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MA International Political Communication

Develop an advanced understanding of the issues and debates surrounding political communication, focusing on areas such as diplomacy, campaigning, reporting and media effects contextualised within the 21st Century communication and media environment.

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  • Delivery:
    Full time according to Funding Council definitions, Part-time

Why study MA International Political Communication at BU?

  • Incorporating an international perspective, you’ll be provided with insights into the latest techniques of political communication using the most recent technological innovations  
  • Analyse current issues and practice with aims to ask difficult questions about the fields of social science, psychological and international/diplomatic relations  
  • Benefit from BU’s extensive connections with a range of political organisations, local, national and international pressure groups, charities and communication consultancies 
  • Learn from academics whose links with research institutions and political organisations span across the globe, from Massachusetts and Prague to Bogota and Auckland 
  • Engage in research with the Centre for Comparative Politics & Media Research. 

Find out more about the content of this course.

For September 2022 entry: in order to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in industry to benefit our students we regularly review all of our courses. This course is currently going through this process and we will update this page in April 2022 to give you full information about what we will be offering once the review process has concluded.

Benefit from industry guest speakers 

Previous speakers include Peter McLeod, Senior Advisor at GQR’s London office, Niall Couper, Head of Media, PR and Supporter Communications at Amnesty International and Petros Ioannidis, CEO about people Market Research, Greece.  

Youtube Video
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Houses of Parliament
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Trump: political campaigning
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Talbot Campus is where you'll find facilities such as The Sir Michael Cobham Library, the Student Centre (where our Students' Union offices are based), the £22 million Fusion Building and the brand new Poole Gateway Building
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Inside the Fusion Building, which features 27 seminar rooms, three lecture theatres, research space, a 24-station PC laboratory, rooftop terraces and numerous catering facilities, topped with a glass-domed roof. The building has achieved an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A and BREEAM Excellent; it features a range of the latest technologies designed to reduce its environmental impact.

Key information

Next start date:

September 2022, September 2023

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

1 year full-time, or 2 years part-time

Required subjects:

Media and Communication, Politics, Public Relations, Journalism, Sociology or Social Policy

Entry requirements:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in a required subject or equivalent

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in speaking, listening and reading. For more information see our full entry requirements.

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

Download the programme specification (pdf 210kb)

Your application

Entry requirements

Careers

Students who graduate from this course will:

  • Be equipped with the critical and analytical skills to pursue research within the field of political communication and related disciplines
  • Possess appropriate academic and professional transferable skills
  • Be well-versed in a number of pervasive issues that shape and set the parameters for contemporary international political communications scholarship and practice.

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Course changes

What our students say

Mirjam Liefbroer

What I like about this course in particular are the great lecturers who are engaged with their units and approach us as colleagues rather than students – they make theory relevant and interesting.

Hear from our staff

Cliff van Wyk

My career contacts have helped me offer great benefits to students, securing guest lectures and challenging live briefs, as well as associations with top agencies.

Statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats and BU institutional data unless otherwise stated.