Program Overview

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Key information

Study mode: | 100% online
Duration: | 2 years, part time
Next start date: | 29 September 2025
Application deadline: | 1 September 2025
Intakes: | September 2025 and January 2026
Tuition fees: | £16,416 * (funding options and instalments are available)

Course overview

In a rapidly changing world, digital expertise is more crucial than ever. Businesses and organisations need individuals who can envision and implement impactful digital solutions that meet user needs, add value, and enhance our lives.

Regardless of your career sector, understanding the current digital landscape and its opportunities and challenges is essential.

This MA programme immerses you in digital trends across various industries, including cultural, creative, media, and gaming sectors. You'll explore today's most pressing topics such as health and wellbeing, activism, politics, and ecology.

From AI to smart cities, you’ll examine the latest digital developments and tackle crucial issues related to profitability, sustainability, and ethics.

Why choose this online MA?

Specialist modules

Focus on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, and explore digital marketing practices around the world.

Cutting-edge insight

Explore ways in which technology can improve our lives, addressing real human and social challenges, limitations and risks.

See technology through a human lens

Harnessing the power of digital is more than understanding big data. This MA considers the impact from various cultural, economic and social perspectives.

Networking opportunities

The Department of Digital Humanities engages with other universities, libraries and directly with industry - including the BBC, Royal Opera House and Tate Modern - among others.

About the Digital Futures Institute

This course is part of the Digital Futures Institute. Its curriculum is enhanced by the Institute's commitment to interdisciplinary research, combining insights from SHAPE, STEM, and artificial intelligence. The Institute's focus on creating better digital futures through ethical practices, diversity, and cultural understanding directly aligns with the course's objectives. This connection broadens your educational scope and deepens the practical impact you can make in technology and society.

What you'll study

This forward-thinking MA is designed to boost your digital and professional expertise. You’ll gain skills that prepare you to lead digital initiatives and understand the key drivers, changes, and opportunities in the digital landscape.

Course content includes:

• Digital innovation and AI
• Digital media and creativity
• Sustainability and ethics
• Communication and social media across various industries

Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to navigate and shape the future of digital solutions, enhancing your career prospects and making a significant impact in your field.

Module overview

This online Digital Futures MA comprises seven modules; two 30-credit core modules, one 60-credit Research Dissertation, and four 15-credit specialist modules (180 credits in total).

All modules on the course are compulsory and you must pass all the modules to complete the award.

Core modules:

Mapping New Trends in the Digital Landscape (30 credits)

The module explores current and emerging trends in the digital landscape, focusing on technological transformation concepts like trendsetting, prediction, and future casting. It uses a historically informed theoretical approach to examine social and technical changes through past, present, and future examples of emerging media.

Looking at the material aspects and functionalities of various media platforms and products, you’ll investigate the impact of innovations such as platformisation, automation, mediatisation, appification, and gamification on users' lives.

You’ll develop analytical methods of critically and ethically evaluating digital phenomena, and a systematic understanding of digital contexts for your own investigations into alternative digital futures.

Designing Sustainable Digital Futures (30 credits)

This module explores how digital technologies impact the sustainability of ecosystems, infrastructures, communities, and livelihoods. You'll critically examine the exploitative and extractive aspects of digital culture, from raw material mining to the harvesting of training data for AI models.

Assessing the ecological impact of digital technologies, you’ll also analyse how digital platforms can exacerbate inequality and political instability. But the module isn’t just about recognising barriers to sustainability; it also challenges you to adopt a solutions-oriented stance, equipping you to imagine more ethical, equitable, and sustainable digital futures.

Drawing on case studies from green design, policy making, art and activism, you’ll collaborate with peers and develop proposals for positive change.

Research Dissertation (60 credits)

The Research Dissertation is a compulsory part of the Digital Futures MA. You'll undertake a research project in an area related to one or more of the modules you’re taking.

You'll be assigned a supervising member of staff who will initiate the project and seek out relevant collaborations, where necessary and possible, within the Schools and Departments participating in the programme.

The project will involve theoretical empirical work. A dissertation of up to 10,000 - 12,000 words is expected. Approval for any practical element should be obtained from both your supervisor and the Programme Director.

Specialist modules:

AI and Society (15 credits)

Artificial intelligence (AI) encompasses technologies including conversational interfaces, self-driving cars, and applications in policing, medical care, and social care. This overview explores AI's diverse applications, along with its associated key issues and debates.

Consequently, you’ll develop a deep understanding of AI's current developments. We'll evaluate AI's use in various fields, understand the technical concepts behind these uses, and address the societal challenges posed by AI.

We'll also reflect on potential responses, including policy and regulations, to manage AI's impact. In doing so, you’ll then be able to evaluate AI applications from a critical and ethical standpoint in your substantial investigations.

Gaming Industries and Cultures (15 credits)

This module provides a critical introduction to the gaming industries and their intersecting cultures. We'll treat the gaming sector as a series of industries across various platforms, with unique histories and contexts.

