Course Overview

Introduction

This programme aims to prepare you to work as a professional in the international media and communications industries with a specialism in a chosen area. The programme will give you a critical understanding of the 21st Century complex global media ecosystem, and will prepare you to work as a communications professional with high-end production skills to work across multiple platforms. You will also have an opportunity to further specialise and develop a niche in a subject area of particular interest via a choice of electives including modules in Social Media and Digital Technology; Climate Action, Sustainability and STEM Communication, or Humanitarian Communication and Human Rights. 

Students from all streams will also complete a capstone module DJ6124 Final Project (30cr) and may undertake an optional internship during the third semester.

Programme streams

Stream A: Social Media and Digital Technology

This stream prepares you to thrive in networked environments and combines emerging theory around traditional and social media with skills such as production, creative coding, video and podcasting. You will develop your capacity to communicate effectively in a multimedia environment and on graduation you will be ready for roles such as social producers and executives in digital communication and marketing.

Semester one
DJ6142 Global Media and Society (5cr)               
DJ6129 Social Media & Digital Production (10cr)     
DJ6132 Digital Sandbox (10cr)                                    

Semester two
DJ6133 Data Journalism and Visualisation (10cr)
DJ6122 Researching the Media (5cr)
DJ6137 Strategic Communication (10cr)

Choose additional 10cr from:

  • DJ6135 Reporting Economics and Politics (10cr)
  • DJ6125 Investigating Miscarriages of Justice (10cr)

Stream C: Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Communication

This stream will help you develop your critical skills literacy and an ethical awareness to make sense of scientific and environmental issues and the expertise to communicate these issues through multiple media formats. On graduation you will be ready to work in roles including as climate advocacy and science communication officers with the UN, NGOs, climate, environmental and civil society organisations.

Semester one                                              
DJ6142 Global Media and Society (5cr)                      
DJ6129 Social Media & Digital Production (10cr)       
TI216 Weather and Climate (5cr)                               

Semester two
DJ6133 Data Journalism and Visualisation (10cr)
DJ6122 Researching the Media (5cr)
DJ6144 Communicating Climate Action and Science (10cr)

Choose additional 15cr from:

  • LW5124 Climate Justice (5cr) OR TI2108 Introduction to Paleoclimatology (5cr) OR DJ6143 ‘Media Law (5cr)
  • DJ6125 Investigating Miscarriages of Justice (10cr) OR DJ6135 Reporting Economics and Politics (10cr) 

Stream D: Humanitarian Communication and Human Rights

In this stream you will explore the relationship between humanitarian communication and human rights and you will have an opportunity to take elective modules offered by the Irish Centre for Human Rights with guest professors such as UN experts in areas like migration and refugees. On graduation you will be ready to work as humanitarian communication officers with the civil and public service, the diplomatic corps, development organisations, the EU and the UN, NGOs, and civil society organisations. 

Semester one     
DJ6142 Global Media and Society (5cr)   
DJ6129 Social Media & Digital Production (10cr)
LW5117 International Human Rights Law (10cr)        

Semester two
DJ6139 Humanitarian Communication (10cr)
DJ6122 Researching the Media (5cr)
DJ6126 Investigating Miscarriages of Justice (10cr)

Choose additional 10 cr from:

  • DJ6135 Reporting Economics and Politics (10cr)
  • LW5123 International Peace Operations (10cr)
  • DJ6133 Data Journalism and Visualisation (10cr)
  • TI216 Weather and Climate (5cr)
  • DJ6143 ‘Media Law (5cr)
  • LW5124 Climate Justice (5cr)

Applications and Selections

Application is online via the online application system. To apply, you should complete the application form and submit together with the following documents: 

  • An up-to-date CV
  • A 700-word personal statement outlining your interested in, and suitability for, the programme. You should indicate which stream you intend to choose and why.
  • A sample of your writing OR other media. This can be an academic essay; a short video or podcast, an article in student media; or a published piece of media. We welcome innovative and non-traditional samples of creativity.
  • Your university transcript.
  • A copy of the picture page of your passport as proof of ID (the original will be checked on registering).
  • In cases where English is not your first language you will need to provide an IELTS test. 

Shortlisted applications will be invited for interview.

 

Who Teaches this Course

  • Fiona McGarry, Lecturer, Discipline of Journalism and Communication
  • An Dr Uinsionn Mac Dubhghaill, Lecturer, Discipline of Journalism and Communication
  • Kelly Fincham, Lecturer, Discipline of Journalism and Communication

Adjunct Professors:

Sean O’Rourke, RTÉ journalist and radio presenter
Conor Brady, former The Irish Times editor

researcher
Dr Tom Felle
BSc, MA, PhD
Associate Professor
Discipline of Journalism and Communication, Arts Millennium Building
University of Galway
University Road
Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
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Requirements and Assessment

Assessment on the programme is 100% course work. This includes a variety of assessment methods such as term papers, project work, production of media, and individual and team-based projects.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

To be accepted you must have a minimum Second Class Honours degree, or be in your final year of study and expecting to graduate Summer 2024. We also welcome applications from people with prior experience in journalism looking to update their skills. The programme is particularly welcoming to international students. We welcome application from all academic backgrounds, particularly Arts and humanities, science and business graduates. 

