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Postgraduate

MA Internet Equalities

a group of people sitting on chairs listening to a seminar
Visitors at Feminist Internet, Designing Feminist Alexa Seminar, 2019, UAL Creative Computing Institute © Lorenza Demata
College
UAL Creative Computing Institute
Start date
October 2024
Course length
1 year 3 months full time (45 weeks across a four-term model)

MA Internet Equalities explores how power relations are organised, embedded and perpetuated in internet technologies, and how they can be organised or challenged through critical, creative and activist practice.

Applying for more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3. Find out more in the Apply Now section.

Why choose this course at UAL Creative Computing Institute

  • High-quality research informed teaching: the course is significantly informed by the research themes of the UAL Creative Computing Institute (CCI)
  • Critical engagement with technology: engagement with creative practice will also build your ability to self-reflect and think critically about your role in shaping the world
  • Institute Environment:  you will have access to purpose-built facilities and technical support, and exposure to creative computing research

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Course overview

MA Internet Equalities explores how power relations and structures of oppression are organized, embedded and perpetuated by internet technologies. It will equip you with critical and technical tools to understand and apply principles of equality in technology research and development, so you can contribute to making the internet and society more equal. We define internet equalities as socio-technical relations that explicitly oppose discrimination on the grounds of race, class, gender, gender identity, sexuality, age, belief or ability. The course will ensure you are proactive in confronting social problems, facilitating greater diversity of all kinds and reducing the risk of destructive outcomes that can be brought about by unethical technologies.

The course offers a choice of units that support three career pathways:

  • Research
  • Programming
  • Social innovation

The course culture is collaborative, open and participatory with an emphasis on peer support and community. You will join a rich research environment at the Creative Computing Institute and work alongside cutting-edge practitioners and researchers working at the intersection of art and design, technology development and ethics.

You will explore a range of interrelated theories including Digital Intersectionality, Post-colonial Science and Technology Studies, Digital Feminism and Queer Theory. You will learn methods including Participatory Action Research, Feminist, post-colonial Human Computer Interaction, Iterative Design, Grounded Theory and Digital Ethnography.

You will work on practical projects and interventions that inform and are informed by the theories and methods taught, positioning you to enter industry as a practitioner or to pursue a research career through PhD progression in this area.

Course units

Term 1 Units

1.1 Intersectional Internets (20 Credits)

In this unit you will explore how power relations are organized, embedded and perpetuated in internet technologies, and how this can be resisted. You will examine structures of oppression including hetero-patriarchy, capitalism, colonialism and white supremacy and the ways they intersect with each other. You will learn how scholars and creative practitioners have used frameworks such as digital intersectionality and post-colonial science and technology studies to push back against these power relations. You will address an internet equality by reviewing and critiquing current discourses and completing a practical intervention.

1.2 Methods for ethical technology development (20 credits)

Supported by seminars, group discussions and exploratory practice, you will prototype and test a method of ethical technology development. You will also present a critique of a relevant theoretical text and its relationship to your practice. Methods covered will include Feminist/post-colonial/anarchist Human Computer Interaction, Participatory Action Research, Iterative Design, and Digital Ethnography. Theories covered will include Digital Feminism, Digital Intersectionality, Postcolonial Science and Technology Studies and Queer Theory.

1.3 Feminist computational practices (20 credits)

In this unit you will be introduced to Javascript, Twitter bots and Python, considering how feminist approaches can frame the practice of coding. This unit has the explicit aim of helping you understand coding skills within a community of practitioners and ensuring you develop a foundation to tackle the rest of the course and orient your coding skills towards ethical technology development.

Term 2/3 Units

2.1 OPTIONAL: Computational Inequalities (20 Credits)

Building on the feminist computational practices unit, this practical unit explores computational bias in the context of surveillance capitalism and big data. Through supervised studio/lab practice, seminars and independent study, you will learn critical and computational approaches to address forms of discrimination and bias that are reinforced by machine learning systems and the data they are trained on. You will explore alternative, crowdsourced and open forms of data and their potential in creative ethical technology development. You will develop a technical prototype and provide accompanying reflective documentation.

