The Degree

The Master of Arts in Creative Media (MACM) aims at shaping the future researchers, intellectuals and cultural engineers of the creative economy. This selective programme offers a humanities-oriented curriculum complementing the School’s mission to develop a range of aesthetic, theoretical and techno-scientific expertise in the fields of new media arts.

Degree Characteristics

• Provides comprehensive interdisciplinary grounding in the theory, history and criticism of new media arts
• Provides a critical understanding of how current technological innovation and artistic practices reconfigure contemporary thought, aesthetics, technology, culture, law, environment and society
• Core teachings in critical media theory, cultural studies, philosophy of technology and theories of world building
• Electives include aesthetics, media ecology, media archeology, film studies, new cinema, media art theory and practice, visual studies, sound art, video game studies, art management, law and digital cultures, curation, gender studies and popular culture studies
• Excellent preparation for future professional careers in media arts, creative media industries, art organisations, specialised journalism, private research, publishing industries, cultural policy and public administrations or for further doctoral studies

Applicants normally must satisfy the University’s General Entrance Requirements for taught postgraduate programmes, i.e. they should be graduates of an accredited bachelor’s degree programme or equivalent. Both fresh graduates and individuals with some working experience in relevant industries are invited to apply. Applicants without the specified qualifications may still be considered for admission to the programme if they are able to present equivalent qualifications. All applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to pursue the programme.

The School assumes that applicants will have achieved a basic level of computer literacy. Accepted students may be advised to take intensive courses or take additional coursework together with MACM courses to make up for knowledge/skills gaps.

English Proficiency Requirement

Applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is not English should also fulfil the following minimum English proficiency requirement:

• A TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based test) or 59 (revised paper-delivered test) or 79 (internet-based test)^@#; or
• An overall band score of 6.5 in International English Language Testing System (IELTS)^@; or
• A score of 500 in the new College English Test (CET-6) of Chinese mainland; or
• other equivalent qualifications

^@TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years. Applicants are required to provide their English test results obtained within the two years preceding the commencement of the University's application period. 

^#Applicants are required to arrange for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their TOEFL results directly to the University. The TOEFL institution code for CityU is 3401.

Fellowship awards are available for local students admitted to this programme under the Fellowships Scheme supported by the HKSAR Government. This programme in the priority area of “Culture, Heritage and Humanities” is one of the targeted programmes listed under the Fellowships Scheme with 6 fellowship awards. Local students admitted to the programme in full-time, part-time or combined study mode will be invited to submit applications for the fellowships.

The Master of Arts in Creative Media (MACM) programme consists of 30 credit units, which includes 12 credit units of core courses and 18 credit units of elective courses. The required programme core courses explore key topics, methodologies, and issues in critical media theory, cultural studies, philosophy of technology and theories of world building. The elective courses are structured around three concentrations. Students can take courses from any concentration to fulfill the elective requirement. 1 New Media Arts and Aesthetics. This includes several courses which provide a deep understanding of contemporary approaches to arts rooted in our School's tradition and expertise in avant-garde, experimental and neonarrative New Media Arts. 2 Critical Theories for Arts and Technology. This proposes several courses of advanced studies in contemporary thought and in new media theory in which our School has developed a strong international presence. This concentration allows our students to be part of the most recent intellectual debates in Western/non-Western contemporary philosophies. 3 Interventions in Media Cultures. This fosters students’ capacity to intervene in the social, mediatic, regulatory, urban environment. This concentration takes advantage of the strong integration of our School in its cultural, artistic and economic regional context.

Assessment in all courses normally will be entirely through coursework, which will consist primarily of written assignments (e.g. analytical essays, research papers, thought pieces, journals, critical responses and reviews, ethnographic study). Practical assignments involving the use of various media technologies (e.g. Web design tools, video, sound recording, animation) may be incorporated within individual courses.

MACM graduates take high level positions in the creative media industries and art administration, become specialised journalists, work in the private research sector, publishing industries or in cultural policy sectors. The rigorous intellectual foundation provided by this programme allows its graduates to pursue further studies in highly ranked PhD programmes.

Course Descriptions
School of Creative Media
Sample Study Plan