Course summary

Our Communication, Media and Development MA will equip you with the skills and a critical understanding of the role of media and communication in development and social change. Communication and media are at the heart of processes of social change, with a wide range of applications, including NGO and charity communications, social and behaviour change communication, social impact communications, and community media. New forms of communication and storytelling are vital in addressing some of today’s global challenges, includingclimate change and sustainability, global poverty, conflict and peacebuilding, voice and rights of marginalised groups, and mis/dis-information. You will consider the major theories relevant to the analysis of the media, global communication, and development and social change, including globalization, epistemologies of the South, decolonisation, and theories of participation and social movements. You will explore contemporary approaches to communication for social change in global and local contexts, including citizen engagement, participatory development, behaviour change communication, campaigns, edutainment, community media, entrepreneurial changemaking, media development, activism and social movements. Students will engage with leading organisations and agencies to develop professional skills throughout the programme. Our Institute has strong relationships with UNICEF, the International Paralympic Committee, BBC Media Action, International Media Support, and IT4Change, and is supported by an International Advisory Board consisting of scholars, practitioners and activists. In addition, our Future Space Enterprise Hub offers additional supports for engaging with partners, sourcing internships, and establishing start-ups and consultancies. Our graduates have gone onto careers in NGOs, UN agencies, government departments, social enterprises, and consultancies.