2.2 OPTIONAL: Designing for responsible business and innovation (20 Credits)

This unit incorporates workshops and industry visits to explore the moral and business cases for responsible business and innovation. You will hear from leading experts and practitioners about the history and current landscape of workplace equality. You will critically analyse the role of responsible innovation in building a more equal society, considering its place and scope within small start-ups and global corporations. You will present a proposal for a business, policy or other intervention that foregrounds responsible innovation or workplace equality.

 

2.3 Human Rights and Computation (20 Credits)

This unit explores the roles of technology companies, governments, users and the law in making social platforms safe. You will explore legal, human rights and regulatory frameworks surrounding online liability, duty of care and online harms. You will also learn about data protection in the context of surveillance and platform capitalism. You will design an intervention (policy/law change/product/campaign/other) to promote or enhance online safety within a public service or social network.

3.1 Platform Potentials (20 Credits)

On this unit you will use Participatory Action Research and Digital Ethnography to explore the role of online platforms in social change. You will hear from activists and initiators of online movements and discuss the current contexts of community empowerment, collective resistance, subversion and activism. You will study and present a SWOT analysis of an existing online movement, community or platform.

Term 4 Units

4.1 Final Major Project (60 Credits) by prototype, project or thesis (pathway option)

Your final major project will take the form of a dissertation, business proposal, speculative design, or technical prototype that advances internet equality.

Learning and teaching methods

To enable students to demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes, learning and teaching methods will include:

  • 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

Watch the online open day

Staff

Fees and funding

Home fee

£13,330

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£28,570

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

An applicant will normally be considered for admission if they have achieved an educational level equivalent to an honours degree in either the broad field of science and technology studies, computer science, data science, computing, a joint computer sciences and arts/humanities degree, or a closely related subject. Or, from a creative discipline with substantial computational practice such as:

  • Graphic Design
  • Interaction Design
  • Interactive Media Design
  • Web Design
  • Communication Design
  • Digital Design
  • Product Design
  • Educational level may be demonstrated by:

Honours degree (named 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.

Language requirements (International/EU)

If English is not your first language, IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. For more details, please check our main English Language requirements webpage.

Selection criteria

Sufficient prior knowledge and experience of and/or potential in a specialist subject area to be able to successfully complete the programme of study and have an academic or professional background in a relevant subject.

To show a willingness to work as a team player, good language skills in reading, writing and speaking, the ability to work independently and be self- motivated.

Critical knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject area and capacity for research-led study at the intersection of technology, design, and ethics.

We welcome non-standard applications from a diversity of applicants and subject fields and applications that make a strong case for how the course could be applied to the ambitions of the applicant in the pursuit of more equitable technology, will be prioritised. 

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

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How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement and CV.

Personal statement advice

Your personal statement should be maximum 500 words and include:

  • your reasons for choosing the course
  • your current creative practice and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
  • any relevant education and experience, especially if you do not have any formal academic qualifications.

Visit our personal statement page for more advice.

CV advice

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If you have any web projects or other media that you would like to share, please include links in your CV. If English is not your first language, please also include your most recent English language test score.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Applying to more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3 courses. You need to tailor your application, supporting documents and portfolio to each course, so applying for many different courses could risk the overall quality of your application. If you receive offers for multiple courses, you'll only be able to accept 1 offer. UAL doesn't accept repeat applications to the same course in the same academic year.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. This means that we may request your portfolio and/or video task before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer. This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our postgraduate courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Application deadlines

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 equal consideration deadlines to ensure fairness for all our applicants. If you apply ahead of either of these deadlines, your application will be considered on an equal basis with all other applications in that round. If there are places available after the second deadline, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Careers

Graduate attributes

Students from this course will be well positioned to enter industry as practitioners who can build more equitable products and businesses, or pursue a research career through PhD progression in this area.

Graduates will be:

  • Empathetic and care about social issues
  • Mission/value-led
  • Entrepreneurial
  • Equipped with design frameworks to address social issues
  • Equipped to do advocacy/policy work
  • Critical thinkers
  • Creative practitioners

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