The Master of Arts by Research degree program involves the completion of a thesis proposal and a research thesis. It is designed for students wishing to engage in serious research but not able to devote the three years required to complete a PhD or with a research project which does not lend itself to that level of extended treatment. Media and Communications is a significant, multi-faceted and interdisciplinary area of study. Media research at UNSW covers the broad spectrum from journalism, advertising, public communication and public relations to digital, mobile, social and networked media. Higher degree candidates in media at UNSW may conduct practice-led or theoretical research. Media researchers at UNSW investigate the professional, social, cultural, political, ethical and philosophical aspects of contemporary media technologies and practices. Researchers examine these phenomena from a range of perspectives, using qualitative, quantitative, practice-led and digital research methods. Higher degree candidates work with academics who are international leaders in their specialised fields, which include: Asian media cultures Media theory and cultural theory Discourse analysis of media Linguistic and semiotic analyses of media Media and affect; media and trauma Game studies Transdisciplinary media and communication Media and communication for development and social change Media ethics Digital and networked cultures (from selfies, to gaming, to online cultures of bullying and aggression) Intermedial composition in creative practice Media approaches to the transnational Media and climate change; media and the environment