This MSc will explore communication as a social psychological process
central to the conduct of everyday life. Communication is both the foundation of social life as well as a professional activity to influence and persuade, to gain advantage, to build and sustain trust, and to reach a common understanding on a controversial issue. You will be provided with an overview of various theories of public communication that enable you to analyse communication events and the practical dilemmas faced by those working in different domains of public communication. Central themes include:
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The psychological and societal process involved in public communication
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Conceptual frameworks for analysis, evaluation and design of public communication.
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Developments in the analysis, evaluation and design of public communication in the domains of politics, business, development, health and science and technology.
In this 11mins 48 secs video, Dr Derek Hook describes the MSc Social & Public communication
The programme is not a training programme in social marketing; its objective is not simply to equip students with techniques for efficient and effective persuasion. It is an academic, research based programme that will enable you, through a range of core and topical courses to engage critically with existing tools of analysis, evaluation and design of communication endeavours. We offer a comparative approach across a range of domains where public communication is pivotal.
This includes an awareness of international attempts to establish professional competence in public communication. Students taking the MSc in Social and Public Communication can count part of their MSc degree towards the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma.
We expect our graduates to find employment in a range of fields involving public communication including advertising, journalism, publishing, public relations and public affairs, corporate communication, marketing, public administration, education, social research, and various national and international institutions and NGOs. Some even found their own communication consultancy company.
Programme Structure
For information about the programme structure click here
Research Topic
Students work closely with a supervisor in selecting a topic and in designing and carrying out an empirical piece of social psychological research, thereby giving students first hand experience of the research process.