Master Strategic Communication

The special feature of the four-semester Master's degree course in "Strategic Communication" in Münster is the combination of the research fields of PR and organisational communication on the one hand and reception and effects research on the other.

As a result, the programme has a teaching and research profile that is unique in the German-speaking world. By combining methodological and research skills from the field of reception and effects research with theoretical and empirical research on strategic communication, it prepares students for a constantly changing professional world of strategic communication.

As relevant professional studies and graduate surveys show, this professional world is characterised in particular by an increasing demand for analytical and reflective skills and the ability to strategically plan, systematically implement and empirically evaluate communication programmes and measures.  Knowledge of the requirements, conditions and effects of strategic communication, as well as the relevant social science methods and instruments, are particularly in demand - and this is precisely what is taught in Münster. Students on the Master's programme in Strategic Communication also learn to see things from the point of view of their clients and the groups they want to reach. They also learn how to systematically gather information about these groups. This helps them to create and implement communication plans effectively.

The combination of theoretical approaches, empirical findings and methods from the research fields of PR, organisational communication, reception and effects research conveys an overall competence profile that is in high demand. This is particularly the case for management positions in the field of strategic communication. This shows that analytical background knowledge of the conditions, processes and impact mechanisms of public communication is indispensable for management positions, e.g. in communication management.

The content of the degree programme is not focused on economic organisations - as is common at many other locations - but takes into account the requirements and effects of strategic communication in different types of organisations in various fields of social action. This means that the skills acquired on the programme can be used in a wide range of settings - in companies as well as in public authorities, NGOs, associations and foundations.