MSc Double Degree in Global Media and Communications with Annenberg School, USC or Fudan University

About the MSc programme

This unique two-year programme enables students to study for one year at LSE in London, the UK's media capital, and one year at either the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California (USC) – a top US communication school with close links to the Los Angeles media industry, or at the School of Journalism at Fudan University – a top journalism faculty with close links to Shanghai's media industry, to gain expertise in Chinese media.

The programme aims to provide:

• Critical exploration of mediation in the global context, examining processes of globalisation in relation to organisation, production, consumption and representation in media and communications.
• The opportunity to study a range of courses, flexibly tailoring the programme to develop specialist interests, culminating in an independent research project on a topic in global media and communications.
• Preparation for high level employment in media and communications related professions anywhere in the world.
• The opportunity for internships in Los Angeles or Shanghai.

We attract students from a diverse range of backgrounds, often including professional experience working in media and communications related fields. Indeed, the opportunity for cross-cultural meetings and exchange of ideas among the student body is a valuable feature of studying at LSE.

You should have at least an upper second class honours degree or its equivalent, preferably in a social science subject. We particularly welcome applications from those with professional experience in the media and communication fields and, in this case, we would accept a degree in other subjects.

The Department of Media and Communications requires applicants in receipt of a conditional offer to meet those conditions before registration and before the start of the Michaelmas term.

The application process for this programme differs somewhat from that for other LSE programmes. Please refer to the LSE online application procedure.

On graduating, our students enter a variety of global careers including broadcasting, journalism, advertising, new media industries, political marketing, market research, regulation and policy, media management and research in both public and private sectors.

See lse.ac.uk/media@lse/alumni|

Teaching and assessment

The programmes consists of four units, including required and optional courses and the dissertation. Courses typically involve a combination of lectures and seminars. The Methods of Research course is taught as a series of lectures and practical classes. You will be examined by written examinations, research assignments, essays related to courses and the dissertation, which must be submitted in September.

The programmes runs for a full calendar year. Formal teaching at LSE is usually completed by the end of the Lent term. Examinations for all first year courses are generally held during May and June. The remaining months are set aside for students to complete their dissertations, and it is not normally essential for students to remain in London during these months.

Further information:

• The University of Southern California
• The Annenberg School
• The Marshall School of Business
• Fudan University

Year one: LSE

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• Theories and Concepts in Media and Communications I (Key concepts and interdisciplinary approaches)*
• Media and Globalisation* 
• Methods of Research in Media and Communications (including Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis)*
• One from: Representation in the Age of Globalisation*, Global Media Industries*, or Identity, Transnationalism and the Media* 
• Dissertation

Options

Choose two from the following half unit courses: 

• Globalisation, Conflict and Post-Totalitarianism*
• Media, Technology and Everyday Life*
• Gender and the Media Representation*
• Information, Communication and Knowledge Systems* 
• Globalisation and Democracy* †
• Theories and Concepts in Media and Communications II (Processes of communication in modern life)*
• Identity, Transnationalism and the Media* (if not taken as a compulsory course)
• The Audience in Media and Communications* 
• Globalising Sexualities*
• Globalisation: Economy, Politics and Power*
• Contemporary Urbanism*
• Representation in the Age of Globalisation* (if not taken as a compulsory course)
• Global Media Industries* (if not taken as a compulsory course)  
• Anthropology and Media*
• Multiculturalism, Nationalism and Citizenship*
• New Media Regulation*
• Representations, Institutions and Communities*
• Cities, Politics and Citizenship*
• International Media and the Global South*
• Contemporary Issues in Media and Communications Regulation*
• Political Communication*
• Media and Communications Governance*
• Interpersonal Mediated Communication*
• Film Theory and World Cinema*
• The Urban Revolution* 
• Any other paper which is offered in the School at master's level, subject to the consent of the candidate's teachers

† subject to the consent of the course tutor

Please refer to the School's policy on course capping: lse.ac.uk/coursecapping|

Please note that the availability of optional courses is dependent upon a number of factors and thus neither the School nor the Department of Media and Communications can guarantee that all options will be available each year.

Mandarin Language classes

All students in Year one of P4UB MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and Fudan) will also attend 40 hours of Mandarin language classes at the appropriate level in the LSE Language Centre| or the LSE Confucius Institute for Business|. Mandarin language assessment does not form part of the MSc assessment, but attendance, for which there is no additional fee to the student, is required for all students on this programme except those already completely fluent in Mandarin. 

