University College Dublin

MSc Communication & Media
Academic Year 2020/2021
Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)

The MSc in Communication & Media is designed for students who wish to explore a wide range of contemporary issues in media and communication studies in depth. It offers a broad interdisciplinary foundation in theory and practices in relation to communication content and audience reception, processes of mediation and influence, regulation and power, political economy, ethics, digital platforms and human-computer interaction.

Curricular information is subject to change.

Who should apply?
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

This new programme is intended for applicants with an undergraduate degree in any discipline and with an interest in pursuing postgraduate studies in communication and media. The MSc in Communication & Media is designed to complement and expand existing programmes and research expertise at the School of Information & Communication studies. It is the first postgraduate degree in this field in Ireland to be offered from an Information school perspective.

Applicants are required to have an upper second-class honours or international equivalent. Those whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (with no band less than 6.0 in each element) or equivalent.

Course Description
What is communication and why are media important? What is the relationship between communication, media and power? How does the content, interface design and choice of technology impact on communication experiences? What can we learn from digital communication history and what is the future for our relationship with media and the world?

This is the first Communication & Media programme in UCD's history and offers the chance to explore this area from an information school perspective. Core modules on theory, evaluation and reception of interpersonal and mass communication are combined with optional modules from across the university where students can focus on an area of choice such as Design & Culture, Ethics & Policy and Data Journalism.

Programme Outcomes
Students on this MSc in Communication & Media will learn how to:
1.Understand the theoretical foundations of communication and media studies

2.Cultivate deep knowledge and research on interpersonal, mediated and mass communication in both theory and practice

3.Analyse the interactions and relationships between communication, media, people and power

4.Assess the principles of creation, exchange, management, meaning and impact of information through digitally mediated communications

5.Apply this learning to specific fields of communication and media (e.g. health, public data, human-computer interaction, culture etc.) or technological domains (mobile technology, speech interfaces, data visualisation etc.)

6.Critique past, current and future structures, platforms and paradigms for communication and digital media

7.Comparatively evaluate international communication and media conten, structures and policy

8.Develop high quality research projects with the potential for further academic or industry career progression in communication and media