Topics include the development of industry sectors over time and space, global and regional structures, the nature of careers in gaming, and industry segments (e.g., AAA, casual, indie).

We'll also cover media adaptation, localisation for different markets, and the complex interplay between gaming cultures and industry.

Key focus areas include diversity, representation, co-creation, places of play, eSports, streaming, and other emerging trends in gaming cultures.

Media on the Move: Products and Power (15 credits)

This module examines the global circulation of physical and virtual media, highlighting the power of distributors and publishers to determine how audiences access and engage with media.

Offering insights into the mechanics of formal distribution, the module also shines a light on the informal distribution strategies of pirates, bootleggers and fan communities.

Drawing on media archaeology, infrastructure studies, and distribution studies, among other fields, you'll explore how media are disseminated, archived, merchandised and repurposed today.

Focusing primarily on film and television, the module also addresses case studies from gaming, music, and the arts.

Social Media, Marketing and Platforms (15 credits)

This module enhances your understanding of social media platforms and their impact on digital marketing. It covers the theoretical relationship between social media, platforms, and marketing, supplemented with case studies and practical exercises.

You'll develop vital skills to evaluate social activity in the platform economy, examining phenomena like viral marketing, hype, and engagement within digital cultures.

The module focuses on critically appraising marketing practices and understanding their application in the digital domain. Additionally, you’ll gain hands-on experience in social media data analysis.

Meet the joint Programme Directors

Dr Giota Alevizou

Lecturer in Digital Humanities and Cultures

Dr Rob Gallagher

Lecturer in Games and Immersive Media

How you’re assessed

Assessments are designed to test your knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the topics discussed during the course. They also assess your ability to analyse and apply specialist knowledge to practice. The assessment methods may vary between modules. They’re likely to include one or more of the following:

Group projects

Written coursework (essays and reports)

Dissertation

Entry requirements

Standard entry requirements

A high 2:1 (65% or above) honours degree (or above) or international equivalent in a social science, computer science/ informatics or humanities subject.

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a master's or PGDip).

Non-standard entry requirements

You’ll need to meet ONE of the following criteria:

• A 2:2 honours degree or international equivalent in a related subject (as above). Your application will need to be supported by a CV highlighting relevant experience (or related graduate qualification, e.g. PGDip) and a 500-word written statement (see details under ‘Written statement and supporting information’ below).
• A 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent in a non-related subject. Your application will need to be supported by a CV highlighting relevant experience (or related graduate qualification, e.g. PGDip) and a 500-word written statement (see details under ‘Written statement and supporting information’ below).
• An ordinary or third-class honours degree or international equivalent in any subject area. Your application will need to be supported by a CV highlighting relevant experience (or related graduate qualification, e.g. PGDip) and a 500-word written statement (see details under ‘Written statement and supporting information’ below).
• A master’s degree at merit (or above) or international equivalent in a social science, computer science/ informatics or humanities subject.
• A master’s degree at merit (or above) or international equivalent in a non-related subject. Your application will need to be supported by a CV highlighting relevant experience (or related graduate qualification, e.g. PGDip) and a 500-word written statement (see details under ‘Written statement and supporting information’ below).

English language requirements

English language band: B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You’re usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed:

• An undergraduate degree (at least three years duration) within five years of the course start date.
• A postgraduate taught degree (at least one year) within five years of the course start date.
• A PhD in a majority English-speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Written statement and supporting information

You'll need to submit two reference letters as part of your application.

Depending on your previous qualifications, you may need to submit a 500-written statement and CV highlighting relevant experience as part of your application.

If you’re required to submit a written statement, you’ll need to address the following two questions: ‘In your view, what are the key issues in the domain of digital culture and society? How will your professional career or academic trajectory benefit from studying them?’.

All applicants will need to submit a copy (or copies) of their official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.

Career options in Digital Futures

As digital technologies transform the world around us, it’s becoming increasingly clear that hard tech skills alone are simply not enough to lead a successful digital future. The future of digital development doesn’t just lie in coding and website building. For the most part, it lies in human-centric digital skills like critical thinking, sustainable approaches, emotional intelligence, creativity and teamwork.

From research conducted by AND Digital to initiatives spearheaded by UNESCO, evidence of a human-centric digital skill-gap is everywhere – and this degree is designed to help you fill it.

You may be seeking senior management or strategic roles or looking to pursue specialist digital roles, such as digital strategy, communications, policy and advocacy. It could lead to careers in research, consultancy, policymaking, civil society, the cultural heritage industries or within the media and creative industries, in publishing houses or digital media/marketing companies.

With a keen eye for key changes and opportunities and a unique position at the forefront of digital innovation, here are just a few of the job roles you could pursue as a graduate of this course:

• Digital Innovation Manager
• Digital Ethics and Sustainability Consultant
• Digital Media and Content Strategist
• Digital Marketing Manager
• Cultural and Digital Heritage Consultant
• Digital Communications Specialist

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