The MA Digital Narratives supports young creatives to strengthen their own artistic, practical, and theoretical skills, as well as their artistic position within digital culture in a collaborative and international environment. Students are encouraged to experiment, think critically and produce digital narratives ─ from immersive experiences to AI-driven narratives.

The central elements of the MA Digital Narratives curriculum are:

Digital Culture

• Critical analysis and research of media ecosystems ─ as spaces where debates around gender, diversity, social justice, ecology, and colonial histories are at play. 
• Understanding how the new possibilities that digital technologies afford can help rethink these structures. 
• Investigation of the social responsibility in the arts and media in digital societies.

Narratives

Research and development of immersive narratives based on new storytelling formats, audience engagement strategies, and emerging technologies, such as XR and AI.

Creative Methods

Training in creative and agile methods for ideation, development, prototyping, and production of artistic digital projects. Work in creative businesses and in interdisciplinary and collaborative work environments.

Project Conceptualisation and Development

Throughout the programme, students conceptualise, design, and develop a digital narrative project. During the first three semesters, they focus on concept ideation, development and prototyping of their ideas.

Combined Master’s Project and Master’s Thesis

In the 4th Semester, their project becomes part of their Master’s thesis, with the students distributing the project and written thesis in an 80%-20% ratio or vice versa. Their work is supervised and guided by professors, tutors, and the Digital Narratives and Production departments.

Project Support

To complete their Master’s projects, students have access to the technical equipment of the ifs, support from the Production Department, and allocated financial support of max. €4,000 per student.

From the start of their studies, MA Digital Narratives students expand their professional networks by meeting creatives and professionals as guest lecturers, during in-house and partner institutions events, and when pitching their semester and Master’s projects.

The teaching staff (professors and lecturers) enjoys professional relationships with public institutions such as Film und Medien Stiftung NRW, the National Film Board of Canada, Medieninnovationszentrum Babelsberg; non-profits/foundations such as Interactive Media Foundation, Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Natural History Museum Berlin; private entities such as Upian, Storytellers United, Invisible Room, among others. For more details, please visit the Digital Narratives lecturers’ profile page.

Excursions and Partnerships

An excursion to an internationally relevant conference or festival, such as ZipScene Conference, is an integral part of the curriculum in the 3. Semester, where students can expand their professional network and come into contact with the latest discourses of the industry and academia.

Since 2021, the programme has sought strategic partners for the Production Exercises in Semesters 1 and 2 to create a client briefing that guides the student’s semester projects and builds their portfolio based on real case studies. Projects are presented to the partners and receive feedback from them.

Previous partners for the Production Exercise have been Moovy Dance Film Festival, Freies Werkstatt Theater Köln, Mediasphere for Nature, the innovation lab from the Naturkunde Museum Berlin, and 1:1 CONCERTS.

It is also possible for students to visit cross-institutional events and create partnerships for research and project work to expand their networks.

The MA Digital Narratives invites applicants who want to become professionals working at the intersection of practice and critical thinking about media, emerging digital technologies and narratives.

Each cycle, we bring together a diverse group of early- to mid-career professionals who are interested in: 

• Experimentation and iteration as part of learning and the creative process
• Critical analysis of the societal changes brought on by digital technologies
• Engaging in discussions around the ethical, economic, social equity, gender and diversity, and ecological ramifications of digitalisation
• Developing narratives for different emerging media formats, such as XR, AI-powered experiences, interactive media and more
• Producing impactful digital narrative media projects with artistic, cultural, or political relevance
• Working with agile development and production structures and methods
• Being part of a growing network of creators and artists who are critically engaging with the narratives and technology that is defining today’s digital society

Applicants must have a BA or an equivalent higher degree, and at least one year of specialised work experience or similar professional project experience. In justified exceptional cases, applicants with exceptional artistic talent who lack one or more of these formal requirements may apply to participate in the programme as professional training participants.

We welcome applications from people with diverse professional, cultural and disciplinary backgrounds, including, but not limited to:

• Storytelling
• Film
• Games
• Journalism
• Software/video game/web development
• Communication studies
• Design
• Architecture
• Theatre and performing arts
• Media and Cultural Studies
• Social Sciences and Humanities

People from other subject areas are also welcome to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Graduates expand their careers across the creative industry, academia, or a combination of both. They are equipped to work at the forefront of digital storytelling. 

