Masters by Research at The Centre for Communication, Media and Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal

The Masters by research programme is delivered on a full-time basis over a minimum 2 semester period (one full year); or part-time over a 4 semester period (two full years).

This programme aims to prepare independent researchers in the areas of their specific disciplines: Social Change and Health Communication, Cultural Studies in Practice and Media Analysis, and to be able to generate knowledge at an advanced level by conducting original research that addresses complex context based issues, under the guidance of the research supervisor. While an original and novel contribution to knowledge is not a necessary a requirement for the Masters’ degree, this could be a deciding factor in the award of a distinction. The research project will culminate in the production of a research report in the form of a dissertation in the traditional format or a Creative Contribution and Research Treatise.

Click here for a list of Masters Dissertations and Masters Theses arising out of the programme. 

See also: Investigating Communication, Health and Development: 10 Years of Research in The Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) - This book traces some of the key research conducted over a ten-year period by graduate students of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) Entertainment Education/ Communication for Participatory Development course from its inception in 2002, until 2011.

Although this Masters is a purely research-based programme, it may be recommended that students select modules relevant to their research topic, this is particularly important for Masters students who have not previously attended these modules at an Honours level.  The programme as a whole is conceptually and methodologically integrated with a view to educating graduates to work in the business of the cultural, communication and media industries, and with regard to the design and implementation of communication campaign strategies. Masters candidates can take the following modules:

Research Methodology for Media and Cultural Studies - This module is a ‘backbone’ module to provide research approaches and competencies which can be applied to all areas of study in media, communication, and cultural studies.

Social Change and Health Communication - The module serves as the overarching framework drawing a link between Southern African development and social change through different media from interpersonal to mass communication.  The aim of the module is to learn how to apply theoretical understandings in the creation of frameworks for health and development initiatives, and an ability to analyse strategic communication and ‘Entertainment Education’ interventions.  The public health communication research track specialises particularly in HIV communication and includes the following: 

• Strategic communication for HIV prevention;
• Social and behavioural change communication;
• Participatory methodologies for HIV prevention;
• Culture-centered approach to HIV;
• Entertainment Education;
• Cultural studies perspectives to biomedical innovations; and
• Reception analyses of health-related issues as communicated via different media forms.

South African Mediascapes - The module serves to familiarise students with the South African mediascape across the platforms of print, broadcast and Internet.  Particular attention is paid to community media, and the manner in which the introduction of the Internet has impacted the media scene.

Media Theory - This module integrates an understanding of the primary theories regarding representation with methodological approaches for the application of these theories.  The programme as a whole is conceptually and methodologically integrated with a view to educating graduates to work in the business of the cultural, communication and media industries, and with regard to the design and implementation of communication campaign strategies. Theories and methodologies include: theories of representation, encoding/decoding, semiotics, audience studies, genre and narrative

Cultural Studies in Practice - This module covers various research approaches to understanding, describing, contextualising and analysing the ways in which both the past and the present can be represented and imbued with meaning.

The students are encouraged to take a research methodology module recommended by the research supervisor to strengthen their research foundation. The students are also be exposed to research seminars, workshops, and journal clubs where they will be required to actively participate and share their research.  The students’ research skills are also enhanced through the research supervision process which is interactive in nature, with students critiquing the work they have produced under the guidance of an experienced research supervisor. The students are expected to defend their work as specified in the school research policy and or guidelines, either during the proposal development phase or on completion of the research project and this will require intensive preparation from the students for them to demonstrate mastery of the discipline specific content and methodology of choice.

Click here for a full list of publications associated with the Department. 

Professor Ruth Teer-Tomaselli - Director and academic Co-ordinator for The Centre for Communication, Media and Society. Teer-Tomaselli’s current research interests cover the political economy of the media; broadcasting (both governance and content); South African and African media history; and memory studies with a particular emphasis on mediated-memories.  She has written on political cartooning and political communication.

Donal P. McCracken - Senior Professor of History and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.  Originally from Ireland, Donal McCracken has been an academic for over 30 years, with a research interest divided between environmental history, media history, and the Irish diaspora in Africa.

Professor Keyan Gray Tomaselli - Professor Emeritus and distinguished professor, University of Johannesburg, and was previously director of CCMS. He leads the Rethinking Indigeneity project and is currently researching Media Cities. Some recent books include: Cultural Tourism: Rethinking Indigeneity (2012), Writing in the San/d (2007), Where Global Contradictions are Sharpest (2005).

Lauren Dyll-Myklebust – Senior Lecturer. She teaches graduate modules in research methodology, media theory, and social change and health communication. Her research interests and publication topics include: critical indigenous qualitative research, participatory social change communication, cultural tourism and issues of identity. She has been a key contributor to Prof Tomaselli’s Rethinking Indigeneity project since 2002.

Eliza Govender - Lecturer.  Her research interests include entertainment education, health and development communication, and participatory methodologies with a specific application to HIV and AIDS.

Sarah Gibson - Lecturer. Sarah teaches graduate modules in cultural studies, media theory, and research methodology. Sarah previously worked at the University of Surrey and Lancaster University, in the UK. Her research interests include: critical theory, cultural studies, food studies, hospitality, and mobilities.

Phiwe Nota - Lecturer. Phiwe is an emerging scholar with research interests in Public Health Communications.  Her research interests have been specific to women and health, particularly focusing on HIV prevention technologies for women. She has worked on qualitative studies, these include exploring women’s preferences in HIV prevention technologies, and the development of Information, Education and Communication materials.

Click here for information about all staff members at CCMS.