First Semester

Students will start with the compulsory specialization seminars: Journalism and the Media and Citizens and the Public opinion. You will also start your thesis process by following Thesis preparation groups. In block 3 you take the course Research Methods Tailored to the Thesis course, in which you’ll refresh, train and further develop your research skills before starting to write your Master’s thesis in the following semester. 

Second Semester

In the second semester, you can personalise your Master’s by choosing two electives, allowing you to create a Master’s programme that suits your interest best. There is a range of excellent electives offered each semester. You can pick electives from both Political Communication (e.g. Psychology in Political Communication) and other tracks (e.g. Persuasive Design in a Digital Era). You can find all electives here (the selection of electives varies each semester).

Master’s thesis

The Master’s thesis is developed with the guidance of an experienced supervisor. You will develop and carry out your own original research project. Previous research topics included: how young people’s attitudes are influenced by watching political satire; whether and why there are cross-national differences in the way media report on the global economic crisis; how foreign correspondents see their journalistic roles; the role of emotions in political communication or what impact the news media have on attitudes towards immigration or election outcomes.