M.A. Communication in Digital Societies

Outside view of the Centre for Media and Communication

Degree awarded	Master of Arts (M.A.)
Duration and credits	4 semesters; 120 ECTS credits
Starts in	October (winter semester)
Language of instruction	German

About the programme

The M.A. Communication in Digital Societies programme allows you to engage in theoretical and application-oriented study simultaneously. Primarily intended for graduates from degree programmes with a focus on communication science, it is the right degree programme for you if you are interested in how the digital media are changing communication processes in the public realm and what consequences this might have for society at large. It takes social-scientific research with a special focus on computational methods and combines this with interdisciplinary aspects of digitalisation. As you progress through the programme, you will acquire a wide range of skills that give you the best preparation for your future career, be it in academic research or working in the digital or communications business sectors. You will have the opportunity to complete an internship during your degree programme, which will give you initial work experience and enable you to apply the knowledge you have gained.

Features

Focus on the relevant and topical field of digital communication
Methodological focus on computerised research, data collection and analysis processes
Strong research orientation through two-semester research projects on current topics in digital communication, which you will complete in a small group with close supervision
Clearly structured programme which allows you to shape your individual profile by choosing a minor subject and a large interdisciplinary course offering
Compulsory elective modules enable you to approach various aspects of the digital transformation from an interdisciplinary perspective, e.g. by specialising in cultural studies of a world region

The forward-looking orientation of the degree programme gives you precisely the skills that are in high demand in the media industry. A recent survey¹ of 245 media companies in Bavaria revealed that there is an acute shortage of skilled staff for the evaluation of digital data in the media industry, specifically in the sub-sectors press, audio/radio, film/TV/streaming, marketing/PR/advertising and print/online publishing. Anywhere between 56% (film/TV/streaming) and 100% (audio/radio) of the companies surveyed agreed with the statement that there are not enough applicants in this area (Start Into Media, 2022).

In addition to specifically data-related jobs, the degree programme generally qualifies you for positions in the following areas:

Public relations for businesses, foundations, associations and political organisations
Strategic communication in the field of digital marketing
Journalism (e.g. science journalism)
Market research
Content management
Public affairs consultancy

In addition, a university career is of course also possible, as the degree programme prepares you for doctoral study in the field of communication science.

_{¹ Quoted study: Start Into Media (2022). Fachkräfte für die Medien. Was braucht die Branche? Eine Bedarfsstudie für die bayerische Medienlandschaft.}

This master's programme is divided into two sub-areas of communication studies, Digital Communication Theories and Research Fields and Digital Communication Research and Professional Competencies, as well as the interdisciplinary compulsory elective area Social Science of Digital Transformation.

In the first sub-area you will acquire comprehensive knowledge of the theories and research fields of digital communication.

To give you an insight into the topic, you will attend courses, e.g. on the consequences of digitalisation for society and others, which deal with the challenges and opportunities of media transformation. In this course, you will learn theoretical concepts of digital communication studies, enabling you to analyse, explain, classify and reflect on socially relevant areas, such as protest and environmental communication.

Furthermore, the advanced seminars of this module offer you the opportunity to take an application-oriented look at current topics in digital communication. Working in small groups, you will examine current research questions in empirical projects, for example on Fake News in a propagandistic context or the changing role of journalism. This sub-area comprises a workload of 40 ECTS credits.

Sub-area 1

The second sub-area will equip you with research and professional competencies in digital communication. In academic research projects you will apply both traditional and computer-assisted methods of communication science. On the one hand, you will deepen your knowledge of classic social science methods, for example by conducting project-oriented content analyses and surveys. On the other hand, you will learn how to use the programming languages Python and R for the automated collection and analysis of scientific data. With the help of computer-assisted methods, you will examine, for example, how politicians are connected and interact with their audience using social media.

In the context of an optional internship, this module also gives you the opportunity to develop practical professional perspectives. You can also integrate foreign language learning into this sub-area. This sub-area comprises a workload of 35 ECTS credits.

Sub-area 2

In the compulsory elective modules, you will approach aspects of digital transformation from an interdisciplinary perspective. You can choose from courses in political science, sociology or cultural studies. In the political science seminars, you will analyse the different levels and dimensions of political communication, e.g. by taking a closer look at social actors such as NGOs or examining how social media are used in election campaigns.

In the cultural studies courses you can choose a specific cultural region from: the Anglo-American, Francophone, Ibero-Romance, Southeast Asian, East Central European or the post-Soviet region. In these courses you will acquire intercultural knowledge by studying, for example, the French language and French cultural practices of the past and modern times. The compulsory elective area comprises a workload of 15 ECTS credits.

Compulsory elective modules

In addition to providing a well-founded research-oriented education, the Master's programme gives students much freedom to engage in practical projects. For example, students on this programme developed the podcast series Codified – the Prof Talk at the University of Passau. Excursions are also offered on topics related to digitalisation, e.g. on the challenges of digitalisation and required competencies in the digital field. Last but not least, there are numerous media-related student societies for students to become involved in, such as KONNEX PR (public relations), PRO.FIL and spaetschicht.tv (film and television), Campus Crew (university radio station), CaTer and blank (print and online journalism) or Fotoprojekt Lichtgestalten (photography).

This master's programme is primarily intended for those who have graduated from an undergraduate degree programme with a focus on communication studies.

The formal admission requirements are a university degree in a communication studies or social science subject with a final grade of 2.5 or better under the German grading scale (or the relevant equivalent foreign grade); if you do not meet the final grade requirement, you may still be eligible for this programme if you have documentary proof that you graduated among the best 50% of your cohort.

During your previous undergraduate degree, you must have gained at least 30 ECTS credits in communication studies and at least 30 ECTS credits in the field of social-scientific research methods. (NB: One ECTS credit equates roughly to 30 hours of work, including self-study and attendance of lectures, seminars and so on). Examples of courses or modules that would count towards these are:

courses/modules in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods (e.g. surveys, content analysis, qualitative interviews, qualitative text analysis, experiments, observation);
courses/modules from the field of statistics/data analysis;
application of social-scientific methods in (student-led) research projects (e.g. in the context of seminars);
your bachelor's dissertation.

In addition, you must demonstrate English language skills at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

For a detailed list of the application documents required and how to apply, visit www.uni-passau.de/en/apply. If you have any questions about the required qualifications and the application procedure, please contact the Student Registration Office.

You need German language skills at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).

In addition, you will require English language proficiency at level B2 CEFR.

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