Master programme in Geomedia Studies: Media, Mobility and Spatial Planning

Who can communicate what where? How are different places represented in the media, and what are the results? How do different media affect people's sense of place and belonging, and what happens to the distinctions between the private and the public when new technologies are introduced? What are the social consequences of our increasingly mobile media consumption and lifestyles? How can different media technologies be used to communicate a place and its importance, for example in tourism and marketing? How are spaces, such as workplaces, homes and public spaces, planned to shape communication processes and media use? Which actors have power over these processes?
New information needs are created by the intensification of different types of mobility (for example tourism, migration and commuting for work), the rapid expansion of digital media systems (including mobile media, GPS systems and data flows), and the development of 'smart cities', for example. The Master Programme in Geomedia Studies: Media, Mobility and Spatial Planning is a unique cross-disciplinary study programme that combines Human Geography and Media and Communication Studies to understand our present. The programme is particularly useful for students planning careers as, for example, tourism communication officers, place marketers, data analysts, tourist destination developers, spatial and social planners, digital strategists, or researchers.

Education

The Master Programme in Geomedia Studies: Media, Mobility and Spatial Planning offers specialised knowledge in the fields of Human Geography and Media and Communication Studies. The focus is on what we call Geomedia Studies, a growing cross-disciplinary research field that critically examines the relationships between media, communication, mobility and place. A shared knowledge base is built during the first semester, enabling all students to pursue the programme, irrespective of whether they have backgrounds in Human Geography or Media and Communication Studies (or similar fields). The programme is mainly theoretical, but there are some practical components such as project work, practical placements and fieldwork. The programme leads either to a one-year master?s degree (60 ECTS credits) or a two-year master?s degree (120 ECTS credits). Students doing a two-year master?s degree can choose to take a block of optional courses at another university in Sweden or abroad.

Form of Instruction

Teaching is mainly offered on campus in the form of lectures, seminars and group work. The practical components include project work, practical placements and fieldwork. Some web-based teaching (also known as blended learning) is included.

Study Abroad

The third semester of the programme comprises optional courses (15 ECTS credits) and a practical placement (15 ECTS credits) and can be completed abroad. This gives students good opportunities to give their studies an international flavour. Karlstad University has agreements with a number of higher education institutions in Europe and beyond. The programme also benefits from the robust international research network in Geomedia Studies cultivated by Karlstad University. Students therefore have good opportunities to meet both established researchers and other students in Sweden or abroad.

Professional Contact

During the programme, students have the opportunity to establish contact with potential employers through project work, practical placements and guest lectures. Students can also choose to do their degree projects in collaboration with a business, public agency, non-profit organisation, or similar.

Semester 1	ECTS credits
Introduction to geomedia studies (Obligatory)	7.5
Specialisation course 1: Geomedia, culture, and everyday life (Obligatory)	7.5
Specialisation 2: Geomedia, public opinion, and the public sphere (Obligatory)	7.5
Specialisation course 3: Geomedia, spatial planning, and mobility (Obligatory)	7.5

Semester 2	ECTS credits
Geomedia studies in practice (Obligatory)	15
One-year master thesis in geomedia studies (Elective)	15
Project management and design (Elective)	15

Semester 3	ECTS credits
Geomedia practical placement (Obligatory)	15
Optional course (Optional)	15

Semester 4	ECTS credits
Two-year Master Thesis in Geomedia Studies (Obligatory)	30

*Full-time study always equals 30 ECTS credits per semester (20 weeks).

Elective course: Students are free to choose among certain alternative courses, often depending on their choice of specialisation.

Optional course: Students are free to choose any course offered at Karlstad University or at other universities. Courses listed are examples of recommended or frequently chosen courses for a specific programme.

Start semester Autumn 2019

• Programme evaluation (KAU-70013)

Start semester Autumn 2020

• Programme evaluation (KAU-70185)