Nächster Bericht
Everything is self studying, not interactive
Good intro to media research, but basic for master
This master's study programme is the perfect way for national and international students to enter the media research arena. It is fully taught in English. The programme can even be completed 100% online, but some of the most interesting elective modules are not offered for online students. Although this is probably the best communication research master's you are going find in Germany, you might be disappointed if are looking for a more comprehensive and methodologically rigorous research programme.
The title of the study programme "Media and Communication Science" suggests that there is a considerable amount of general communication science. Unfortunately, the vast majority of courses (and research in the various faculty departments) focus on media and outdated one-way asymmetrical communication. They focus much on sustainability communication, effective risk and crisis communication, strategic communication and even science communication, but they fail to teach and do research according to state-of-the-art paradigms (e.g., towards participation, dialogue, public engagement).
The study programme also lays a strong emphasis on research and research methods. However, this emphasis manifests in quantity rather than quality. There are maximum three modules teaching research methods, while all other research modules solely focus on applying them and doing literature research over and over again. The methods taught amount to interviews, basic content analysis, just a glimpse of (partly outdated) quantitative survey design, and some computational methods in an elective. The statistics taught are basic descriptive and univariate parametric analysis. Only content analysis and basic computational methods are applied in the other research modules. We even allow for International Business Administration students (who do not seem to have any scientific writing or methods training) to join a supposedly advanced computational research module. Overall, the methodological rigour does not exceed the bachelor's level. My bachelor thesis involved methods far exceeding what is taught here. I do understand that this research master's programme is probably the best one can expect in the particular field of communication science, but I believe we should aim to teach and advance our field at least at the level that programmes in other social sciences such as sociology and psychology are being taught.
Overall, it seems that most students have no prior social methods background, nor do they seem enthusiastic about or interested in communication research. About a third of the students in my cohort failed the basic data analysis course, and a further tenth barely passed. Additionally, many students' level of English is clearly far below the required C1. Naturally, the students are not to blame. Rather, the enrolment requirements (for methods and English language skills) should be checked more strictly and thoroughly.
In sum, there is a clear discrepancy between the aim to train the future communication researchers that ought to advance the field and the standards and rigour that are applied in the teaching. The university should either reduce the extent to which this master's programme focusses on research and market it as such, or it should aim for a higher standard.
As someone who is actually enthusiastic about social research and communication, the research aspect of this programme and the overly focus on media is frankly quite dull.
The title of the study programme "Media and Communication Science" suggests that there is a considerable amount of general communication science. Unfortunately, the vast majority of courses (and research in the various faculty departments) focus on media and outdated one-way asymmetrical communication. They focus much on sustainability communication, effective risk and crisis communication, strategic communication and even science communication, but they fail to teach and do research according to state-of-the-art paradigms (e.g., towards participation, dialogue, public engagement).
The study programme also lays a strong emphasis on research and research methods. However, this emphasis manifests in quantity rather than quality. There are maximum three modules teaching research methods, while all other research modules solely focus on applying them and doing literature research over and over again. The methods taught amount to interviews, basic content analysis, just a glimpse of (partly outdated) quantitative survey design, and some computational methods in an elective. The statistics taught are basic descriptive and univariate parametric analysis. Only content analysis and basic computational methods are applied in the other research modules. We even allow for International Business Administration students (who do not seem to have any scientific writing or methods training) to join a supposedly advanced computational research module. Overall, the methodological rigour does not exceed the bachelor's level. My bachelor thesis involved methods far exceeding what is taught here. I do understand that this research master's programme is probably the best one can expect in the particular field of communication science, but I believe we should aim to teach and advance our field at least at the level that programmes in other social sciences such as sociology and psychology are being taught.
Overall, it seems that most students have no prior social methods background, nor do they seem enthusiastic about or interested in communication research. About a third of the students in my cohort failed the basic data analysis course, and a further tenth barely passed. Additionally, many students' level of English is clearly far below the required C1. Naturally, the students are not to blame. Rather, the enrolment requirements (for methods and English language skills) should be checked more strictly and thoroughly.
In sum, there is a clear discrepancy between the aim to train the future communication researchers that ought to advance the field and the standards and rigour that are applied in the teaching. The university should either reduce the extent to which this master's programme focusses on research and market it as such, or it should aim for a higher standard.
As someone who is actually enthusiastic about social research and communication, the research aspect of this programme and the overly focus on media is frankly quite dull.
- Friendly, helpful lecturers; comprehensive media studies skills
- Extremely basic research methods for a research-focussed master's; outdated communication science paradigms; overly focussed on media studies.
Wie gut ist deine Hochschule digital aufgestellt?
Pertaining to the online mode of studies, the needs of online students are not catered to sufficiently. Lecturers are reluctant to offer their electives and so far have not been able to explain to me beyond "format issues" why they cannot offer it in an online/hybrid format as well. They are proud to have 360-cameras and other equipment, but they occasionally do not work properly or the lecturers struggle to use it. The online students are often not considered sufficiently to have a proper learning experience (e.g., they are forgotten or not sufficiently included in discussions). In all fairness, there are some lecturers who actually do their best and do properly involve online students. Others seem afraid of the technology or annoyed by the needs of online students.
The Moodle-platform for online access to lectures, documents and online submission of assignments is generally very helpful and utilised well.
The Moodle-platform for online access to lectures, documents and online submission of assignments is generally very helpful and utilised well.
Axel hat 14 Fragen aus unserer Umfrage beantwortet
Verglichen wird die Aussage des Rezensenten mit den Angaben der Kommilitonen des Studiengangs.
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Meine Klausurnoten kann ich online einsehen. -
Ich habe hier meine Leute gefunden, mit denen ich gut zurecht komme. -
Mein Studium bietet eine ausgewogene Mischung zwischen Theorie und Praxis. -
Meine Berufsaussichten schätze ich grundsätzlich optimistisch ein. -
Ich finde, dass es meistens genug Sprechstundentermine gibt. -
Nur in Ausnahmefällen werden Vorlesungen bei uns abgesagt. -
Für meine Klausuren lerne ich meist alleine. -
Neben dem Studium habe ich einen Studentenjob. -
Ich würde diesen Studiengang nochmal wählen, wenn ich eine Zeitmaschine hätte. -
Ich habe es schon einmal miterlebt, dass Ausländer an meiner Hochschule diskriminiert wurden. -
Meine Eltern haben zum Teil auch studiert. -
Ich habe kein Auslandssemester absolviert oder geplant. -
In den Semesterferien fahre ich manchmal in den Urlaub. -
Meistens fange ich mindestens 3-4 Wochen vorher mit dem Lernen für Klausuren an.