MA in Political Communication

DCU is currently finalising plans for a phased and incremental return to campus, with a view to welcoming all students to the DCU campuses in September. Students should plan to attend face-to face classes in Semester 1 2021-2022. Please see https://www.dcu.ie/attendingdcu-students-studying-at-dcu for more information.

Introduction

The MA in Political Communication examines the rapidly changing relationship between the media, politics and the public, and considers how their overlapping relations influence democracy and the distribution of power.

Why apply for DCU’s MA in Political Communication?

You should apply for this programme if you are interested in media coverage of politics, the role of spin, fake news, agenda-setting, public relations, political advertising and digital media. All taught modules combine political communication theory and practice. Students also prepare a dissertation as a piece of independent academic research in a political communication subject area of their choice.

Distinguishing features of DCU’s MA in Political Communication

• You will work with leading research-active academics in the areas of political communication, political science and journalism studies.
• You will also be exposed to a range of guest lecturers from national and international industry backgrounds.
• You will work in taught modules that are 100% continuous assessment with assignments including ‘real-world’ projects.
• You will prepare a supervised dissertation on a topic of your choice in the area of political communication.
• You will study on a MA programme with high employment rates in leading national and international workplaces.

Modules

Modules offered in 2020/21 include: Political Communication: Concepts and Issue; Media and Politics in Ireland; Social Media, Journalism & Democracy; Political Economy of the Media; Public Relations: Issues and Principles; Data Communication; Communicating Leadership; The Political Campaign; Media Audiences; Gender & Sexuality in Digital Culture; Research Methods.

Our Graduates

Graduates of the MA in Political Communication hold senior positions in the worlds of politics and public relations as well as in government, national and multinational companies, and the not-for profit sectors.

Our School

The School of Communications is an internationally-focused centre for excellence in teaching and research in media, communications and journalism. With a tradition stretching back to 1982 – and a long-established reputation as Ireland’s leading centre for communications – the School has been consistently ranked in the top 200 of almost 4,500 universities worldwide in the area of communications (QS World Rankings by Subject).