Application and Enrolment

To be admitted to the Master’s degree programme in Knowledge and Communication, you need a Bachelor’s degree (or an equivalent degree) in the field of communication studies, including in-depth knowledge of the academic discipline, its theories, and methods. If you have an advanced command of English (evidenced by a corresponding proof), you are very likely to be a good fit for our Master’s programme.

On this page, you will find detailed information on formal admission requirements, the application process, and the selection procedure. At the end, there is also a checklist of all the necessary documents and a FAQ section.

 

Admission requirements in detail

The first requirement is a degree in a relevant study programme with a standard period of study of at least 6 semesters, which has been successfully completed with a Bachelor’s degree or another professionally qualifying degree (e.g. Magister, Diplom, state examination, etc.)

What does “relevant study programme” mean?

To be relevant to the study programme, at least 70 ECTS credits (or equivalent) must have been earned in communication studies, journalism, or media studies. These credits should either match the content or modules of the Bachelor’s programme in Communication Science at the University of Münster or complement its social science focus (such as media systems, media policy, media economics, media psychology, and media management). This must include at least 10 credit points in communication science theories and approaches. Up to 10 of the required 70 credit points can come from practical media and communication courses.

In addition, at least 20 credits of the required 70 credits must be earned in relevant empirical research methods (such as survey methods, content analysis, experimental design, statistical analysis). Of these, a maximum of 10 credits can be obtained through participation in empirical project/research seminars or an empirical Bachelor’s thesis. At least 5 credit points must be earned in statistics. Courses on general scientific work are not recognised.

The credit points must be clearly evidenced by a certificate or transcript of records. They must also be clearly listed in the course overview.

As the course is taught in English, proof of proficient English language skills (level C1 of the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”, CEFR) is also required. This can be TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, and CAE tests, which should not be older than 3 years. Alternatively, a BA degree in an English-language programme is also considered equivalent proof.

 

Application

The Master’s degree programme “Knowledge and Communication” can only be taken up in the winter semester of the academic year. Admission to the course is restricted. The application procedure for the Master’s degree programmes at the University of Münster takes place via an online portal, which is activated at the beginning of May. Further information on the application portal can be found here.

All applicants can apply at the Student Admissions Office of the University of Münster from early May until July 15 (cut-off deadline), including applicants from non-EU countries. We recommend that you apply early to be considered for possible pre-admission before July 15.

 

Selection Procedure

The admission and selection procedure takes place before the start of the lecture period. A selection committee at the Department of Communication decides on admission to the programme. The fulfilment of the admission requirements is checked, and a ranking list of applicants is drawn up based on their average grades. Foreign students are subject to the same selection procedure as their domestic competitors.

Checklist for Application Documents

For your application, you need:

  • Application form

    Please complete the online application form in full.

  • Certificate or transcript of records

    You need to provide a certificate or transcript of records ideally confirming that you have completed your studies. Alternatively – in case a final certificate is not available, yet – you might provide a provisional certificate. In any way, the certificate or transcript must cover at least the first five semesters and include at least 120 credit points. If your provisional certificate or transcript of records contains fewer than 120 credit points, please provide evidence of the missing credit points by uploading certificates or attestations of these credit points under “Other”. In the event of admission, the degree certificate must be submitted upon enrolment (by 15th of November at the latest). Please note that if your certificate or your transcript of record does not disclose a final grade you need to upload an additional official proof documenting your (provisional) average grade. Students from the University of Münster should refer to the Examinations Office website for information (see “Bescheinigungen”) regarding the provisional certificate.

    Important information: Applicants who did not obtain their first degree at a German or English-speaking institution must also submit an official German or English version, or an officially certified translation of the aforementioned proof.

  • If applicable: Conversion table of ECTS

    If the credit point system used in your BA programme is not ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) compliant, you will need to demonstrate how the credits you have earned during your studies can be represented as ECTS. In other words, what ECTS value they correspond to. The template for this conversion is available for download here (for conversion or foreign credit points to ECTS) and here (for conversion of course hours to ECTS).

  • Course overview

    The course overview is a PDF document (this one) that we ask you to fill out and upload when applying for the MA programme. This course overview details your knowledge acquired in communication science, empirical social research methods, and results from the corresponding module handbook of your BA programme or relevant course descriptions. In the application portal of the University of Münster, you will need to upload this course overview in addition to your BA certificate or transcript of records, the module handbook, and, if applicable, the course description. Please take the information required for the overview (module name, course title, lecturer, grade, credit points earned) from your transcript of records. Please fill out the PDF forms using Acrobat Reader (freeware, link to download). Forms filled out with the Safari browser or the Preview app (macOS) cannot be displayed correctly on the computers of the University of Münster.

