Global Communication: Politics and Society, M.A.
The Master’s program "Global Communication: Politics and Society" is an English language consecutive degree dealing with media systems and communication cultures in international comparison. It focuses on multilayered political, social, cultural and historical approaches.
What role do the media play in contemporary democracies, in political transformation, in war or crises in different regions of the world? Is today’s media society globally oriented or do modern media help to reproduce old stereotypes and heat up racism through hate speech? Does humankind from the US and Europe to Asia, Africa and Latin America share a common vision of an “information society”, in which knowledge and human relation-ships are increasingly “mediatized”? The program also addresses the individual psychological processing of media, the effectiveness of media content, and current transformations in media production and media.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Arts (M.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | B2 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €286.80 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
The programme has an admission restriction: the average grade of your certificate, converted to the German scale, decides. The cut-off changes every year — last year's value shows the order of magnitude, not a promise.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →About the programme
The program is innovative in that it does not treat questions of communication studies as isolated national processes, but deals specifically with "global communication" in the sense of international comparisons. In the courses, special emphasis is placed on the equal inclusion of the Global North and South as well as communicative interactions. In addition, processes of international cross-border communication, foreign reporting and the globalization of lifeworlds are addressed. The effects of media content, interpersonal communication and current trends in media use are also dealt with.
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The course is primarily oriented towards social sciences but also takes into account cultural theories, methods and contents. Besides developing academic research skills and learning quantitative and qualitative empirical methods, students will acquire knowledge of academic communication consultancy in dedicated teaching units.
This study program enables you to work in a wide range of academic and private social, market and media research. It also qualifies for various professions such as journalism, public relations and the broad field of scientifically supported communication consulting of politics and society, in ministries, foundations and NGOs. The research-oriented program also prepares for an academic career. There is also a “Fast Track to PhD” program for doctoral studies. The focus on a global comparative research perspective and communication consultancy skills in international contexts opens up professional fields at home and abroad.
What you study
The study programme of the MA "Global Communication: Politics and Society" consists of a basic introductory module on theories and methods of global comparative communication research in the 1st semester, four substantive in-depth modules in the areas of a) politics, b) society, and c) media in the course of the first three semesters, two methods modules in the 2nd and 3rd semesters, as well as two modules that build on each other and introduce students to consulting practice in communication studies and conclude with an internationally oriented internship in Germany or abroad. The Master's thesis is written in the 4th semester and presented in a colloquium.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Thuringia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €286.80 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | a relevant bachelor's degree in the area of media and communication studies or journalism studies. |
|---|---|
| Language | English B2 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 3Application directly to the university until 15.07Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 4Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 15.07.2027 (274 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.