International Media Studies (MA)

Overview The International Media Studies Master’s is a four-semester, full-time programme run in English and taught in Bonn, Germany. It is a collaborative initiative of the University of Bonn, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and the DW Akademie, which provides the study environment for up to 30 students each year. The course is aimed primarily at graduates from developing and transition countries who already have professional or practical media experience; eligible applicants from those countries may apply for a scholarship that supports living costs and tuition. The programme combines academic study and hands-on learning to prepare graduates for careers in media, communication and development contexts.

Programme focus and structure This interdisciplinary MA brings together media and development, journalism, communication science, media economics and digitalisation, with an emphasis on the global links between media, development and digital transformation. Teaching includes research, lectures and practical modules. The intake starts in September with two compulsory introduction weeks (excursions and workshops). Semesters 1 and 2 introduce analytical perspectives on media, politics and society, covering media development, journalism, media economics, media management and intercultural communication. Semester 3 focuses on empiricism, media planning and market research, plus interdisciplinary subjects such as project management and leadership training. In semester 4 students complete a Master’s thesis (scholarship recipients are required to write their theses and finalise the degree in their home countries) and finish with a colloquium; successful graduates receive a Master of Arts (MA) degree.

Key facts & requirements

• Intended applicants: graduates from developing and transition countries with prior media experience
• Language of instruction: English
• Location: Bonn, Germany (courses delivered in cooperation with DW Akademie, University of Bonn and H-BRS)
• Duration: 4 semesters, full-time
• Start: September; includes two mandatory introduction weeks with excursions and workshops
• Cohort size: up to 30 students per year
• Curriculum highlights: media and development, journalism, communication science, media economics, digitalisation, intercultural communication, empiricism, media planning, market research, project management, leadership training
• Final assessment: Master’s thesis and colloquium; degree awarded: Master of Arts (MA)
• Scholarships: students from developing and transition countries can apply; scholarship covers monthly support of €992 and tuition fees of €6,000 (scholarship recipients are expected to write their thesis and complete the degree in their home country)

Curriculum overview

This four-semester MA combines theoretical foundations, applied training and research to prepare you for careers across media, communication and development contexts. The first two semesters build core knowledge—how media relate to development, education, politics and the economy—alongside hands-on media practice. In semesters three and four you move into advanced project work, management and empirical methods, plus electives that let you specialise before completing a supervised master’s thesis and colloquium.

The programme balances academic reflection (media and communication theory, empirical methods, applied research) with vocational skills (journalism formats, audio/video/multimedia production, media management and digital project delivery). Elective modules and multi-stage media practice modules allow you to deepen either practical production skills or applied/thematic expertise (for example environmental communication or NGO management). A capstone digital project requires producing publishable media output, and the degree finishes with a thesis that brings research and practice together.

International students can expect a curriculum that prepares them to work in newsrooms, communication departments of NGOs and public institutions, media management roles, or research/teaching positions. The course emphasizes cross-national media systems, media governance and concentration effects, and gives advanced training in descriptive and inductive statistics and empirical research methods to support evidence-based work in communication.

Key modules and core learning outcomes

• M1 – Media and Development: Understand links between media studies, media systems and cooperative development; get familiar with interdisciplinary theory and programme structure.
• M2 – Media, Education and Communication: Gain foundational knowledge in education theory, media didactics and applied educational research.
• M3 – Media, Politics and Society I: Learn how media convey political messages and the institutional arrangements that support democratic functionality.
• M4 – Journalism: Acquire practical skills in journalistic formats such as news, interviews, features, commentary and moderation.
• M5 – Media Economics: Learn how media enterprises operate and the economic processes underpinning media workflows.
• M6 – (Digital) Media Practice I: Advance practical production skills across video, audio, multimedia and print.
• M7 – Media, Politics and Society II: Analyse media–governance interdependencies and assess media concentration and its political effects across countries.
• M8 – Media and Communication Science: Develop conceptual and theoretical thinking using core models and approaches for understanding media communication.
• M9 – Media Management: Build competencies in accounting, HR and marketing/public relations specific to media organisations.
• M10 – Elective I / Media Practice II: Choose between deepening production practice or expanding applied/thematic knowledge (e.g. environmental communication, NGO management).
• M11 – Elective II / Media Practice III: Continue elective pathway or advanced practice (see M10).
• M12 – Management Techniques: Learn strategic and operational management tasks in the communications sector, with relevance for editorial leadership.
• M13 – Digital Project Work: Complete a professional media project in at least one medium and prepare it for publication.
• M14 – Empirical Methods II: Gain advanced competence in descriptive and inductive statistics and practical application of statistical analysis in social research.
• M15 – Applied Research Projects: Work through research phases, refine topics and methods, and strengthen theoretical argumentation via peer discussion.
• M16 – Master’s Thesis and Colloquium: Produce and defend an independent master’s thesis integrating research and practice.

What you’ll gain: practical multimedia production experience, theoretical fluency in media and communication, applied research and statistical skills, and management know-how tailored to media organisations—skills useful across NGOs, public sector communication, journalism and media management.

Graduates are prepared for roles across the communications and media sector, including editorial positions, media management, digital content production, media development and policy work, and positions with NGOs and international organisations. The combination of practical media skills, management training and empirical research methods equips students to design, manage and evaluate media projects in international and development contexts.

Alumni may also pursue further research or academic careers thanks to the programme's emphasis on applied research projects and advanced empirical methods, while the practical project work and partnerships with media organisations provide industry-relevant experience for professional employment.