[Air-L] Masters (MSc) programme in Digital Anthropology at University College London

Lane DeNicola denicola at alum.rpi.edu
Fri Jan 13 01:54:58 PST 2012


Masters (MSc) programme in Digital Anthropology at University College London

  http://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthro/digital-anthropology/

The *MSc in Digital Anthropology at UCL*, now accepting applications for
its fourth year, is a world leader in the training of researchers in the
social and cultural dimensions of information technologies and digital
media.

Facebook and YouTube. eBooks and massively-networked gaming. Mobile
communications and the Internet of Things. Digital technology has become
ubiquitous, woven not only into pedestrian artefacts and the built
environment but into our social and spiritual lives.  Museum displays
migrate to the Internet, family communication in the Diaspora is dominated
by new media, artists work with digital films and images. Anthropology and
ethnographic research is fundamental to understanding the local
consequences of these innovations, and to creating theories that help us
acknowledge, understand and engage with them. Today's students need to
become proficient with digital technologies as research and communication
tools. Through combining technical skills with appreciation of social
effects, students will be trained for further research and involvement in
these emergent worlds.

This MSc (nominally one year of full-time study) brings together three key
components in the study of digital culture:

 1. Skills training in digital technologies, including our own Digital Lab,
from multimedia fieldnotes and  video editing to digital asset management
and virtual ethnography.
 2. Anthropological theories of virtualism, materiality/immateriality and
digitisation.
 3. Understanding the consequences of digital culture through the
ethnographic study of its social and regional impact and issues of the
digital divide.

University College London is one of the highest rated universities in the
world according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the Times
Higher Education World University Rankings.

Alumni of the Digital Anthropology programme have secured positions in both
the public and private sectors, at organisations in fields ranging from
design to marketing, game development to open content advocacy. The
programme has fostered research engagements and placements with Skype,
Microsoft, and Google among others. A major grant just awarded to
department staff by the European Research Council will focus on social
networking across a disparate array of countries, and a foundational edited
volume on Digital Anthropology (edited by and featuring a number of staff
within our own department, along with many other leaders in the field) is
scheduled to be released this summer from Berg Publishers.

The programme is suitable both for those with a prior degree in
anthropology but also for those with degrees in neighbouring disciplines
who wish to be trained in anthropological and related approaches to digital
culture. There is scope for those with specialist interests to work closely
with information system designers, curators, communication specialists as
well as our own digital studio. In addition to its importance for careers
such as media, design and museums, digital technology is also integral to
development, theoretical and applied anthropology.

For further information about this programme contact Dr. Lane DeNicola (
l.denicola at ucl.ac.uk).  General and country-specific information for
international applicants can be found at the International Office website:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international-students/

Applications are now handled exclusively online:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate-study/application-admission

While the general application deadline is not until 3 August 2012,
applicants who may have funding or visa contingencies are advised to apply
by 1 March (or earlier, depending on the funding programmes being applied
to).

University College London has over 3,500 research staff and 17,000
students, ranking among the top three multi-faculty research and teaching
universities in the UK. Located in the heart of Bloomsbury among the unique
research resources of central London, which include excellent museum
facilities as well as a dense network of specialist research and higher
education institutions, the College provides an outstanding research base.
The Department of Anthropology combines social and biological anthropology
and material culture. Members of the Department carry out research in 49
countries, edit four international journals and run five research seminar
series and specialist postgraduate research groups. There are over 140
postgraduate students funded by AHRC, ESRC, NERC, MRC, London University,
British Academy, Institute of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Overseas
Research Studentships, staff research programme awards, and various
national governmental and international awards. UCL is thus one of the
largest centres in the world for the training of PhD students in
Anthropology.

The Dept. of Anthropology at UCL is the world's leading centre for the
study of Material and Visual Culture (we have eight specialist staff in
material and visual culture).  We currently supervise approximately fifty
PhD students specifically in this field, including many with topics in
Digital Anthropology.  Amongst other activities members of this group edit
the Journal of Material Culture, the journal Home Cultures, and several
book series and (in collaboration with NYU) the weblog at
materialworldblog.com.

The Department encourages pure and theoretical research as well as
providing strong links with applied and development projects.  As well as
holding top research standing, the Department has been rated excellent in
successive teaching quality audits. There are 8 taught Masters courses and
several undergraduate degrees (BSc Anthropology, BSc in Human Sciences, and
Intercalated BScs in Medical Anthropology).

-- 
Dr. Lane DeNicola
Lecturer in Digital Anthropology
Department of Anthropology
University College London
http://www.lanedenicola.name



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