Haixia Hao's student perspective

'The MA in Digital Documentary is a really practical course, I learnt how to write scripts, how to film scenes and how to edit a film during my studies. While finishing my dissertation film [on the Chinese art of changing faces], I was absorbed in an amazing world. I learnt a great deal about co-operating with others – an important skill in everyone's career – and the different production roles – writer, editor and camera.'

Jamie Taylor's career perspective

'Since graduating from the MA in Digital Documentary (2008/09), I have been working in documentary in various fields. The qualification helped me gain a place on the Crossover New Entrants Scheme for emerging film-makers. This then led to a job working as an Assistant Producer for Century Films on a major new documentary series for BBC2 in 2012, Our Secret Streets, which focuses on a history of London over the last 120 years. It's been an incredibly rewarding and busy year since graduating and I've learned an immense amount. The MA at Sussex was the perfect opportunity for me to develop my skills and confidence in a supportive environment.'

Rachel Randle's career perspective

'I discussed my MA and my BA at Sussex during my graduate scheme job interviews [at Vodaphone]. I think it was refreshing to them that I hadn't done business-related courses and that, after my studies, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with the company (interactive and user-interface work to create a better user experience). I am in wholesale marketing at the moment but the skills from university are very transferable to this. I'm hoping to go into the online side of things here as that's what I began to get interested in during the MA. For example, I'm involved in building online presence and enriching communications. The project management skills we used at university were really useful too.'

Arly Faundes's career perspective

'Why did I study this MA? I'm a journalist and I have always thought that as a journalist it's my duty to be updated in all new technologies that can improve communications and the access to information. I am very interested in the development of digital platforms as new media and I wanted to have a theoretical and practical experience, experimenting and discussing about all these new developments.

'I think that it really worked. I liked the MA in Digital Media a lot because I felt an important support from tutors with a high knowledge in digital media but also the freedom to use this material and all this support for my own interests, being able to research, to practice and to create projects in my own area of interest.

'At the moment I'm back in my country, Chile. I am working in two projects. I am Director of the Digital Media Lab of University Diego Portales, one of the main private universities in Chile. The main objectives of this project are to improve the education in digital media for the journalism students of the university, to increase the research in the subject and to generate new digital media projects with the students.

'The other project I'm working on is Digo.cl. Digo is my own project with David Osorio, my husband, who also studied on the MA in Digital Media. Digo is a digital media consultancy that is focused on the development of digital media strategies for companies and institutions. We are focused on digital media training, creation and management of digital media strategies, social media marketing and the generation of online TV Channels.'

Laura Evan's career perspective

Laura now works as a Marketing Manager at Makemedia: 'I decided to go back to university to study as I wanted to change my career path to be more in line with the creative undergraduate degree that I had previously done. The MA in Digital Media helped to further develop my skills as a creative thinker – through both practical and theoretical projects. Classes were interesting and challenging and having completed the course I feel a satisfying sense of academic achievement as well as having a stronger CV. I worked with a local company to complete my final project, where I now work as Marketing Manager and the skills I have learnt from the course help me in my day to day work.'

Laura Evans recently won Graduate of the Year award at the Gatwick Business Diamonds Awards.

Patrick James' student perspective

'At the age of 44, the MA in Digital Media presented an opportunity for me to invigorate my life path. I was anxious about starting the MA in Digital Media. I didn't have a first degree and I was worried that the other students on the MA might be far more capable than me with new technology. In fact I was not the only mature student on the MA, and the other students were of mixed abilities in many areas. The hardest part for me was developing a good academic writing approach. I had done so much writing when working in TV and radio, but that was quite a different style. The MA led me to read many articles and books that I would not have read otherwise. Having really enjoyed doing the MA, I was very pleased to be accepted to do a PhD, which I am working on at present. More information about my research or my project website.'

Frances Hubbard's student perspective

'Completing my full-time MA in Film Studies: Global Film Cultures was an intensely rigorous year, but more importantly a thoroughly enjoyable and intellectually stimulating experience I would highly recommend. The combination of core modules and options enable you to construct a truly interdisciplinary programme of study taught by a brilliant team of experts in their fields, and with weekly research-in-progress seminars as well as graduate research seminars, there is a wealth of innovative and transdisciplinary research to enjoy, as well as the opportunity of presenting your own work in progress and engaging in an active research community. There are also other Departmental colloquiums open to all, such as Queory, which promotes interdisciplinary work on dissident sexualities. I was undoubtedly exhausted at the end of the year, but even within a few weeks of working was missing it already! And when I decided to embark upon a PhD, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to return to Sussex.'

