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Can you imagine life without movies or music, or even just news? We are constantly in contact with the media and while the word ‘media’ usually sounds like news channels and journalism, it isn’t just that.

Media is YouTube’s one-pot recipes and 5-minute crafts. It is Netflix and Spotify that bring movies and music from all over the world, and it’s also the stock profiles you check every morning on CNBC. Media is Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, though these fall into a narrower category called social media.

Despite the broader classification, do you know what the singular greatest goal of the media is? Communication! And we are in an age where steady communication plays a major part in our lives. For real though, how else would we know the total coronavirus cases and recoveries, right?

The media is a humongous industry, and the opportunities are not just endless, they’re glamorous. Whether you want to go into digital marketing, become an actor, or an investigative journalist, pursuing a communications and media studies major is your best bet.

You can start with media studies at any point in your life, but there’s a lot of competition in this field. The best way to go about it is either through a masters in media and communication or a masters in mass media, the careers that you can pursue with these degrees are many. Most media students go into advertising, public relations, broadcasting (radio, TV, electronic media), journalism, politics and social services to name a few. So, if you’ve decided to pick this major, keep reading because we have a list of the top 10 media and communications programs from around the world. (Ranked by QS World University rankings)

1. University of Southern California, USA

Global Rank: #2

USC offers 10 graduate degree programs in the fields of journalism, communication, public relations and diplomacy. Some of their most famous programs are:

  • MS in Communication Data Science
  • MA in Public Relations and Advertising
  • MCG in Communication Management
  • MA/MS in Specialized Journalism
  • MS in Digital Social Media

Applications are open for their MA in Global Communication and MSc in Global Media Programs.

2. Stanford University, USA

Global Rank: #5

Stanford offers three kinds of programs, PhD/ Joint PhD, Masters and Coterminal. The Coterminal MA in Communication is for undergraduate students who wish to pursue a masters in media studies or journalism simultaneously. Also, Stanford is one of the top journalism universities in the world, and its MA in Journalism is regarded highly.

3. The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Global Rank: #4

The University of Texas at Austin offers an MA in Journalism in three tracks – professional, hybrid and research & theory. With courses like media law, visual journalism and business/innovation, the students pursuing this program get an all-round education. Moreover, all enrolled students are eligible for TA-ships and Fellowships.

4. University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Global Rank: #1

Ranked at first place in the world, the University of Amsterdam offers one-year masters programs in New media and design culture, Film studies, Television and cross-media culture. They also offer specialized dual and research masters programs in media studies in English.

5. University of Zurich, Switzerland

Global Rank: #16

The Master of Arts in Social Sciences at UZH focuses on a complete communications education that focuses on four areas; internet and society, strategic communication, news and entertainment and political communication. The language of instruction is German and English together.

6. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

Global Rank: #25

LMU is one of Germany’s leading institutes and is known for its highly specialized and interdisciplinary education. Their flagship media program is the M.Sc. in Media, Management and Digital Technologies. This is a two-year course, and what’s more? The tuition is zero.

7. The London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

Global Rank: #3

LSE offers the best social sciences education in the UK and is globally recognized for its media degrees. They offer 13 graduate programs with specializations in the media and communications domain. Here are the top-ranked ones:

  • MSc Media and Communications
  • MSc Gender, Media and Culture
  • MSc Media and Communication Governance
  • MSc Strategic Communications
  • MSc Global Media

LSE also offers a study abroad program where you can take one year at their university and the second year at the University of Southern California (#1).

8. McGill University, Canada

Global Rank: #46

McGill is Canada’s most international university with over 23% of students coming in from around the world. It offers MA and PhD degrees in Communication Studies. The program focuses on a variety of fields including film, sound studies, public policy, and media with technology. The degree offers a balance between social sciences, humanities with the scope of media in today’s world.

9. Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Global Rank: #17

With the whole world going digital, the media and communications space have to find a way to keep up. This is the concept behind QUT’s Master’s program in Digital Communication. This degree is future-focused and emphasizes analysis, artificial intelligence and data visualization to understand the highly volatile media industry.

Duration: 2 years/FT or 4 years/PT

10. Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, India

Symbiosis is one of India’s most popular deemed universities and has consistently made its place in the media and communications fields. They offer two communications programs:

  • MA in Mass Communication

Tuition Cost: $4,486/Year

  • MBA in Communication Management

Tuition Cost: $5,387/Year

Need more info on how to do a Masters in Media and Communication? Schedule a 15 minute 1-on-1 session with our expert admissions counselors now. It’s totally free!

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