Digital Media & Information Studies/Psychology

Digital media and information studies combined with psychology is a pairing that addresses one of the most pressing and consequential questions of our time: how do human minds interact with, create and respond to digital content, information systems and the online world? Digital media and information studies examines the creation, use and impact of digital content and information in the arts, humanities and society, bringing a human perspective to the technologies, platforms and practices of the digital age. Psychology provides the scientific framework for understanding the cognitive, social and emotional mechanisms that shape how people engage with digital environments.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time degree develops your understanding of both disciplines in an integrated way. You will study the history, theory and practice of digital media alongside the study of human information behaviour, digital culture, data and society, and the ethical dimensions of the digital age, while also engaging with the core areas of psychological science including cognitive, social, developmental and biological psychology. The overlap between the two disciplines is substantial: questions about attention, persuasion, memory, social influence, identity and wellbeing in digital contexts are simultaneously psychological and media-analytical.

A year abroad is available, giving you the opportunity to study in another academic environment and to develop your understanding of how digital culture and psychological knowledge intersect in different national contexts.

You will develop research skills in both traditions, the ability to evaluate empirical and interpretive evidence, and the analytical and communication capabilities that both disciplines demand.

Graduates move into digital media and communications, user experience research, technology policy, social media analytics, journalism, digital humanities research, advertising, and a range of roles in organisations concerned with how people interact with digital systems. Postgraduate study in media studies, psychology, human-computer interaction or information science is a natural pathway.