Master of Communication Sciences: Digital Media and Society (Leuven)

From smartphones, tablets and social media to online games – digital media re-shape society in various domains and deeply inform the way individual people work, live, think and act. The international Master of Communication Sciences: Digital Media and Society provides a one-year master program in which you will study the nature, effect, and meaning of digital media from a social scientific perspective.

What is the program all about?

KU Leuven's Master of Communication Sciences: Digital Media and Society is a research-based program that focusses on the way digital media shape the societal domains of personal identity and wellbeing, culture and community, politics and policies, business and marketing. It prepares its students for successful careers as researchers in academia, jobs in marketing or in digital media companies.

The program is carried out by internationally engaged academics who are at the forefront of research in the field of digital media and communication sciences. The program consists of 60 ECTS and provides you with the theoretical and methodological skills to study the nature, effects, and meanings of digital media. It brings variation in topics and teaching methods by offering theoretical courses, interactive masterclasses, exercises in research design and digital methods, an internship and a master thesis.

Structure

In the theoretical courses, you attain insight in social scientific theories about the production and consumption of digital media, the way digitalization shapes individual identity, culture, politics and business and how ICT and social media can be effectively used in communication, advertising, and marketing. In these courses, you will learn to critically discuss theory and develop scientifically interesting and societally relevant ideas for research.

The master class offers the opportunity for in-depth reflection on current issues and developments in the field of digital media and society. In small, interactive groups, you will study and discuss topical case-studies in the field of either media and design or games and society.

In Research Design and Digital Methods, you will learn how to do social scientific research by using digital sources and methods. The course is both theoretical and practical: you will develop research problems and collect, analyze and interpret (big) data on social media platforms.

In the master thesis, you will combine theory and method, by doing research under the supervision of a scholar from the Institute for Media Studies or the Leuven School for Mass Communication Research. The master thesis is the keystone of your research in the field of digital media and communications.

In the internship, you will learn to translate academic knowledge to practice. Based on your interest, you will work for five weeks in an organization specialized in digital media and communication to gain experience with professional life and to further develop your skills as a communication expert.

Is this the right program for me?

Your aims

• Are you fascinated by the way digital media shapes personal identity and wellbeing, culture and community, politics and policies, business and marketing?
• Do you want to specialize in theory, methods, and research to study digital media and communication?
• Would you like to develop evidence-based strategies in digital communication?
• Are you motivated to work in the fields of research and innovation, social media, digital marketing, in a commercial, governmental or non-profit context?
• Do you want to study at KU Leuven – one of the oldest and prestigious universities in Europe

When the answers to the questions above are ‘yes’, you might want to study the international Master Digital Media and Society at KU Leuven!

Our assets

• We offer an integrated social sciences perspective towards digital media, with special emphasis on media psychology, media sociology, and communication strategy.
• We bring variation in topics and teaching, all having their place in our well-considered program structure.
• We stimulate you to think and act as a digital communication expert, keeping track of the field's most recent developments.
• Our course structure ensures you gain professional experience from the start and guarantees a smooth transition from academia to the professional field.
• We are a research-based education program, carried out by internationally engaged experts in the field of digital media.
• We will train you to become an expert in the field of digital media and communications, preparing you for a bright future in numerous areas.

KU Leuven prides itself on its global reputation

KU Leuven ranks 15th in Europe and 48th worldwide (THE 2019). The university was named the most innovative university in Europe for four years in a row.

The Faculty of Social Sciences is ranked 46th worldwide (THE 2019), its department of Communication Sciences is ranked amongst one of the best in Europe.

Career opportunities

Graduates from Digital Media and Society have gained knowledge and insight into the nature, effects, and meanings of digital media. They learn how to do empirical research and report on their findings in academic papers and policy reports. Based on their expertise, they are able to develop evidence-based communication strategies. Given the sheer omnipresence of digital media in contemporary organizations, alumni of the master Digital Media and Society have ample opportunities for interesting jobs in numerous areas.

They are employed by marketing agencies or support governmental organizations, NGOs, commercial businesses in the evaluation and improvement of internal and external communication strategies. They manage public relations through social media communities, produce content, develop brands or set up totally new, digital marketing campaigns to reach out to citizens or consumers.

Another venue is the creative industry. Graduated students have the knowledge and professional skills to develop programs or (journalistic) formats in media- and news organizations, or contribute to media policy. They are particularly able to support traditional media companies and organizations in the transition from mass communication towards digital, interactive and personalized communication with the envisioned audience.

Yet another professional field that fits the profile is research and innovation related to the psychology and sociology of digital media use and design. In NGOs, news agencies or commercial bureaus graduate students are able to research trends in new media, analyze the impact on the life-world and develop policies, guidelines, and campaigns around topics such as fake news and digital media literacy, addiction, sexting or cyberbullying.

Start your career, during your studies

The Student Career Centre is happy to put you on the right track towards your first work experience. The center also coaches you in the search for an interesting job and helps you with job interviews. For students wanting to start their own business KU Leuven also has Lcie, the KU Leuven community that encourages students with innovative and entrepreneurial ideas.

Don’t know where to start? The Student Career Centre's databases contain offers for jobs, volunteer work, innovation projects, and student jobs. You can also visit one of the events organized by the Career Centre.