Those who choose to pursue a doctoral degree after the programme, are well suited to do so in areas such as media and art studies, cultural studies, game studies, narratology, and digital culture, and are qualified to do so from a research-creation or artistic research approach.

Additionally, graduates pursue the development of their own digital narrative projects in a variety of narrative formats and platforms, including XR, VR, AR, interactive web series, AI-driven projects, games, innovative journalism, interactive and digital documentaries, immersive and non-linear narrative formats, and story worlds.

Our graduates are media creators and researchers who understand the evolving language of digital media, actively shape the industry and participate in discussions around digitality. They are often involved in projects with strong social and ethical ethos behind them. They may hold leading creative or artistic roles.

Possible professional fields for graduates of the MA Digital Narratives programme are:

• Creative director, creative producer
• Storyworld designer, narrative/content designer, story editor
• UX designer
• Media artist
• Media researcher, doctoral student
• Curator, media critic
• Documentary-maker and/or journalist specialising in digital narrative formats

The media location North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the most innovative and economically potent metropolitan regions in Europe.
The city of Cologne not only has a 2000-year history, and has long since established itself as one of the most vibrant media hotspots in Germany. One third of Germany's television programmes are produced in Cologne. Major TV and radio stations, numerous renowned film, TV and web production companies, studios, publishing houses and creative agencies are based in the city and attract an innovative and artistic audience. In addition, a large and growing number of exciting international productions are being made in Cologne and NRW.

The ifs is located in the creative and media quarter Schanzenstraße in Cologne-Mülheim - in close proximity to TV production companies, studios, publishing houses, a radio station and the Schauspiel Köln theatre.

The 4-semester full-time Master's Programme is modularised and is composed of:

PROJECT MODULES
Students go through four project phases, each with a different focus in terms of content and methodologies, to produce a Core Experience Prototype for their Master's project.

DIGITALITY AND CHANGE MODULES
These modules engage students with the (media) theoretical and aesthetic foundations of digital narratives and critically engage with the digital society.

NARRATIVES MODULES
The modules "Narratives" deal with dramaturgy, storytelling, and worldbuilding as the narrative foundations of immersive and interactive digital narratives.

METHODS MODULES
In these modules, students gain know-how on creative and technological skills and tools to experiment and practice with different mediums, particularly XR technologies. They will be able to communicate and/or lead teams in the production and placement of projects in the marketplace.

Semester 1 + 2

• Critical analysis of current media theory discussions
• Theories, practices and research of digital, interactive and transmedia narratives and worldbuilding
• Prototyping, creative ideation methods and agile production methods for working in interdisciplinary teams
• Research and ideation for their Master’s projects, as well as first prototypes and design documents

Semester 3

• Critical engagement with current socially and politically relevant themes in digital culture
• Practice and research on immersive narratives and XR development.
• Expand academic writing skills and knowledge on digital narrative theories, with a special focus on immersion, impact and the ethics in storytelling
• Finalisation of Master’s project concepts, development of further prototypes, and preparation for production

Semester 4

• Production of Master’s project
• Writing of Master’s thesis
• Preparation for professional life (see details below)
• Final Project Presentation

Production Exercises (Semester 1 + 2 )

Throughout Semester 1-2 students participate in guided production exercises or semester projects with a defined scope, including work for partner institutions as “clients”; during semesters 1-3 they also create smaller interactive and immersive digital narrative projects during other seminars.

Preparation for professional life (Semester 3 + 4)

In the second year of study, the programme also offers classes to facilitate the student’s incursion into the professional world.

The Master's Programme Digital Narratives is a four-semester full-time Master's Programme with 120 ECTS. Most classes take place on-site and students are expected to be in Cologne during the lecture periods. The language of instruction is English.

LECTURE TIMES PER SEMESTER:

1st semester: 12 weeks
2nd semester: 12 weeks
3rd semester: 12 weeks
4th semester: 4 weeks

Lecture periods are divided into attendance time and self-study time.

After successful completion of the Master's examination, students are awarded the academic degree "Master of Arts" (M. A.).

Each module is completed with one or more examinations. These may be term papers, oral examinations, presentations, documentation, or work samples. 

At the end of the programme, the Master's thesis and a final work sample (Master's project) are prepared and supplemented by an oral examination (colloquium).

The work sample is an individually or collaboratively created prototype of a digital narrative. The Master's thesis flanks the Master's project and reflects on the project from a (media) theoretical perspective.

In the colloquium, aspects of the project work and the theses of the Master’s thesis are discussed in the form of a professional discussion.