Linda Berkven's student perspective

'I enjoyed my MA in Film Studies: Global Film Cultures at Sussex because of its teaching quality and the diverse range of modules that were offered. The core modules provided a solid basis to work from and to develop my own research ideas. Tutors were very engaged and open for discussions. They were very supportive in helping us get the most out of the degree.'

Jamila MacLean Homburg's career perspective

'When I was looking for Masters courses, I was looking for a more general course that would allow me to look at many different aspects of the media, and many social and cultural theories, but which would allow me to eventually transition into public relations and communications. I chose Sussex generally because of its reputation and this course specifically because of the wide variety of topics covered and modules available throughout the year. This course attracts such a wide variety students, with varying interests, cultures and backgrounds that there was rarely a dull moment in class or out. Each lecture or seminar allowed us to discover more about each other and ourselves. There were so many points of view and different ways of approaching each reading. This was extremely helpful, especially if there were topics, readings or writers who were challenging to us.

'The faculty is beyond fantastic: full of knowledge and really supportive. Each lecturer is very keen to share his or her expertise with the students. But maybe more importantly, they are all very keen to listen to us and help us when we were trying to figure out our own research interests. They are genuinely interested in the subjects we chose for our work, which makes the research process so much more enjoyable.

'What I got at Sussex was an amazing year that has allowed me to move into PR and given me a brilliant foundation for so many other things. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a course focussing on the media, our society and cultural theory.'

Brendan Maarten's student perspective

'As a Sussex undergraduate of 2008/09, picking the MA in Media and Cultural Studies the following year was an easy choice. I had a number of options available to me, including the possibility of studying abroad, but opted for Sussex because of its track record in original and world-leading research and its vibrant and engaging research culture.

'The weekly Research in Progress seminars allowed me to interact with members of faculty on a regular basis, but also provided an opportunity to sample the research of other academics working outside the university. The school of Media, Film and Music was neither too large nor too small, and conformed to the reputation of Sussex as a university driven by interdisciplinary research that examined a range of issues both outside and within the academy. The MA in Media and Cultural Studies introduced me to many of the important historical, theoretical and empirical contributions to the fields of media, culture and society, but also engaged with some of the more contemporary (and increasingly relevant) issues associated with the place of media in modern life.

'I would recommend the course to anyone interested in the place of communications in society, and how the media, broadly considered, shape and define the world in which we live.'

Mahdi Khoel's student perspective

'Studying in Sussex was one of the most enjoyable challenges of my life. As an Iranian who comes from a totally different educational system, I found this new challenge very productive and inspiring both in my educational process and the discovery of new worlds and cultures. I graduated in 2010, and last year was a great opportunity for me to find my aptitude and interest in the course I love.'

Ramakoba Stryker Motlaloso's career perspective

'I arrived at Sussex in September 2003 to read for an MA in Media and Cultural Studies. I must admit from the onset that while I had thought the course would be a smooth sail for me that was not quite to be the case. Indeed, there were times when it was somewhat a daunting undertaking.

'For one, I had spent almost a decade out of school having completed my first degree in 1994. So it was like being reintegrated into society after some years of incarceration. Well, eventually I adapted to the demands of the task at hand. But that was after hours and days of wandering in the academic terrain.

'Sussex offers an exciting environment for studying anchored in an interdisciplinary approach. But that is not all. The University also provides its students with an opportunity to use experience obtained experience elsewhere to further inquire and have a deeper understanding of long held views, and other disciplines and theories that inform media studies such as economics, politics, cultural studies and critical theory.

'What are the lessons that emerge here and what does the developing world offer to developing one? In my view, though the developing countries could learn from the developed, it is critical that we do not transplant ideas from outside without giving due attention to the local context. Another for me is that learning and knowledge is not static, hence we need to keep on asking questions even after being exposed to what academic giants teach us.'

Ramakoba Stryker Motlaloso is a Chevening alumnus. He obtained an MA in Media and Cultural Studies at Sussex in 2004, having previously practiced as a journalist for more than 15 years working for both the government and private press. He now works for the Botswana National Productivity Centre as Public Relations Executive. He can be contacted at ramakobam@bnpc.bw

Sam Brodbeck's career perspective

'What was the best feature of the course? Everything! You get both a vocational qualification and a higher degree. Since finishing my course, I have been published in the New Statesman and The Guardian and I am currently working as a data journalist at a business magazine in London.'

Georgia Axtell Powell's student perspective

'It would be difficult to improve on this course. We have got work placements from Sussex alumni working in media and we get to write for The Argus.'

Brighton Journalist Works: Testimonials