The Master's programme in European Communication Studies is offered through a cooperation of the Media & Communicatie Instituut, http://www.fmg.uva.nl/mci, and the ISHSS.

The programme leading to the Master of Science degree in Communication Science (with a specialisation in European Communication Studies) explores the political, economic, and cultural dynamics of the European communications landscape, giving particular attention to the impact of internationalisation, convergence, and commercialisation. The programme presents a broad and comparative view of communication, looking at both the familiar mass media as well as at the newly emerging telecommunications-related media. It promotes a critical understanding of communication within Europe, and seeks to develop the same understanding for the rest of the world from a European perspective. The programme does not try to represent any single intellectual school, but aims to keep abreast of, as well as contribute to, the latest insights in communication studies.

Upon completion of the programme, the student will have acquired valuable knowledge and insight regarding the social, political, cultural, and economic functions of media and communication; the production, distribution, content, and reception of media texts; the trends and developments of communication markets and industries; old and new European media and telecom systems from a comparative perspective; methods of empirical research, their applications, potentials, and problems.

Career Outlook

The Master's programme in European Communication Studies provides students with the necessary skills for analysing, applying and critically evaluating the communication science literature; recognising and diagnosing specific media and communication developments and their social and policy problems; designing research projects relevant to media systems, the communication process, or communication policy and management from a European perspective. Students will be prepared for a variety of research, advisory, managerial, and performing roles in the media, advertising, public relations, or (international) policy institutes. In the past, a number of students have been selected for a PhD-stipend in the Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR).

Student Profile

The Master's programme in European Communication Studies seeks students with a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Media and Communication Studies or a related field, such as Journalism, Public Relations or Film and Television Studies. Ideally, applicants will also have sufficient knowledge of research methodology. Admission, however, is not necessarily limited to this type of applicant only.

Students with good undergraduate qualifications in related disciplines, who lack sufficient knowledge of Communication Studies and/or Research Methodology, may be selected for the Master's programme, provided that prior to enrolment in the Master’s programme they complete the  Preparatory Programme European Communication Studies, or the Crash-course Introduction to Research Methodology (August) (10 EC) or pass an exam in communication theory (10 EC). This selection is highly competitive and based on the student’s overall academic standing, possible job experience and motivation.

Dutch HBO Bachelor graduates cannot apply directly for this programme. First, they need to obtain an academic Bachelor’s degree, or – if the HBO Bachelor is on a related field – complete the 3 semester (90 EC) Dutch-taught preparatory programme in Communication Studies. Please check  Bachelor's in Bachelor Communicatiewetenschap for more information.

Degree

European Communication Studies is part of the master's in Communication Science ('Communicatiewetenschap'). The Dutch government has accredited this master's programme in 2002. This means that upon successful completion of the programme students will receive a legally recognised Master of Science (MSc) degree.

More Information

For more information on the Master's programme, courses, lecturers and registration please check our website http://www.ishss.uva.nl or contact the Programme Manager Jiri Hemming: j.hemming@uva.nl .