About this program
MA Internet Equalities
The course provides students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds with the skills to understand and implement applied equality in technology development. We define internet equalities as socio-technical systems that explicitly oppose discrimination on the grounds of race, class, gender, gender identity, sexuality, age, belief and ability.
More and more internet-based products, services, platform owners, communities and governments recognise the importance equality plays in developing technologies that can confront social problems such as racism, gender oppression and economic exclusion. Technology professionals who have critical and creative skills around human rights, inclusion and ethical design are in high demand as the industry shifts the narrative from what we could make to what we should make.
Admission requirements
English Language Requirements
All classes are taught in English. If English isn't your first language you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:
- IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our English Language Requirements)
An applicant will normally be considered for admission if they have achieved an educational level equivalent to an honours degree in the broad fields of arts and humanities or the specific fields of science and technology studies, computer science, data science, computing, a joint computer sciences and arts/humanities degree. We also welcome application from a creative disciplines with substantial computational practice.
Educational level may be demonstrated by:
Honours degree (as above).
Possession of equivalent qualifications in a design-related or creative discipline.
Prior experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required. Your experience is assessed as a learning process and tutors will evaluate that experience for currency, validity, quality and sufficiency.
Or a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.
Applicants without the required qualifications, but with professional experience may be eligible to gain credit for previous learning and experience through the AP(E)L system.
APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning
Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
- Related academic or work experience
- The quality of the personal statement
- A strong academic or other professional reference
- A combination of these factors
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the university website.
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Program content
Term 1:
Unit 1.1 - Intersectional Internets
In this unit students will explore how power relations are organized, embedded and perpetuated in internet technologies, and how they can be re-organized or challenged.
Unit 1.2 - Methods for ethical technology development
Supported by seminars, workshops and exploratory practice, this unit will build a methodological foundation for engaging and experimenting with ethical technology development.
Unit 1.3 - Feminist computational practices
In this unit students will be introduced to Javascript, Twitter bots and Python, considering how feminist approaches can frame the practice of coding.
Term 2 and 3:
Unit 2.1 (Optional) - Computational Inequalities
In this unit students will explore subjects like AI bias using relevant technical coding frameworks that underpin contemporary machine learning systems.
Unit 2.2 (Optional) - Designing for Responsible Innovation
In this unit students will explore strategies of change including social and political entrepreneurship, activism and grassroots organization, and how they intersect with responsible approaches to innovation.
Unit 2.3 - Human Rights and Computation
This unit explores how organisations and individuals involved in building, maintaining and consuming internet technologies can actively internalise and implement human rights principles in order to uphold democracy.
Unit 3.1 - Platform Potentials
This unit explores the role of internet platforms, cultures and communities in bringing about social change. Students will learn about the tactics and goals of internet activism, and consider their value and effectiveness at intervening in dominant political orders.
Term 4:
Unit 4.1 - MA Advanced Project
Students’ final major project will be a self-directed project in the form of a dissertation, business proposal, speculative design, or technological prototype.
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Program delivery
Course length: 1 year 3 months full time (45 weeks across a four-term model)
Tuition
- The full tuition fee of 2022/23 for local students is £11,220 per year.
- The full tuition fee of 2022/23 for International students is £22,920 per year.
Qualification
- Project work
- Peer learning and knowledge exchange
- Collaborative problem-solving and group work
- Studio/lab-based practice and masterclasses
- Industry visits and guest critiques
- Lectures and seminars
Career paths
Graduates will be well placed to work in the following areas:
- Technology Development
- Technology Policy
- Technology Research
- Creative Critical Practice
- Digital Product Development
- Digital Project Management
- User Research
Message the school
About this institute
University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London (UAL) is ranked 2nd in the world for Art and Design according to the 2023 QS World University Rankings®, for the fifth year in a row. It has an international reputation in art, design, communication,...
Why study at University of the Arts London
With multiple sites across London, UAL offers endless opportunities to draw inspiration from this global creative hub.
- UAL has a track record for launching and furthering careers across the creative industries and beyond.
- Graduates are frequently shortlisted for national and global awards ranging from the Turner Prize to the Oscars.
- UAL is home to more than 2,400 postgraduate students.
- The university offers a wide range of theoretical and practice-based research programmes leading to a PhD or MPhil.
- UAL is ranked among the UK’s top research universities, with 83% of research conducted by UAL students and staff graded as world-leading.
- UAL has a diverse student community, with students drawn from over 130 countries across the globe.
- Students are encouraged to draw inspiration from London’s world-famous art galleries, museums and theatres.
- UAL’s dedicated support service offers useful advice for international students including guidance on funding, visa applications and accommodation.
Contact info
University of the Arts London
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