Course details

Summary

From the uprisings in Ukraine and the Middle East, to your relationship with friends on Snapchat - media are changing the world. Media and Communication as a subject of study enables you to be a part of understanding these profound societal shifts. This subject examines the influence and impact of the media and new information technologies.

Unlike other media departments in New Zealand, our curriculum is designed to provide students with a critical understanding of how communication and media work within the broader context of society, power and culture. The programme draws on both the arts and social sciences to build a degree that teaches students how to think about media critically and also how to create thoughtful, analytical media content.

The Master of Arts (MA) degree consists of coursework followed by a thesis. It provides the opportunity to make a contribution to knowledge while also demonstrating understanding of the principles of research.

Qualification structure and duration

The Master of Arts degree consists of two parts:

Part I: Coursework

Part II: A thesis.

Further study

Doctor of Philosophy

Higher level study can be in Mathematics, Statistics, Mathematics and Statistics, Computational and Applied Mathematical Sciences, Economics and Mathematics, Finance and Mathematics, Finance and Statistics, Mathematics and Philosophy, and Mathematical Physics.

Career opportunities

Media and Communication courses are an excellent preparation for a career in a communication industry or profession, from the news media to marketing or government communication. While many Media and Communication graduates enter careers directly related to their studies, some graduates tend to initially enter careers that seek university graduates of any discipline, but which offer ample opportunity to use their knowledge, skills and perspectives on communication in society.

Many organisations place a high value on people who can develop relationships between media and the public as well as manage internal communications. These same skills are also valued by government departments and agencies, both in liaising with the public and in developing policy.

Media and Communication graduates are employed in media, commerce, local and central government, education, research, arts/culture/design, tourism, museums, libraries, IT and telecommunications, social services, international affairs, management and business.

Entry criteria

Normally the minimum requirement is a three-year bachelor's degree from a New Zealand university, or a qualification or combination of qualifications considered to be equivalent. If you gained your qualifications overseas, these will need to be assessed to make sure they are of an equivalent standard.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.