Politics, Media, and Communication

To understand contemporary politics, it is absolutely crucial to understand the role played by the media. The rise of new media and new technologies have affected the functioning of society in general and politics in particular. On the contrary, the changed position of traditional political actors on both the national (lower rootedness of political parties in society) and the international level (national states) and the transformation of society in the 21. century have lead to the growing importance of the media in the study of politics.

The undergraduate study program Politics, Media, and Communication focuses on the interplay between politics, the media, and society by synthesizing approaches of comparative political science, political theory, and research on political behavior and approaches from the research of the media publics, the study of new media, and mass communication and its effects. The interdisciplinarity and complexity of the study of the importance of the media in contemporary politics make the program Politics, Media, and Communication is exceptional compared to other study programs.

The program is an excellent choice for those applicants whose interests lie in the developments of contemporary politics and the role of the media in politics but also for those who are interested in the quality of democracy, political behavior, communication of political actors and transformation of the media sphere.

The graduates from the program Politics, Media, and Communication will understand and will gain analytical skills in the area of contemporary politics with emphasis put on 1) the importance of the transformation of society and the media sphere for politics, 2) the role of the media in democracy, 3) modern political communication and campaigns, 4) the effects of the media on political attitudes and political behavior.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• explain the importance of the media in democracies including the media ownership in the context of societal and political changes
• describe mechanisms of the effects of the media content on political attitudes and political behavior
• understand the basic principles of political communication and campaigns
• interpret media and political contents
• analyze secondary quantitative and qualitative data on the role of the media in politics, political communication, and political attitudes and behavior
• find and evaluate relevant information and data on the role of the media in politics, political communication and political attitudes and behaviour

The graduates of this study program have knowledge and skills to apply to study in MA study programs in political science, media studies, political communication or democracy studies. She is also able to perform independent work in public opinion agencies, media, and PR agencies, public administration or to serve as an analyst for political actors such as political parties, NGOs or international organizations as well as media and communication analysts for private companies..

Practical training accompanied by supervision is an optional part of the curriculum for this field to an extent of 50 hours of practical training.

The standard scope of a Bachelor`s thesis ranges from 45,000 to 65,000 characters including footnotes. The bachelor thesis can have a character of either a critical literature review or an empirical analysis based on work with the existing data. They should demonstrate the ability to work critically with specialized texts, process the concepts and theories discovered there, and find relevant answers to the given question. Instructions for Final State Examinations and elaboration of the Bachelor's/Diploma thesis are regulated by FSS Directive No. 5/2024 State Final Examinations, Final Theses and their Defences.

The graduates of this study program have knowledge and skills to apply to study in MA study programs in political science, media studies, political communication or democracy studies.