B.A. Media and Communication
| Degree awarded | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration and credits | 6 semesters; 180 ECTS credits |
| Starts in | October (winter semester) |
| Language of instruction | German |
Media and communication in theory and practice
We live in a time of continuous, rapid change in technologies and media, which bring great opportunities but also challenges for all areas of society. Consequently, a solid grounding in media production and use, as well as a general understanding of media-mediated communication processes, are indispensable in any occupational field today.
The B.A. Media and Communication programme gives you access to both through its large offering of interdisciplinary courses drawing from various disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and cultural studies. This degree programme deals with fundamental theories, methods and working methods for a critical examination of media-mediated communication, including social media formats such as Twitter, Facebook and TikTok but also television formats, images and newspaper texts. Those graduating from this degree programme will have acquired sound knowledge of the production, use and perception of different media formats, of the current media system, its development and of how people communicate with and about media.
In this sense, this bachelor's degree programme is both application- and research-oriented, as it takes on board core societal developments and addresses their associated tasks, problems and approaches for solutions. An extensive internship also enables you to gain in-depth insights into professional practice outside of the higher education context, to test yourself on the job and to make contacts in your intended occupational field.
Features
- A varied range of modules that provide insights into the humanities and social sciences.
- Methods-oriented training on practical and societally relevant digitalisation topics is facilitated.
- Great freedom of choice in the modules allows students to pursue their own interests and strengths in their studies.
- The extensive practical phase ensures good career opportunities after graduation.
- The degree provides access to many media and communication occupations, both in online media and in the classic print, radio and TV media.
- You will be able to develop your own business idea and follow through by starting a company.
- At the University of Passau, you can follow up on this programme, for example, with the master's programme M.A. Semiotics of Texts and Culture.
Thanks to the versatility of its content and the individual elective options, the degree programme qualifies students to work in online media in the same way as in the classic print media, in radio or television. This opens the door to a wide range of media and communication occupations for graduates:
Content production for online media, film and TV business, public relations, marketing and advertising, adult education or research and teaching. Potential employers include media houses and publishing houses, TV stations, advertising agencies, PR agencies, political organisations, NGOs, associations and foundations, marketing departments of companies, private or public education providers and research institutes or higher education institutions.
Due to the broad and practical orientation of the degree programme, graduates currently have very good prospects on the labour market. Subsequent master's studies at the University of Passau or at another university in Germany or abroad can further improve career and income prospects.
Self-employment as an alternative to salaried employment is also an option for graduates. The Future: Careers and Competencies Section of the University offers transferable skills courses for this purpose, in which knowledge about starting a business is imparted in addition to additional practical qualifications.
The study programme begins with ten introductory courses on the subjects involved. You will then choose one of three profiling modules:
- Media Education, IT and Methods deals with questions of media education, IT processes and empirical social research methods.
- Communication and Psychology provides access to linguistics and psychology in the media field and for communication processes.
- Media Semiotics deals with film analysis and scientific questions related to the interpretation of media content.
You will gain access to other subjects involved in media and communication research by taking three consolidation modules from the fields of digital humanities, information technology, psychology, education, sociology, media semiotics, visual culture, cultural studies and economics/business/entrepreneurship. All modules can be freely combined with each other.
A three-month internship in Germany or abroad will give you practical experience in occupations in the media and communication field. You will complete your studies by writing a dissertation.
For details, please consult the Academic Advice Service'sinfosheet [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.
Prospective students with non-EEA qualifications
You will need German language skills at level C1 CEFR or higher to study this degree programme, as that is the main language of instruction for this programme. Therefore, you will have to provide a recognised German language certificate such as DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 in all four categories, unless German was the language of instruction for your secondary school education (e.g. Abitur at a German international school) or prior tertiary education.
The University of Passau has set up a German language teaching unit, German Courses Passau, which offers a selection of preparatory language programmes tailored to the needs of international students. These range from summer courses to a full academic year and cater to learners of all levels.
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