Master's in Communication Science: Information for prospective students

 

Brief profile

Much of what we know about the world comes from the media. The reality of the mass media is not just a reflection of reality, but rather has its own logic that needs to be understood and explained. Media realities shape the possibilities of our recognition and experience; they produce cognitive effects: both form central topics of teaching in the module “Media Realities and Media Effects”. At the same time, the media are changing significantly: professional journalism, which is both a guarantor of a democratic public and is always at political, economic and cultural risk, no longer only takes place in the classic print media and broadcasting, but also in so-called new media. These new online communication media, which go far beyond traditional journalism, are central to changing society. They offer new opportunities for creating and mobilising the public and at the same time contribute to the further mediatisation of social relationships. The module “Journalism & New Media” deals with these topics. Our society is often described as a media society. This is not just a slogan, but refers to the social structural consequences of media development that can hardly be underestimated. The module "Communication in Politics, Economy & Society" deals with the consequences of the media society for political systems and processes, as well as the conditions of business under media surveillance. The fundamental assumption is that the functioning and development dynamics of politics, the economy and other social systems cannot be adequately understood without analysing communication in the associated sub-publics.

The Master's degree programme in Communication Science provides students with in-depth academic foundations and - taking into account the requirements of the professional world - knowledge, skills and methods in central subject areas of Communication Science. Students are able to work independently on complex scientific problems and to reflect on the practical consequences of their application.

 

Target group / Requirements

The Master's degree programme in Communication Science is aimed at graduates of a relevant Bachelor's degree programme. Admission requirements are the completion of a relevant degree in communication, journalism studies or media studies with a standard period of study of at least six semesters. The last one must be completed with a first professionally qualifying degree, as well as sound knowledge of social science methods. For a successful Master's programme at the Department of Communication, language skills that enable you to deal with academic texts in English are important.

 

Exemplary study plan

In addition to a methods module, a research module and the exam module, the curriculum includes thematic modules on the subject areas "Communication in Politics, Economy & Society", "Journalism & New Media" and "Media Realities & Media Effects", as well as a "specialisation module" for individual specialisation. You can find the courses offered in the electronic course catalogue of the University of Münster, sorted by semester.

1st academic year
WiSe	Quantitative and Qualitative Methods of Empirical Social Research	Journalism & New Media 1	Communication in Politics, Economy and Society 1	Media Realities and Media Effects 1
SoSe	Research Module, part 1	Journalism & New Media 2	Communication in Politics, Economy and Society 2	Specialization in Communication Studies
2nd academic year
WiSe	Research Module, part 2	Journalism & New Media 3	Communication in Politics, Economy and Society 3	Media Realities and Media Effects 2
SoSe	Master module Exam colloquium Master thesis

 

Application / Admission

The programme can be started every year in the winter semester. Information on admission and the application procedure can be found on the IfK information pages. 29 students are admitted to the Master's programme in Communication Science each year.