Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

This new programme is intended for applicants with an undergraduate degree in any discipline and with an interest in pursuing postgraduate studies in communication and media. The MSc in Communication & Media is designed to complement and expand existing programmes and research expertise at the School of Information & Communication studies. It is the first postgraduate degree in this field in Ireland to be offered from an Information school perspective.

Applicants are required to have an upper second-class honours or international equivalent. Those whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (with no band less than 6.0 in each element) or equivalent.
 

What is communication and why are media important? What is the relationship between communication, media and power? How does the content, interface design and choice of technology impact on communication experiences? What can we learn from digital communication history and what is the future for our relationship with media and the world?

This is the first Communication & Media programme in UCD’s history and offers the chance to explore this area from an information school perspective. Core modules on theory, evaluation and reception of interpersonal and mass communication are combined with optional modules from across the university where students can focus on an area of choice such as Design & Culture, Ethics & Policy and Data Journalism.

Students on this MSc in Communication & Media will learn how to:

1. Understand the theoretical foundations of communication and media studies
2. Cultivate deep knowledge and research on interpersonal, mediated and mass communication in both theory and practice
3. Analyse the interactions and relationships between communication, media, people and power
4. Assess the principles of creation, exchange, management, meaning and impact of information through digitally mediated communications
5. Apply this learning to specific fields of communication and media (e.g. health, public data, human-computer interaction, culture etc.) or technological domains (mobile technology, speech interfaces, data visualisation etc.)
6. Critique past, current and future structures, platforms and paradigms for communication and digital media
7. Comparatively evaluate international communication and media conten, structures and policy
8. Develop high quality research projects with the potential for further academic or industry career progression in communication and media

This new MSc degree aims to produce future professionals with a deep understanding of the communication and media landscape. On graduating, our students will be able to embark on a variety of careers in Ireland and abroad, whether in the digital media industries, in communication regulation and policy or in media design, management and research, both in the public and private sectors. This programme will also provide an ideal foundation for applicants with an interest in pursuing further postgraduate research towards a PhD at UCD School of Information & Communication Studies or at another location.

The programme's structure across different suggested tracks will allow students to develop specialised knowledge in communication and media studies for a specific setting. All tracks include 60 credits of core modules that cover basic knowledge and skills (with a thesis or media project option), with a further 30 credits of elective modules according to track choice. Students will gain an international perspective from lectures and seminars as well as guest talks, combining professional industry and research experience with strong theoretical foundations.  

View All Modules Here

MSc Communication & Media (W440) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 7920
nonEU    fee per year - € 19900

MSc Communication & Media (W441) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 5115
nonEU    fee per year - € 9950

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

Applicants are required to have an upper second-class honours degree (NFQ Level 8) or international equivalent. Those whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (with no band less than 6.0 in each element) or equivalent.

This new programme is intended for applicants with an undergraduate degree in any discipline and with an interest in pursuing postgraduate studies in communication and media. The MSc in Communication & Media is designed to complement and expand existing programmes and research expertise at the School of Information & Communication studies. It is the first postgraduate degree in this field in Ireland to be offered from an Information school perspective.

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes 

MLIS FT
MSc Digital Policy
MSc Human Computer Interaction
MSc Digital Information Management
MSc Information Systems FT
 

The following entry routes are available: