MSc in Global Media and Communications 20th anniversary

School’s oldest double degree celebrates its anniversary in Santa Monica

The School’s oldest and largest double degree, MSc in Global Media and Communications, celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the first students’ graduation on 11 April 2022. The “Globals”, including over 70 alumni, current students and colleagues, attended a festive dinner that took place at the beautiful Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica, California.

The double degree enables students to study their first year in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE and their second year at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC) to receive two master’s degrees. Annenberg was ranked the second and LSE’s Media and Communications Department the third best in the world in the recent 2022 QS World University Rankings. The programme has now more than 600 alumni who work far and wide around the world.

The double degree is the brain child of LSE’s former director Tony Giddens and was set up in 2000 by the founding directors Patti Riley at USC and Terhi Rantanen at LSE who have closely worked together and directed the programme for 22 years since its foundation. The dinner honoured Riley’s outstanding leadership before she will step down in July when David Craig will become new programme director at USC. Rantanen gave a speech where she thanked Patti for her amazing partnership, and together they thanked students and colleagues for making the programme a success story. Minouche Shafik and Brendan Smith were among the many who had sent their video congratulations to the event that became a warm family reunion where the “Globals” enjoyed seeing old friends and making news ones.

Speaker - studentPatti AwardStudentsTerhi dinnerPatti flowerPhoto credit: Sangil Jung