The English language requirement for this programme is: IELTS of 7.0 overall with not less than 6.5 in any component.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

1 year, full-time

Next start date

September 2024

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

50

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date
Applications will be considered in two rounds.
NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

90

Award

CAO

Course code

MA-GMC

Course Outline

Students will be offered a diet of taught core and elective modules across three semesters including both academic learning and practically-focused teaching and independent learning. Students will be offered 30 credits of modules per semester in semesters one and two, including core subjects, and a choice of elective options from media and communications and related subjects. Students will choose their stream with a pre-determined module structure. In their third semester students will undertake either a final practice-based project under supervision and a work internship, or an academic dissertation also under supervision. 

These carefully planned modules and streams blend to create a programme that will allow students the opportunity to build core communication capacities such as writing, reporting, production and storytelling across multiple platforms as well as providing students with a grounding in theoretical approaches to media and communication. This will allow students to develop their critical thinking capacities as well as acquiring advanced knowledge about norms and practices in global media – and how to challenge these. The suite of modules available offers students an opportunity to engage with real-world challenges and opportunities through a range of visiting speakers and innovative project-based assessment. Students are also given the opportunity to apply and synthesise the skills and knowledge developed over the programme within the final project or individual dissertation that are developed and produced in their final semester. 

Module diet (social media and data stream)

Semester one: Taught modules (30 ECTS)

DJ6127 Global Media and Society (10 ECTS) 
DJ6129 Social Media and Digital Production (10 ECTS)

Semester two: Taught modules (30 ECTS)
DJ6131 Global Media Innovation (10 ECTS)
DJ6133 Data Journalism and Visualisation (10 ECTS)

Choose one of:
DJ6134 Business and Financial Journalism
DJ6100 Features Journalism
DJ6125 Investigating Miscarriages of Justice
DJ6132 Digital Sandbox
DJ6135 Reporting Economics and Politics 
DJ6137 Strategic Communication 

Semester 3: (30 ECTS)
DJ6123 Dissertation (30 cr)
OR
DJ6124 Final Project and workplace learning (30 cr)

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject
Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject
A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

Optional DJ6135: Reporting Economics and Politics - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional DJ6132: Digital Sandbox - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional LW5123: International Peace Operations - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional LW5117: International Human Rights Law - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional LW5124: Climate Justice - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional TI216: Aimsir Agus Aeraid/ Weather And Climate - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional DJ6142: Global Media and Society - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required DJ6130: Employability and Career Skills - 0 Credits - Semester 1
Required DJ6124: Final Project for journalism, media and communication - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Required DJ6129: Social Media and Digital Production - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Optional DJ6123: Dissertation: Journalism, communication and media - 30 Credits - Semester 1
Optional DJ6125: Investigating Miscarriages of Justice - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6133: Data Journalism and Visualisation - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6134: Business and Financial Journalism - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6139: Humanitarian Communication - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional TI2108: Introduction to Palaeoclimatology - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6137: Strategic Communication - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6144: Communicating Climate Action and Science - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6143: Media Law - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional HI6100: NGOs and the Making of the 20th Century World - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6122: Researching the Media - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Required DJ6131: Global Media Innovation - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Optional DJ6100: Features Journalism - 10 Credits - Semester 2

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

This programme prepares graduates for a wide range of careers. The valuable oral and written communication skills, advanced research skills, and critical thinking skills that the MA Global Media and Communication programme will offer students are highly transferrable and sought after by employers in sectors including the digital media, news, communications, culture and knowledge industries. Students will be able to specialise in a specific stream within the programme thereby further developing their capacities and enhancing their employability. Graduates can progress to an exciting variety of careers including media and creative industries; advocacy, civil society, and political organisations; strategic communication; social media and digital content production, digital communication and data analysis; publishing; broadcasting; public relations; news and financial journalism and communication. The programme also offers clear opportunities to pursue further study and research at PhD level. 

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€10,140 p.a. (including levy) 2024/25

Fees: Tuition

€10,000 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Non EU

€20,000 p.a. (€20,140 including levy) 2024/25


Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant—please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,000 towards your tuition (2024/25).  You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee.  A P1 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Postgraduate fee breakdown = Tuition (EU or NON EU) + Student levy as outlined above.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa here

Find out More

Kelly Fincham 
T: +353 91 492 049
E: kelly.fincham@universityofgalway.ie

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