B.A. Journalism and Strategic Communication
Degree awarded | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
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Duration | 6 semesters; 180 ECTS credits |
Starts in | October (winter semester) |
Language of instruction | German |
Journalism and Public Relations: the cross-media degree programme for the media industry
If you wish to pursue a career in the fields of journalism and public relations in times of continuous transition in the mass media, practical and up-to-date training in all media formats is a necessity.
As you study this degree programme, you will acquire competencies in journalism and public relations for interconnected multimedia production and cross-media distribution of diverse media formats (text, audio, video, photo, etc.) on both traditional and modern platforms (print, TV, radio, online, mobile). You will develop sound knowledge of the functions, processes and mechanisms of journalism and strategic communication as well as their normative legal and ethical boundaries.
Building on the degree programme, the University offers a master's degree programme – M.A. Communication in Digital Societies.
For details, please consult the Academic Advice Service's infosheet [German content].
Features
- Cross-media work at the Centre of Media and Communication:After its overhaul in 2024, the ZMK is currently one of the most modern media production centres at any German university and the home of the degree programme. Use its cross-media newsroom, TV studio, multimedia laboratories, podcast and radio studios to learn the ropes of the media industry.
- Integrated university training in the fields of journalism and strategic communication: studying the B.A. Journalism and Strategic Communication will qualify you for two central occupational areas in the media industry.
- A clear programme structure: the division of the programme into primary and secondary subjects allows for targeted, gradual and successively structured learning processes as well as the development of interdisciplinary knowledge.
- Creative work in student societies: JoKonnect, KONNEX PR (PR practice), PRO.FIL and spaetschicht.tv (TV and film), Campus Crew (university radio), CaTer and BLANK Magazin (print and online journalism), Fotoprojekt Lichtgestalten and many more.
The study of Journalism and Strategic Communication will prepare you for a journalistic career in traditional and digital media (TV, radio, print media, online and mobile media) as well as a career in public relations for agencies, companies, associations, public institutions, non-governmental and non-profit organisations.
Not only you become qualified for editorial work, but you will also acquire the skills needed for various new occupations in the field of communication, such as social media manager, community manager, technical editor, data journalist and user experience profiler. Having graduated from this programme, you will have the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge for work in media research, market and public opinion research as well as media or political consultancy and in media management.
Core modules
The main subject of Communication Studies introduces you to the following areas:
- Structural media knowledge
- Economic and political conditions
- Theoretical and practical principles of public communication
- Methods of empirical research in communication and media
- Cross-media use in media production
- International communication
Theory and practice are closely interlinked: you will apply your acquired knowledge in research and practical projects. Acknowledged experts from journalism and strategic communication will additionally enrich the taught modules by offering insights into professional media praxis.
Compulsory elective modules
You will choose one of the following compulsory electives, which provide comprehensive education in key media sectors:
- Political Science
- Economics
- Media Informatics
- Geography
Alternatively, you can choose two of the following module groups: Development studies, psychology of human-machine interaction, digital humanities, art history and bildwissenschaft, or Catholic theology. These offer you extensive cross-sectional expertise.
For further details, please consult the Academic Advice Service's infosheet [German content] and the module catalogue [German content].
This degree programme starts in the October (winter semester) each year.
With abitur or European qualifications
Prospective students with a higher education entrance qualification from Germany or the EEA region (e.g. German abitur or the Austrian matura) can enrol directly for this degree programme during the enrolment period.