We are delighted that you have shown interest in our Global Media and Communications community. One of the most interesting aspects of this programme lies in the diversity of the students it attracts, which, year after year, clearly reflects its global reach.

Along with the academic resources of LSE, USC, Fudan and UCT, the breadth of our students' cultural and academic/professional background makes for a stimulating intellectual space for discussing and debating issues arising from globalisation.

We invite you to make the most of your visit to our website by meeting the students and staff members virtually, and by getting to know the school as well.

Professor Terhi Rantanen, Programme Director MSc Global Media & Communications (with University of Southern California)

Dr Bingchun Meng, Programme Director Msc Global Media & Communications (with Fudan University)

Dr Wendy Willems, Programme Director MSc Global Media & Communications (with University of Cape Town)

A Pioneering Programme

Our first joint programme in Global Media and Communications was founded in 2000 with the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. It was a pioneering double programme at LSE, and as far as we know in any other university of the world. In 2000-2001 we started with 12 students, in 2009-2010 we had nearly 50 students in the two major global media capitals of the world, London and Los Angeles.

Our graduates are now successfully making their mark in different parts of the world. This does not surprise us at all: we always knew that we could attract not only the brightest but the most open-minded students who were willing to cross borders -whether intellectual, geographical, political, cultural or ethnic (or in some cases all of these and more).

Four Global Cities

Our second double programme with Fudan University started in October 2007 and our third double programme with the University of Cape Town will commence in September 2017. Both programmes offer two degrees to students who successfully complete the two-year programme: an MSc from LSE and an equivalent Masters degree from Fudan University in Shanghai, or from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

The aim of the LSE-Fudan programme is to educate students from outside China to become specialists on Chinese media and communications, with additional training in Chinese language. The LSE-UCT programme enables students to gain academic, professional and creative expertise, and it will provide students with an understanding of global media and communications from an African vantage point and African media and communications from a global perspective.

Our programmes with USC, Fudan and UCT take advantage of the strengths of the three schools. The curriculum is scholarly in its approach, offering courses taught by outstanding academics, and professional in its orientation, providing internships in the global media industries in LA and Shanghai and Cape Town. We award two degrees to students who successfully complete the two-year programme: an MSc in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA in Global Communication from the University of Southern California, Fudan University or the University of Cape Town.

The programme aims to provide:

Critical exploration of mediation in the global context, examining processes of globalisation in relation to organisation, production, consumption and representation in media and communications.

The opportunity to study a range of courses, flexibly tailoring the programme to develop specialist interests, culminating in an independent research project on a topic in global media and communications.

Preparation for high level employment in media and communications related professions anywhere in the world.

The opportunity for internships in Los Angeles, Shanghai or Cape Town.

Academic Directors

Professor Terhi Rantanen

Programme Director MSc Global Media & Communications (with University of Southern California)

Terhi Rantanen (MSc, LicSc, DocSc, Docent, Helsinki University) is Professor in Global Media and Communications. She has published extensively on global news transmission and global media organisations and has been a visiting fellow/scholar/professor at several universities around the world including Stockholm University, The University of Southern California, The University of Oxford, The University of Westminster, Harvard University, Moscow State University and The University of Western Sydney.

LSE Experts

Dr Bingchun Meng

Programme Director MSc Global Media & Communications (with Fudan University)

Bingchun Meng is a Lecturer in the department of Media and Communications. She has a BA in Chinese Language and Literature (1997) and an MA in Comparative Literature (2000) from Nanjing University, China. She obtained a PhD in Mass Communication (2006) from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. Before joining the LSE, she was a post-doc fellow at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, where she worked at the Centre for Global Communication Studies and also taught courses on Chinese media.

LSE Experts

Dr Wendy Willems

Programme Director MSc Global Media & Communications (with University of Cape Town)

Wendy Willems is Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communications. She holds a BSc/MSc in Economics ('International Economic Studies') and a BA/MA in Cultural Studies ('Cultuur- en Wetenschapsstudies') from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, and a PhD in Media and Film Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Before joining the LSE, she was Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa (2010-2012).

Administrative Staff

Nicole Garnier

MSc Programmes Manager

Room TW2.6.01J (Office hours: 10:00am - 4:00pm)

Nicole has worked in higher education in a support capacity for a number of years. Previously working for Cass Business School, after a brief break for post-graduate study, Nicole now works to support the students and staff of the Media and Communications department at LSE.

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