Journalism, Media and Globalisation

Overview

The Journalism, Media and Globalisation programme of the University of Amsterdam offers students the unique experience of studying in two European countries. Students spend the first year in Aarhus, Denmark, and then transfer to another university to specialize in one of four distinct areas of journalism and media studies: Media and Politics (University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands), War and Conflict (University of Swansea, UK), Business and Finance Journalism (City University London, UK) or Comparative and Transcultural Approaches (University of Hamburg, Germany). A select group of students also has the opportunity to spend time at a third university, at the University of California, Berkeley (USA), the University of Technology, Sydney (Australia), or La Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago (Chile).

This Master's programme is not intended to provide practical training for students to become journalists. Rather, solidly founded in academic research, it is aimed at practicing journalists and media professionals who wish to further develop their analytical perspective and operate at the cutting edge of their profession.

Studying Journalism, Media and Globalisation at the University of Amsterdam

The curriculum rests on a joint foundational year in Denmark. During this year, students gain thorough knowledge about the economic, political, social and cultural contexts of globalisation and journalism, and learn to creatively apply concepts, methods, principles and theories relevant to the study of and practices within global media and journalism.

During the specialism year at the University of Amsterdam, students are part of the Graduate School of Communication. The courses and research topics focus on critically examining the role, context, and effects of media in political processes, set against the backdrop of globalisation. The key questions in the programme are:

• How do the news media operate in a transnational public sphere, such as the European Union?

• How do news media contribute to the articulation or re-articulation of global and local politics?

• How does news coverage of public affairs influence citizens' perceptions, attitudes and behaviour, and how does it affect politics and the relationships between states, European and non‐European publics, governments and other institutions?

• How is journalism itself affected by transnational political and cultural shifts, and their implications for audience demands and expectations?

Students specialising in ‘Media and Politics’ study 60 ECTS at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands from September until July. A study year at the University of Amsterdam consists of two semesters. Each semester contains three blocks of 8 – 8 – 4 weeks.