Master of Arts [MA] (Culture and Media Studies) Syllabus, Course Structure and Program Schedule 2025-2026

The mode of teaching in this course is through theory classes, practical classes, audio-visual classes for analysis and on-site training along with research. The course demands these modes of teaching as it has very vast variety of courses cumulated under one program.

MA Culture and Media Studies: Syllabus

The syllabus for the course is divided into four semesters. A general overview of the syllabus is as follows.

Name of the course	Topics covered	Description
Introduction to Cultural Studies	What is Culture? Core ideas in Cultural Studies; Orientalism and Post-Colonialism; Nationalism and Post Nation.	The course aims at imparting a critical perspective towards the culture and hegemony.
Visual Culture	Basic Concepts in Semiology; Image, Myth and Power; Ways of Seeing; Media Frames: Meaning, Ideology and Context.	The focus of this course is on the visual images and narratives and how they are constructed in an ideological frame.
Introduction to Media Studies	Media and Communication; Media Origin and Growth and Audience; Media, Society and Communication; Models.	This course introduces the basic concepts of media and how globalization affects it through a theoretical context.
Video-production	Aesthetics of Video- Production, Video camera and support systems, Elements of Video-production, Single-camera production and Multi-camera production.	This course is a combination of a theory course and a lab-course which gives an overview of the basic features of audio-video medium and also provides the skills to the students to engage in video production.
Journalism: Theory and Concepts	Introduction to Journalism, Understanding news, How a Newspaper Works, News gathering, reporting and writing, Elements of a Good Story, Media Laws and Ethics.	This too is a theory and practical combination course, it focuses on the understanding of news and the representation of news through practical classes on work site and in classrooms.
Fundamentals of Photography	Photographic optics, DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera) and its functioning, Photography, Visual language, Regular photography practical session.	This is a purely visual study of the photography, however, students are also taught the theory related to photography and situating it in the historical contexts. The practical exercise aims at making students understand the capturing of images more efficiently.
Basics of Visual Design	Visual perception and Theory of Design, Essential Elements of Design, Principles of Design, Forms of Design- Brief Introduction.	The course aims at making students understand the essential concepts related to design and learn the designing process.
Understanding Society and Politics in India	India as an Object of Study, Contemporary caste dynamics, Gender in Indian society, Class relations, Religion.	The course is focused on presenting a broader perspective of the general concepts of the contemporary India and its various aspects related to culture and society.
Media Studies Research	Approaches to understanding social reality, Basic elements of Research, Towards an Interpretative Research Process, Writing a Research Report.	This paper aims at the understanding of the social reality through the concepts of research and how media and cultural studies are studied by a researcher in a frame already constructed by the ideological practices.
Documentary Film	The Language of Documentary, Documentary Film in India, Documentary production.	This course discusses the production of documentaries and the kind of content delivered through it, the history of documentary making in India and the process of producing a documentary film.
Video Post-Production	Theoretical concepts of video editing, Post production.	The theoretical classes under this course aim at making the students understand the concepts of video editing and the editing techniques. The practical classes make the student use the skills in the post-production of videos.
Aesthetics of Films	History of Cinema, Film as Audio-Visual Representation, Ideological Movements and Cinema, Film Experience and Major Issues.	The paper focuses on the different aspects of film studies.
Cultural Studies: Application and Approaches	Questions of Identity and Culture, Gender, Body and the Culture of Modernity, Contesting Cultures, Techno- Culture.	The course studies the role of culture and the study of culture as the site of dynamic possibilities in terms of social struggles and the utopian possibilities.
Journalism: New challenges and applications	Contemporary media scene, Writing for Special and sensitive issues, Writing and Editing for Television News, Lab journal.	This is an advanced level journalism course which focuses on journalistic writings and the understanding of different media forms.
Folklore and Oral Traditions	What is Folklore and Folklife? Folklore – Theories and Its Relevance, Forms of Folklore, Folklore: Fieldwork and Documentation.	This course makes the student acquainted with the importance of folklore and the oral tradition.
Indigenous Culture	The Indigenous people, Indigenous cultures, knowledge and economic development, Indigenous people in the contemporary world.	The students are made aware of the first hand experiences of people’s voices and the study of indigenous cultures.
Cinema Studies	Introduction to Indian cinema, Language of film and meaning, Theories of film, Cinema in the digital age.	It is a paper about the cinema studies in the Indian historical context and the contemporary context.
Intercultural Communication	Introduction, Communications between cultures and traditions, intercultural communication and mass media, Intercultural communication and international implication, Practical assignments: research paper/ productions.	This course aims at making the students widen their perspective about the cultures and the importance of intercultural communication.
Seminar Course on Dissertation OR Production OR Field Survey Report	Media Project, Dissertation.	It is a purely research based course where students are supposed to submit a dissertation.
Heritage and Museum Studies	Historical Background of Heritage, Discourse of Heritage Conservation, Heritages as a Cultural Construct, Consumption and Commercialization of Heritage.	This paper makes the students aware of the important aspects of heritage and heritage conservation.
Advertising and Public Relations	Definitions, Scope, Concept of Advertising, Types and classifications of advertising, Ad agency, Public Relations (PR): Definitions and Concept.	The advertising and PR skills help students develop better communication skills and managerial qualities.
Reading Television	Framing Television, Globalisation of Indian Television, Television and Genre, Television Project.	It studies the role of television in the political, cultural and social scenario.
New Media	Overview of online Communication & Internet, New Media, Content Journalism, Laws and Ethics.	The aim of the course is to understand the role of media technologies in the society and the impact of new media on communication in the contemporary world.
Production of Fiction Film	Development of Idea and Research, Story and Scriptwriting, Screenplay writing and Shooting Script, Organizing Shooting and Production Management.	It is a practical classroom course which helps students produce a fiction film.
Media Internship	Internship report, Supporting material, Presentation and Viva.	It is meant for a hands-on training required to understand the workings of media.
Production	Production phase, Post production phase, Submission and presentation of film.	The course deals with the concepts of production for practical knowledge.
Development Communication	Development communication, Development Communication for specific areas, Mass Media and development communication, Development institutions and communication.	The focus of the course is to understand and cultivate an analytical thinking on developmental issues and thus engage in media writing to be a part of the social change.
Media Organization and Management	Introduction to Media and Communication, General Introduction to Management, Nature of Organizational Behavior, Managing a Media House.	The course helps develop managerial qualities among the students and learn about team work to work in any organization.