Application and admission procedure Master Communication Science / Master Strategic Communication
Admission requirements
Admission requirements for the Master's in Communication Science / Master's in Strategic Communication are a relevant degree programme with a standard study period of at least 6 semesters, which has been successfully completed with a Bachelor's degree or another professionally qualifying degree (Magister, Diplom, state examination, etc.).
By subject-relevant is meant that study and examinations totalling at least 70 credit points have been acquired in the subject of communication science, journalism studies or media studies.
These achievements must be equivalent to the modules to be studied in the Bachelor's programme in Communication Science at the University of Münster or complement the social science orientation of the subject in a meaningful way (subject areas such as the media system, media policy, media economics, media psychology, media management). In particular, this includes knowledge of approaches and theories used in communication science to the extent of at least 10 credits. A maximum of 10 credit points of the required minimum of 70 credit points can be obtained through proof of successful participation in practical media and communication courses. In addition, a basic knowledge of relevant empirical research methods (survey methods and evaluation procedures/statistics) of at least 20 credit points must be demonstrated within the required minimum of 70 credit points, of which a maximum of 10 credit points can be demonstrated through successful participation in empirical project/research seminars or through an empirical Bachelor's thesis. At least 5 credit points must be obtained in the field of statistics. Courses that teach general scientific work are not recognised.
Credits must be clearly evidenced by a certificate or transcript of records and listed in a comprehensible manner. This means that they should be listed in the course overview of knowledge acquired in communication science and in the methods of empirical social research and must be derived from the relevant module handbook or from the relevant course descriptions. In addition to the certificate or transcript of records, upload the course overview, the module handbook and, if applicable, the course description to the University of Münster's online application portal. Please take the information required for the course overview (module name, course title, lecturer, grade, credit points earned) from your transcript of records.
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Application
The Master's degree programme in Communication Science / Strategic Communication can only be taken up in the winter semester of an academic year. Admission to the programme 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 to the Student Admissions Office at Münster University from the beginning of May until 15 July (cut-off deadline), including applicants from non-EU countries. We recommend that you apply early so that you can be considered for possible pre-admission before 15 July.
The following documents must be uploaded for the application:
- The application form must be completed in full.
- A certificate or transcript of records of a completed degree programme. A transcript of records for the first five semesters with at least 120 credit points is required as a minimum. 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 15 November at the latest).
- If applicable, separate proof of the (provisional) average grade, if this is not stated in the (provisional) certificate. Students of the University of Münster please note this information from the Examinations Office on the provisional certificate (to be found under “Bescheinigungen”).
- Course overview (please fill in with Adobe Reader) of the knowledge acquired in Communication Science tudies and in the methods of empirical social research. You can find this course overview in the applicant portal.
- Module handbook
- Course descriptions, if applicable. If it is not clear from your module handbook exactly which part of a course taught 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 relevant course descriptions in addition to the module handbook.
- Proof of a general or relevant subject-restricted high education entrance qualification.
- For foreign applicants: Language certificate confirming the required knowledge of the German language (e.g. DSH 2 or 3, TestDaF4). Further information can be found here.
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form.
- If applicable, documents proving the existence of a special hardship situation (e.g., disability card)
Selection procedure
The admission and selection procedure takes place before the start of each lecture period. A selection committee at the Department of Communication decides on admission to the degree 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 treated to the same selection procedure as their domestic competitors.
Further information
For further information on the selection and admission procedure, please refer to the regulations on access and admission to the Master's degree programmes in Communication Science and Strategic Communication.
If you have any questions about the online application, please contact the Student Admissions Office, email: studierendensekretariat@uni-muenster.de, Tel: +49 251 83-20001, office hours: Mon-Fri 10 am-12 pm; Mon-Thu 13.30pm-15 pm
Information on the application procedure for international applicants can be found here.
If you have any further questions about the application and selection process, please attend one of our student counselling sessions. You can find the relevant contact persons, office hours, telephone numbers and email addresses here.
FAQ
- Do I have to or can I apply for both degree programmes at the same time?
- What is "basic knowledge of relevant empirical research methods"?
- Does a Bachelor's thesis or a research project also count towards the required methodological knowledge?
- My Transcript of Records does not clearly show my knowledge of methods.
- I have already submitted my Bachelor's thesis, but it has not yet been registered.
- Can I catch up on methodological knowledge during the Master's programme?
- As a 2-Subject-BA from Münster, do I fulfil the requirements for the method points?
- I'm not sure whether I fulfil the admission requirements, who can help me?
- Do I have to prove my knowledge of English?
I am interested in both the Master's in Communication Science and the Master's in Strategic Communication. Do I have to or can I apply for both degree programmes?
Yes, because there is a separate selection procedure for both Master's degree programmes at the Department of Communication. The entry and admission requirements are identical for both degree programmes.
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 carried out 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 practised and applied the above-mentioned research methods, but this is not evident from the course title, please also explain these in the comments field 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 the Bachelor's thesis you have already submitted have not yet been recorded, please upload a certificate from your assessor under "Other" to prove that you have definitely passed your Bachelor's thesis. Only with such a certificate can the credit points (as yet 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 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 one 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 English language level when I apply?
No, you do not need to have any specific English language skills or certificates for your application. However, we would like to point out that you cannot successfully complete a Master's degree programme at the Department of Communication without functional English language skills, as dealing with academic texts in English is part of the programme.