MA Mass Communications

This is for you if... you want to gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical and methodological approaches to the rapidly changing field of media and communication research.The MA in Mass Communications provides a thorough grounding in the theories, approaches and research necessary for the study of media and communication processes in both the national and global contexts. The course combines an overview of the history and development of communication research with a critical analysis of current theories in the field. 

You will analyse key areas in mass communication including media production, organisation and control, news in the local, national and global context, media/new media roles and the political process, communication policy and regulation, and cross-national media and communication systems. 

This course will enable you to engage critically with contemporary debates surrounding the social, political and cultural roles of media and communication in modern societies. You will investigate the quantitative and qualitative methods and approaches necessary for analysing all aspects of the communication process, from media organisations, media professionals and production to media content, audiences and cultural consumption. 

This postgraduate degree will equip you with the advanced analytical skills and knowledge you need to progress your professional career or to pursue further academic study in the rapidly expanding field of media and communication research.

Assessment method

You will be taught by a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials where you will be given the opportunity to discuss and clarify ideas. Assessment is by means of written assignments based on individual and group work and a dissertation of 14,000 words.