the School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies. The School is internationally renowned and was awarded a ‘5’ rating in both the 1996 and 2001 HEFCE Research Assessment Exercises and an ‘excellent’ in its last Teaching Quality Audit; in the area of sociology of technology the School achieved the highest rating of ‘4’ in its institutional category. This is an exceptional profile in the modern university sector. Staff research is characterised by a commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry and draws on insights from across the physical, biological, computing and social sciences. The School is home to a number of research centres and organises regular public seminars, lectures and international workshops and conferences at which postgraduate students are welcome.

A required module on Research Methods (Social Sciences) taken in Semester A is supplemented by additional workshops in both semesters which are open to all postgraduate students, both at MA and PhD level. Each Innovation Studies MA student works under the supervision of a member of staff who provides tuition and advice on research and the choice of optional modules, and if needed referral to other colleagues. A great range of student services made available by UEL. The Learning Resource Centre at the Docklands Campus is open 24 hours a day and features state-of-the-art information retrieval and management, from books and journals to databases and extensive on-line resources, and offers an inter-library loan service. It provides a wealth of research-related information, training and support, including research and educational software.

Admission

Applicants are normally required to have a good honours degree in a cognate area of study. Mature applicants with a degree or with substantial professional experience may be considered for admission, usually on the basis of an interview. If English is not your first language we require that you demonstrate your English language skills by achieving an overall IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent.

The University of East London applies the principle of equality of opportunity to its admission process and will encourage the recruitment of local, national and international students and those with special needs. Students are recruited from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds and increasingly come from all over the world.