Master Communication Science
The Master's programme in Communication Science focuses on how politics, economics, society, everyday life and culture are influenced by the media, including traditional, new and social media. Over the course of generally four semesters, students work on current issues in communication science, carry out a two-semester research project and deepen their knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The degree programme allows students a high degree of flexibility to set individual priorities and explore areas of interest. The Department of Communication (IfK) at the University of Münster thus offers a highly qualified education for a dynamic professional market in the media sector and in science.
At the Department of Communication, Master's students benefit from small seminar sizes, intensive supervision by the professors and a broad range of topics inspired by the IfK professors' main research areas:
- Journalism research
- Mediatisation/medialisation of society
- Media use in a social context
- New media and online communication
- Political communication and the democratic public sphere
- Strategic communication
- Trust and communication
- Science communication
The diversity of topics and research focus is also reflected in the many exciting third-party-funded projects at the IfK, which provide opportunities for student collaboration and insights into the practice of science. Part of the programme is a research-oriented project seminar, which runs for a full year, four hours a week. It introduces Master’s students to all facets of scholarly work by discussing relevant issues, gathering empirical evidence, analysing it and presenting it in a research report. They are prepared for this by a thorough training in social science methods - with a close link between theory and research practice. Asking the right questions, carrying out precise analyses and adequately identifying and presenting the results are key skills that qualify students for all professional fields in communication science, far beyond academia.
In line with the requirements of a dynamic labour market, the Master's degree in Communication Science opens up a wide range of career prospects. It provides important foundations for working in the fields of journalism (print, online and broadcasting), agencies, market and opinion research, publishing, marketing, strategic communication, the public sector and, last but not least, science. At the IfK, Master's students acquire a flexible skills profile that is in high demand, particularly for management positions in the media industry, and can also prepare them for further qualification, for example as part of a doctoral programme.