Year two: Annenberg, USC 

Six courses to the value of 24 units:

Compulsory course

• Global Communication Research Practicum (4 units)

Options

Choose to the value of 20 units:

• Managing Communication (4 units, Sp/Sm)
• Communication Management Pro-Seminar (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Strategic Corporate Communication (4 units, Sp)
• Seminar in Interpersonal Communication (4 units, Fa, even years only)
• Communication in Work Settings (4 units, Fa)
• Images and Image Management (4 units, Sp)
• Information Management (4 units, Fa)
• Seminar in Classical Rhetorical Theory (4, Fa)
• Communication, Values, Attitudes, and Behaviour (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Seminar in Contemporary Rhetorical Theory (4 units, Sp)
• Seminar in Rhetorical Criticism (4 units, Fa)
• Seminar in Rhetorical Theory and Culture (4 units, Sp)
• American Public Address (4 units, Sp, odd years only)
• Social Roles of Communication Media (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Seminar in Small Group Process (4 units, Sp, even years)
• Web Designs for Organisations (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Social Dynamics of Communication Technologies (4 units, Sp/Sm)
• Communication and the International Economy (4 units, Fa)
• Development of American Media Industry (4 units, Fa)
• Emerging Communication Technologies (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• The Culture of New Technologies (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Virtual Groups and Organisations (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Uses of Communication Research (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Integrated Communication Strategies (4 units, Sp)
• Business Strategies of Communication and Entertainment Firms (4 units, Sp)
• Managing Communication in the Entertainment Industry (4 units, Fa)
• The Arts and New Media (4 units, Fa)
• Communication and Global Competition (4 units, Sp)
• Distribution of Recordings: Media, Retail and Online Channels (4 units, Sp)
• Issues in Children's Media (4 units, Sp)
• Case Studies in Digital Entertainment
• Political Economy of Global Telecommunications and Information (4 units, Sp)
• Communication Policy in the Global Marketplace (4 units, Fa)
• The International Entertainment Marketplace (4 units, Fa)
• Globalisation, Communication and Society (4 units, Fa)
• Communications Policy (4 units, Fa/Sm)
• Communication Law and Broadcasting (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Communication Law and New Technologies (4 units, Sp)
• Internet Policy, Practice and Regulation (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Economics of the Communication Industries (4 units, Fa)
• Communications Technologies (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Telephone, Data, and Video Telecommunication Systems (4 units, Sp)
• Evaluating Communication Needs (4 units, Sp)
• Tele-Media: A Strategic and Critical Analysis (4 units, FaSp)
• Advocacy and Social Change in Entertainment and the Media (4 units, Fa)
• Communication Strategies for Conflict Management (4 units, Sm)
• Media and Politics (4 units, Fa/Sp)
• Media in Social Services: Design and Evaluation of Campaigns (4 units, Fa)
• International Communication: National Development (4 units, Sm)
• Global Entertainment Education Programs (4 units, Sp)
• Seminar: Interpreting Popular Culture (4 units, Fa)
• Audience Analysis (4 units, Fa)
• Studies in Rhetorical Theory (4 units, max 8, Fa/Sp/Sm)
• Mass Media Effects (4 units, Fa)
• Studies in Communication Theory (2-4 units, max 8, Fa/Sp)
• Theory Construction in Communication (4 units, Sm)
• Global Culture (4 units, Fa)
• Communication Technology and Social Change (4 units, Sp)
• Minds and Media (4 units, Sp)
• Economics of Information (4 units, Sp)
• Communication and Organisational Change (4 units, Fa)
• Negotiating Boundaries in Environmental Research (2 units)
• Seminar on the Network Society (4 units, Fa)

Any other course which is offered in the Annenberg School for Communications, the Marshall School of Business or the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California at 500 level, subject to the consent of the student's teachers

Fa: Fall Semester; Sp: Spring Semester; Sm: Summer School

Year two: Fudan

Core and optional courses in Chinese language, culture and media, including:

• Chinese Journalism: History, Theory and Practice
• Communication inquiry in China
• Chinese Language and Culture
• China's English Media System
• The Theories and Practice of Documentary
• Societal Transformation: China struggling to Modernisation
• China's Media and Politics in the Context of Globalisation
• Chinese Broadcasting; an Overview of Industry and Programming
• Visual Culture and Social Changes in China
• Crisis Communication in China
• China's New Media

For details of year 2 at Fudan please visit: www.xwxy.fudan.edu.cn/fudan_lse/main.html|  

Fudan University Students - Students already enrolled in a masters programme at Fudan University are eligible to apply through the normal application process, but it is advisable that they consult with Fudan University in advance of submitting an application.

Applicants from China - Students who are citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC), including students who are already studying at an overseas university (ie outside of China), are required by Chinese law to complete the National Postgraduate Entrance Examination and meet all the requirements for PRC students for entry into a master's degree programme at Fudan.

Important: Please consult with Fudan University of School of Journalism before submitting an application. Contact:

Mr Yang Kaijiang,
Programme Coordinator, LSE-Fudan Double-Degree
Fudan University – School of Journalism
Tel: 00-86-21-55664686
Email: doubledegree@fudan.edu.cn|