Media and Communications (Media and Communication Governance)

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This programme offers an intensive, year-long exploration of a wide range of contemporary issues in media and communications specifically concerned with the emergence of new forms of media and communication governance. The MSc Media and Communications (Media and Communication Governance) aims to provide:

* A broad based understanding of the institutions and regulations that structure the development and forms of media and communication systems. The programme covers policy, regulatory, legal and economic aspects of media and communication services.
* An up-to-date engagement with diverse theoretical, conceptual and empirical developments in research on media and communications, specifically relating to communication governance at the regional, national and international levels.
* A mix of core and optional courses, culminating in an independent research project in media and communications (media and communication governance), that provides an ideal preparation for research or employment in media and communications and related fields of policy, regulation and/or information systems analysis.
* The flexibility to tailor the programme to pursue particular topics of interest by selecting from a wide range of courses taught by leading experts in the Department of Media and Communications and other departments at LSE.

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 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. Exceptionally we may consider professional experience instead of a first degree.

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.

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

Teaching and assessment

The programme 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 the summer.

The programme runs for a full calendar year. Formal teaching is usually completed by the end of the Lent term. Examinations for all 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.

Part-time students will normally take and be examined in courses to the value of two units in each year of study. In the first year, these two units, selected in discussion with the student's academic adviser, will usually include the compulsory theoretical course(s) and one or more option course(s). The methods course(s) and the dissertation are then usually taken in the second year, together with the remaining option course(s). Students may be permitted to vary the courses to be taken in each year with the approval of their academic adviser.

Please note that we do not provide a practical training in journalism, production, campaigning or media management.

Compulsory courses
(* half unit)

* Theories and Concepts in Media and Communications I (Key concepts and interdisciplinary approaches)*
* Methods of Research in Media and Communications (including Qualitiative and Quantitative Analysis)*
* Media and Communications Governance*
* Dissertation

Options
Choose to the value of one full unit:

* Innovation and Information Systems: Concepts and Perspectives*
* Interpretations of Information*
* Digital Convergence and Information Services*
* Current Issues in Media Law*
* Media and Communications Regulation*
* New Media Regulation*
* Media Law: Regulating Publication*
* Media Law: Regulating Newsgathering*
* Contemporary Issues in Media and Communications Regulation*
* Policy-Making in the European Union*

Plus choose to the value of one half unit:

* Mediated Resistance and Citizens*
* The Audience in Media and Communications*
* Critical Approaches to Media, Communications and Development*
* Global Media Industries*
* Political Communication*
* International Media and The Global South*
* Information, Communication and Knowledge Systems*
* Theories and Concepts in Media and Communications II (Processes of communication in modern life)*
* Interpersonal Mediated Communication*
* The Social Psychology of Economic Life*
* Any other half unit course which is offered in the School at master's level, subject to the consent of the student's teachers

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

Please note that the availability of option 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.

Minimum entry requirement: 2:1 in social science, or degree in another field with professional experience in the media and communications field. Exceptionally, professional experience aloneEnglish requirement: * TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 627 in the paper test or 107 in the internet based test * IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum score of 7.0 English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 80 (Grade A) TOEFL paper-based test score : 627 TOEFL iBT® test: 107 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Fee reductions and rewards
LSE undergraduates starting taught postgraduate study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction in the region of ten per cent of the fee. These reductions are available for UK, EU and non-EU students. The School offers a range of rewards for early payment of fees for all self-financed students.

Scholarships for study at LSE

LSE makes available over £12 million annually in financial support for its students via a range of scholarships, bursaries and award schemes, details of which can be found on these pages. LSE's world class programmes attract a consistently high calibre of applicants, many of whom seek financial support from the School, so there is always much competition for our awards. Securing the necessary funds to attend LSE can be a difficult and time consuming process so you should start to think about it as early as possible. Please be aware that the School will be unable to offer you any financial assistance if you knowingly register under funded. The relevant link on the left will take you to the awards available for your chosen level of study.

The School would like to thank the many donors who have contributed to the New Futures Fund, which provides funds for a number of discretionary scholarships.

Diploma, LLM, MA, MSc and MSc (Research) programmes

There are a range of awards available for study at this level. Approximately 19% of taught masters offer holders are successful in obtaining some form of financial support from the School. The value of support ranges in value from 10% of the tuition fee to a full fees and maintenance award.

Graduate Support Scheme

LSE's major financial support scheme for study at taught masters level is the Graduate Support Scheme (GSS). This scheme is open to all applicants, with the exception of those undertaking specific modular or executive programmes such as the MSc in Finance (Part time) or the MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management. Around £2 million is available annually in the form of awards from the Graduate Support Scheme. The Scheme is designed to help students who do not have sufficient funds to meet all their costs of study. GSS awards range in value from £3,000 to a maximum of £10,000, and have an average value of £6,000. Application to the Graduate Support Scheme is via the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application form. This form will be made available to you once you have submitted an application for admission to the School. The form will then be available until 27 April 2011.

Awards

If you complete the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application form, and are made an offer of admission by 27 April 2011, you will also be automatically considered for any other awards being offered by LSE, for which you are eligible, with the exception of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding where there are separate, department led processes in place. AHRC and ESRC funding is relevant to Home UK and Home EU applicants only, and there are also subject restrictions in place. We offer a range of awards based on different criteria such as a specific programme of study, nationality, or country of permanent domicile. In addition, a number of external organisations offer funding to support postgraduate study. We recommend that applicants follow up as many avenues as possible to find funding. Please be aware that if you accept funding from an external source, it is your responsibility to check the terms of the award. Some awards are accompanied by specific terms and conditions which you should be sure you able to meet before accepting the award. Information about other Awards offered by LSE or external organisations. Please take some time to look at all the other awards available to support your study at LSE. The details of these awards are updated each October, but new LSE awards may become available during the course of the admissions cycle. We will only write to successful applicants for these awards. Selection for these awards will take place between May and July 2011 and all successful applicants will be notified by 31 July 2011.