Study plan 2021

Study plan for Master's degree in Media Management

Target group for the degree programme: Relevant bachelor's degree and tree-years work experience required

Degree taken and scope: Bachelor of Engineering, 240 ECTS / 4 years

Main language of instruction: English

Needs - society and working life

The Master programme in Media Management at Arcada is designed to address fundamental needs in our students' professional life and in our societies.

The fundamental need as far as professional life is concerned in the complex process of managing people, teams and small groups that perform the work in the media field. There is need for work-life balance, as the attainment of it cannot be the sole responsibility of the employee or individual. Wellbeing correlates to efficiency, effectiveness and wellbeing, which addresses even broader and shared issue of global wellbeing. The countries performing the highest in work-life balance have the shortest workdays and many of them, including Finland, are Nordic countries. Further, leadership in media work work is increasingly about managing relations external to one's own organization, such as outsourced or subcontracted labour. Media management calls for democratic-participatory leadership, as the media manager needs to drive change, creativity and lead ethically, in a situation when boundaries are complex.

In addition to this media industry is experiencing continuous technology driven organizational change as well as a parallel process of rapid obsolescence of technical knowledges. As we are entering an augmented era in which we partner with sophisticated technologies, knowing gives way to learning. Thus, as far as professional life, there is a need to use technology as an enabler of novel and creative action.
On the matter of social needs, democracy is a key issue. In the current era everyone can be a media maker. Value and meaning get created as communities, organizations tap into cultural and creative products as resources for their own conversations and spread them to others who share their interests.

A challenge for media organizations is the loss of control inherent in this networked culture. They are dependent on networked individuals to circulate, curate, and upraise their content. These capabilities of new media technologies have also offered significant promise in redefining government-community and government-citizen connections and interactions.

The profile and competencies of the education

In the education we educate media managers with the competence and the inclination to meet both needs identified above.The need to preserve the democratic functions of the media within the challenging conditions of a market economy is addressed through study-unit (course?)content and educational practices that a) familiarize the students with the current situation, our ‘reality’ but also b) offers alternative and critical perspectives, and knowledges in support of alternative states of affairs and possible futures.Democratic-participatory leaderships is a challenge for any organization, and the education aims at creating such an environment by encouraging a mutually supportive relationships where students are valued for the unique, creative perspective they bring. The professional needs associated with the rapid obsolescence on knowledges in relevant domains (e.g. in media technologies, business and administration, news broadcasting, cultural production, etc.) is addressed through educational and pedagogical practices and relations that promote the intellectual development of the students as a critical learner. As jobs disappear and new once emerge, identity, and a sense of self roots to purpose, passion and curiosity, rather than to “what one does”. Our education, in other words, teaches students to keep learning on their own.

Specialized Professional Studies (30 ECTS)

Strategy and Management in Media (15 ECTS) - Competence goals

Upon completion of this module, you can critically assess and discuss media management theory.You have a solid expertise in both media and management, as well as an exceptional understanding of today’s markets and the world of media. You can apply your competence in close collaboration with actors in the media field. You can explain and critically reflect on media innovations, their renewal and design and why these are crucial to competitive advantage and organizational success.

The Optional studies allows you to select an elective course to broaden your competence in a field of interest. The chosen course should be relevant for your media studies and has to be on EQF7 level.

The module consists of these study units:

• Media Management and Leadership 5 ECTS
• Media Innovations 5 ECTS
• Optional Studies 5 ECTS

Technology, Ethics and Media Management (15 ECTS) - Competence goals

Upon completion of this module ,you can identify and explain core social scientific perspectives on society, technology and science and can argue for your views based on this within a professional setting or research in media management. You can apply your critical awareness of data and information knowledge issues, and you can apply problem-solving skills in the field of ethics and technology within the local and global media technology environment in order to be able to manage and transform how we work with technology in the media field.

The module consists of these study units:

• Media Technology and Leadership 5 ECTS
• Theories & Practices in Media Management: a Critical Introduction 5 ECTS
• Knowledge Creation and Methodology 5 ECTS

Specialized Research Studies (30 ECTS)

Research studies (30 ECTS) - Competence goals

Upon completion of this module, you can define, choose, argue for and adapt specialized concepts, methods and data related to your specialized knowledge about your own area. You can adapt and use them as the basis for your own individual thinking and/or research. You can independently solve demanding problems in a creative way within research and/or innovative operations and thereby develop new knowledge and ways of working. You can apply and integrate knowledge from different areas. You can argue for and follow ethical principles in research.

The module consists of these study units:

You can define, choose, argue for and adapt specialized concepts, methods and data related to your specialized knowledge about your own area. You can adapt and use them as the basis for your own individual thinking and/or research. You can independently solve demanding problems in a creative way within research and/or innovative operations and thereby develop new knowledge and ways of working. You can apply and integrate knowledge from different areas. You can argue for and follow ethical principles in research.

• Master Thesis 30 ECTS