Digital Communication and Media Innovation (MA)

Through individual supervision and interdisciplinary seminars, students acquire theoretical and practical skills in the areas of digital journalism, digital communication, digital leadership, media aesthetics, as well as format development and media innovation. They learn to develop and produce media, journalistic products and formats both from a technical-analytical and from a practical and application-oriented point of view. In addition, intercultural, creative and technical skills are taught in order to design innovative media formats. In addition, the seminars promote a deeper understanding of content-related, technological and strategic aspects of digitality.

The Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg  has its own TV and radio studios, which offer top-level technical equipment for producing professional audio and video productions. In addition, there is a newsroom and a print editorial department.

Target group

The master's program is aimed at young female journalists and those interested in media and communication studies as well as career changers from other fields of study with at least six months of professional experience in a media-related environment.
 

Career paths

The study program offers excellent job prospects and career opportunities in the media and communications industry as well as the digital and creative industries. It qualifies graduates to take on demanding specialist and management positions in communications professions in media, companies and institutions. A particularly successful master's degree also offers the chance to study for a doctorate.

Course content and sequence

The study program includes both academic and application-oriented journalistic content. With a targeted combination of theory and practice, all aspects are taken into account that future media professionals need in a digital environment in the media and communications industry.

Topics taught include: Digital Storytelling, Digital News, Digital Leadership, Design Thinking, Hackathon, Prompt Engineering, Usability & Interaction, User Experience & User Research, Innovation Process Methods, Innovation Cultures, Feminist Innovation Theories, Media Law and Ethics, Design Aesthetics.

In the first semester, students already acquire digital leadership skills, knowledge of innovation methods and the impact of digital transformation in the media landscape.

• The module Digitization, Innovation and Audience teaches the importance of technical innovations and interaction with a heterogeneous audience as well as knowledge in conducting usability and user experience studies on media innovations.
• In the Innovation Methodology module, students gain comprehensive skills in the methods of the innovation process such as design thinking, future thinking and prototyping.
• The Digital Leadership and Change Communication module includes strategic expertise in leadership skills, communication planning, media law and media ethics.
• The Communication in-depth module covers specialized knowledge in science communication and also deepens professional and subject expertise through elective courses in journalism, public relations, media design and technology.

In the second semester, students deepen the knowledge acquired in the first semester and gain additional knowledge in digital and international journalism as well as design aesthetics.

• In the module Media Theory and Design Aesthetics, students acquire in-depth knowledge of theories of visual, auditory, audiovisual and digital media as well as design aesthetic approaches and models in digital culture.
• In the module International Journalism and Media Cultures, participants learn about international journalism in relation to central world regions, their media systems and media cultures, and gain insights into the practice of intercultural communication and media freedom.
• In the Digital Journalism module, students deal intensively with the influences of digital transformation and artificial intelligence on journalism and deal with current techniques and processes in digital journalism such as prompt engineering, computational journalism, and media and news production.
• In the in-depth module Technology, students deal with current media technologies and learn to assess their strategic importance for society and companies.

In the two master's projects, students independently design and implement research, development or communication projects, also in cooperation with partner companies.

The program is completed with the master's thesis in the third semester.

Qualification goals

The students are able to ...

... develop innovative journalistic as well as content- or media technology-oriented formats and products, taking into account the social, cultural, political and economic conditions that have changed as a result of the digital transformation.

... identify and analyze developments and problems in digital journalism and the current media world using current methods based on scientific findings

... to develop solution ideas for future-oriented media, journalistic contexts and to check the applications designed for this purpose for their feasibility and suitability

... to understand the requirements of practice and the associated user:inside behavior due to the digital change and to develop and produce adequate (media) offers on this basis

... to acquire in-depth academic qualifications that enable them to pursue doctoral studies at an appropriate theoretical level.

Admission requirements

A first professional university degree in which at least 210 credit points must have been earned according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The grade of the first university degree must be at least 2.5.  

Applicants who do not have the required 210 credit points (7 semesters) but 180 credit points (6 semesters) due to their completed bachelor's degree can make up the missing 30 credit points through practical work experience.The following must be submitted for the application: Degree certificates, letter of motivation, curriculum vitae and work samples or publications. Please note that proof of authorship must be provided with the work samples.

German language skills

For the study programme, we require German language proficiency on the level of C1. If you do not have a German secondary school certificate or university degree, you must show proof of your German language proficiency through an official test like telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, or DSH 2, or TestDaF at level TDN 4 in all four examination areas.

Picture: Unsplash | Carlynn Alarid