PGCert Global Media and Digital Cultures (Online)
Key information
- Duration
- 2 years (accelerated) or 3 years
- Start of programme
- September 2026 or January 2027
- Attendance mode
- Part time
- Location
- SOAS Online
- Fees
-
PGCert: £4,000
- Course code
- POD-GLMDCC1PD, POD-GLMDCC1PD
Course overview
The PGCert Global Media and Digital Cultures offers a bold, non-Western perspective on how media and digital communication shape globalisation, politics, and culture.
With a focus on Asia, Africa, the Middle East and their diasporas, the programme tackles urgent debates about digital power, participation, and inequality in contemporary societies. Blending critical theory with grounded, interdisciplinary research, it challenges both utopian and dystopian narratives of digital transformation.
You will explore how power and resistance operate in an increasingly mediated world, examining exclusion, marginalisation, and grassroots empowerment. Graduates leave with advanced critical and research skills to interrogate one of the defining forces of our time.
Studying at SOAS
SOAS is ranked among the top 20 in the UK for Communication and Media Studies, and is 7th in the UK for Academic Reputation in the field (QS World University Rankings 2026). Gain a global perspective unlike any other from a world-renowned university based in the heart of London.
Study Tours
All postgraduate students can take part in our Study Tours and explore the world. Destinations include New Delhi, Lahore, Seoul, Luang Prabang, Almaty, Bishkek, Kigali, Johannesburg, and Doha. For more information, see our Study Tours page.
Structure
Full module information coming soon.
You can study this programme as an:
- MA: six modules
- Postgraduate Diploma: four modules
- Postgraduate Certificate: two modules
Teaching and learning
Each module is 14 weeks long and represents 300 hours of learning: 100 hours of assessment preparation and 200 hours of directed and self-directed learning with extensive teacher contact throughout.
Assessment
Instead of exams, we use a range of assessment methods designed to reflect different learning styles and develop real-world employability skills, giving you a real opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned.
Our new online learning portfolio offers a mix of innovative practical projects – like a patchwork project of digital ecosystems, a video or podcast analysis, or a case study of real-life media and communication – and reflective long-form written work.
Fees and funding
Discounts and flexible payment options
We offer alumni and corporate discounts, plus flexible payment options. Eligible alumni receive £1,000 off their first postgraduate year. Groups of two or more employees from the same company get 10% off, subject to verification. Students can also pay fees in two or three instalments if needed.
Find out more on the Online learning discounts and scholarships page.
Employment
We know you’re choosing this programme to advance your career and make a real difference in the world. That’s why we embed employability in every module and offer a range of innovative assessment methods. Graduates leave with:
- Substantial independent projects that demonstrate applied expertise.
- The ability to articulate the value of their degree to employers or future collaborators.
- A range of practical skills valued by employers.
You’ll develop critical and analytical thinking, communication and research skills, an awareness of cultural and political context, and more. These skills are valued across sectors including journalism, media, news, NGOs, campaigning organisations, communications, and politics.