Global Communication: Politics and Society

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.

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.

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.