Full-time: one yearPart-time: two years
Full-time: £9,880 *
Part-time: £4,940 per year *
Full-time: £14,570 *
Part-time: £7,285 per year *
Northampton Square
This course is for students looking to explore international development through a communications lens as well as to assess the role that the media play in development and policy making.
At a time when ideas about freedom of expression, democracy, human rights and access to natural and material resources guide development projects across the world, the question about the role of media and communications for social change becomes ever more pertinent. As a result, this MA will particularly appeal to you if you have an interest in communication studies and cross-disciplinary interests in development studies, sociology and politics.
The International Communications and Development MA provides will provide you with skills to help you to:
You should have a first or second-class honours degree in any subject. However, applications are also welcome from those with experience in the media, information or communication sectors. An equivalent qualification from an overseas university will be considered.
No formal training in economics is required.
If you do not meet the entry requirements? INTO City, University of London offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare you for study at City, University of London. You'll learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry. To prepare for this degree course, learn more about the Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences and the Arts.
City works in partnership with Kaplan International College (KIC) London to provide preparatory courses for international students. Pre Masters courses at KIC London offer comprehensive support to students wishing to complete their postgraduate study at City. Progression to this degree is guaranteed if you complete the KIC London Pre-Masters course at the required level.
If you are applying with an overseas degree, the following is an indication of international equivalents of an upper second class degree from a UK institution. Please note these figures are intended as a guide only and individual applications will be assessed on a case by case basis.
If your first language is not English, the following qualifications will meet the English language requirement for entry to a postgraduate course of study:
If you do not meet the English language requirements, INTO City, University of London offers English language programmes to help prepare you for study at university. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to degree courses.
International Students (EEA and Non EEA) coming to study in the UK, may need to apply for a visa or entry clearance to come to the UK to study. The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course. There are different rules for:
For more information see our main Visa page.
Applications for 2020 are now open:
Apply for MA International Communications and Development (Full Time)
Apply for MA International Communications and Development (Part Time)
Once open you will need to submit:
You are encouraged to apply online and either upload or email scanned copies of your supporting documents for convenience.
If you have any enquiries please contact:
Department of Sociology
School of Social Sciences
Tatiana Dias
Postgraduate Programme Administrator
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB
* Fees in each subsequent year of study (where applicable) will be subject to an annual increase of 2%. We will confirm any change to the annual tuition fee to you in writing prior to you commencing each subsequent year of study (where applicable).
Students on this course may be eligible for the following scholarships:
Vidhi is coming to the end of her studies on the MA International Communications and Development at City, University of London. She talks about how she has been inspired by her lecturers and used the careers service to get a real idea of what she wants to do as a career.
We offer a variety of accommodation options and support services for postgraduate students.
Read more about our postgraduate halls.
Our Accommodation Service can also help you find private accommodation.
We offer a free language course for City, University of London students.
Course timetables are normally available from July and can be accessed from our timetabling pages. These pages also provide timetables for the current academic year, though this information should be viewed as indicative and details may vary from year to year.
Please note that all academic timetables are subject to change.
We offer an extensive support network during your time here at City, University of London – from Learning Support (including disability support) and counselling to financial and career advice – leaving you free to enjoy every opportunity campus life has to offer.
Find out more about the different types of student support available.
Chat to our current students and read their blogs to gain an insight into studying at City and learn more about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
To make sure that you can begin or continue your studies with us during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have reviewed and adapted our courses to ensure a safe learning environment for our students and staff. We have modified the way some of our courses are delivered, with many programmes being made available online.
Contact us to find out more about how our programmes will be delivered.
You will learn through a combination of lectures, interactive sessions, practical workshops and small-group classes supported by a personal tutorial system. You are encouraged to undertake extensive reading in order to understand the topics covered in lectures and classes and to broaden and deepen your knowledge of the subject. Outside of class, you are expected to engage in independent study: read from the set module bibliography, prepare your class participation, collect and organise source material for your coursework, and plan and write your coursework.
The Department also runs a personal tutorial system, which provides support for teaching and learning and any problems can be identified and dealt with early.
During the second term the Department offers a Dissertation Workshop to guide you on your dissertation outline.
You will submit two assignments totaling 4,500-5,000 words for every 30 credit modules, which will include an essay with a group presentation or reaction paper. You will submit a 3,000 word essay for 15 credit modules. You will also submit a dissertation.
Assessment Criteria are descriptions, based on the intended learning outcomes, of the skills, knowledge or attitudes that you need to demonstrate in order to complete an assessment successfully. This provides a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured.
Grade-related criteria are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment. This provides a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks.
Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to help you complete assessments. These may be provided in programme handbooks, module specifications, on the virtual learning environment or attached to a specific assessment task.
Feedback will be provided in line with our Assessment and Feedback Policy. In particular, you will normally be provided with feedback within three weeks of the submission deadline or assessment date. This would normally include a provisional grade or mark.
For end-of-module examinations or an equivalent significant task (e.g. an end-of-module project), feedback will normally be provided within four weeks. The timescale for feedback on final year projects or dissertations may be longer. Take a look at the full policy for more information.
In order to pass your programme, you should complete successfully or be exempted from the relevant modules and assessments and will therefore acquire the required number of credits.
The pass mark for each module is 50%.
The course focuses on the relationship between communication, development and democracy. Over the course of the year you will develop your knowledge of media and communication studies within the context of globalisation, political communications, and the work of international organisations and non-governmental organisations in development communications.
Your will also cover more specific areas, such as media representation (national and trans-national) and audiences and the communications policies that affect them.
You will take three 30-credit core modules and either two 15-credit modules or one 30-credit module elective modules.
The Department of Sociology at City offers you an extensive range of module options. This enables you to specialise in your particular areas of interest, developing your critical skills and advancing your knowledge, culminating with you undertaking an extended piece of original research.
Democratisation and Networked Communication SGM311 (30 credits)
This module introduces you to the relationship between information and communication trends and the processes of democratisation. While there will be due attention paid to advanced technologies (notably the internet and social media), the emphasis is on broad information and communication issues and their relationship to democratisation.
Communication, Culture and Development SGM312 (30 credits)
This module provides a focus on development issues and communication studies. It provides a solid theoretical framework on the role of communication for and in development. It also introduces you to specific themes and case studies to assess development programmes in different countries.
Research Design, Methods and Methodology (15 credits)
Dissertation (60 credits)
You must also complete a 60-credit dissertation in order to be awarded the Master's qualification. You are normally required to pass all taught modules before progressing to the dissertation.
NB. Elective modules choices are subject to availability.
Still have questions? Read our FAQs for this course.
The programme specification contains more information on how the course is organised, the requirements for progression for each part and credits required for awards.
Graduates of this MA have entered a wide variety of careers, including:
Recent graduate positions include:
According to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, previous graduates in employment six months after completing the course earn an average salary of £30,000.
Jessica Perrin who recently graduated with an MA in International Communications and Development is now Head of NGOs at Thomson Reuters Foundation.
You will have access to the expert services of our Careers, Student Development and Outreach Office. They regularly receive information about internship and job opportunities and are invited to participate in media fairs and panel discussions with alumni.
Find out more about the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2014/15 results
Applications for 2020 are now open:
Apply for MA International Communications and Development (Full Time)
Apply for MA International Communications and Development (Part Time)
Once open you will need to submit:
You are encouraged to apply online and either upload or email scanned copies of your supporting documents for convenience.
If you have any enquiries please contact:
Department of Sociology
School of Social Sciences
Tatiana Dias
Postgraduate Programme Administrator
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB
Find out more about City and all our postgraduate degree programmes.