  • Module handbook

    Make sure that you upload the correct version of the module handbook of your Bachelor’s programme. If the manual is not in German or English, you will need an English translation.

    Furthermore, if it is not clear from your module handbook exactly which parts of a course covered basic knowledge in the relevant empirical research methods and/or which part of a course is assigned to the field of statistics, please upload the corresponding course descriptions in addition to the module handbook.

  • CV

    You need to provide a CV in tabular form.

  • University entrance qualification

    Please provide a certificate of a general or relevant subject-restricted university entrance qualification.

  • Proof of English skills

    If you have finished an English-language BA, you do not need a separate certificate. Otherwise, you need a certificate of English language skills: level C1 of the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages” (CEFR); TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, and CAE tests.

  • If applicable: Proof of hardship provision

    These documents may include a copy or scan of your disability card.

FAQ

 

I am additionally interested in the German-language Master’s in Communication Science and/or the German-language Master’s in Strategic Communication. Can I apply for two or all three degree programmes simultaneously?

Yes, because there are separate selection procedures for all three Master’s degree programmes at the Department of Communication. Most entry and admission requirements are identical for all three degree programmes. However, for the MA Knowledge & Communication, you will need a certificate of English language proficiency (see the checklist above). For the other two MA programmes – the MA Communication Science and the MA Strategic Communication – you will need a certificate of German language proficiency, as these two programmes are taught in German.

What are the basic skills in the relevant empirical research methods?

You should have attended courses that have dealt with data collection methods such as surveys, content analyses, observations, or experiments. These can be both quantitative and qualitative methods. This also includes evaluation methods and statistical knowledge. Courses that teach general scientific working skills are not recognised.

I have completed a major research project or written an empirical Bachelor’s thesis during my degree programme. Does this also count towards the required methodological knowledge?

Yes, however you can prove a maximum of 10 of the 20 required credit points on subject-relevant empirical research methods through such courses. Please enclose a corresponding confirmation if you have not yet completed your Bachelor’s thesis at the time of application.
 
My transcript of records does not clearly show my knowledge of methods. What can I do?

If you have attended courses in which you have practiced and applied the above-mentioned research methods, but this is not evident from the course title, please also explain this in the comments section of the overview. Please note that you may need to attach corresponding confirmations from your university or your lecturer and upload them in the applicant portal under “Other”.
 
I have already submitted my Bachelor’s thesis, but it has not yet been registered. What can I do?

If the credit points for your already submitted Bachelor’s thesis have not yet been recorded, please upload a certificate from your assessor under 'Other' to confirm that you have successfully passed your Bachelor’s thesis. Only with such a certificate can the credit points for the unregistered Bachelor’s thesis be included in the calculation.
 
Can I still catch up on methodological knowledge during the Master’s programme?

No, unfortunately, this is not possible, as it is an admission requirement for the Master’s programme at the Department of Communication.
 
I am studying for a Two-subject Bachelor’s degree at the Department of Communication at the University of Münster. Have I acquired the minimum required 20 credit points in subject-relevant empirical research methods?

Students in the Two-subject Bachelor’s degree programme in Communication Science at the University of Münster are considered to have acquired the minimum required 20 credit points in subject-relevant empirical research methods if they have successfully completed all three of the following modules: “Methods Module I: Data Collection”, “Methods Module II: Data Analysis and Data Presentation”, and “Practice in Research”. If credit points have not yet been credited in any of these three modules, please upload a certificate from your lecturer under “Other” to prove that you have definitely passed the module. Students in the Two-subject Bachelor’s programme who are taking the “Practice in Research” module abroad and whose credit points have not yet been recorded for this module should also prove that they have definitely passed the module by uploading a certificate from their lecturer at the foreign university under “Other”. Only with such a certificate can the credit points (that have not yet been recorded) be included in the calculation.
 
I’m not sure if I fulfil the admission requirements; who can help me?

You are welcome to contact our study advisor with any questions you may have, but we will not check your documents before you apply. This is the responsibility of the relevant selection committee after the application deadline. We therefore ask you to assess for yourself, on the basis of the above information, to what extent your previous achievements match the required profile.

Do I have to prove a certain German language level when I apply?

No, you do not need to have any specific German language skills or certificates for your application. All courses are taught in English.