Course structure

Communications Management and Public Relations

Symmetrical. Dialogue-oriented. Interactive. Communication is fluid. Strategic, forward-looking PR work is a management function and actively shapes processes in organisations. Tomorrow's communicators must not only have extensive specialist knowledge, but also be able to recognise current social trends and assess their impact on the communications industry. The new knowledge can thus be integrated into communication.

In the Master’s course in Communication, you will venture a look into the future of strategic communication together with the teaching staff. You learn to anticipate tomorrow's social developments and thus find answers to questions that no one is asking themselves today. You will analyse current trends in communication technology and examine their possible applications in the field of public relations.

The interdisciplinary teaching provides you with knowledge of social sciences, humanities and business administration in addition to specific subject and methodological knowledge. In twelve modules, you will gain insights into topics such as creativity, theories of public relations, leadership and management techniques, reference group research and value creation. The degree course optimally prepares you for your professional future as a leader in companies, organisations and agencies and enables you to pursue a career in academia.

Course structure

The duration of the full-time degree course is four semesters. The MKO follows the principles of "Explore - Develop - Test - Apply" and was re-accredited with a new curriculum for the winter semester 2015/2016.

Semester 1 – Explore

At the beginning of your Master's course, you will deal with current and future social developments. In addition, you will deal with social science approaches and theories of the public sphere.

Semester 2 – Develop

You incorporate social trends into the development of new media and communication strategies. In doing so, you will specifically train your creative and communicative skills.

Semester 3 – Trials

Do the developed models withstand the application? In the third semester, you analyse your own and external concepts, for example, on the basis of ethical, business management or social science considerations.

Semester 4 – Apply

In the fourth and final semester, you will write your final thesis to obtain your "Master of Arts (M.A.)". Here you will put the findings from the work of the previous semesters into a scientific context and reflect on an aspect of journalistic or PR work.

Modules

In this module, theoretical basics of communication management are aligned, consolidated and expanded. The perspectives and knowledge from the various Bachelor's degree courses are to be integrated in the process. The acquired knowledge is expanded by developing application skills based on data and models of reference group research.
Courses in this module:
- Reference group research
- Theories of the public sphere

In the first semester, students learn the basics of corporate management and organisation. These basics are deepened in the second semester and supplemented by knowledge of value creation in companies.
Courses in this module:
- Fundamentals of corporate management and organisation (1st semester)
- Value creation and communication (2nd semester)

In this module, current media trends are traced. These are jointly analysed and socially classified. Legal basics and current legal case studies round off the socially specific knowledge.
Courses in this module:
- Current social and media trends
- Communication and law

Social science methods are presented and worked out together as a basis for the students' own research. In addition, statistical basics are taught in an application-oriented manner.
Courses in this module:
- Social science methods (1st Semester)
- Statistics (2nd Semester)

The focus in this module is on developing and testing creativity techniques. These competences are deepened in project work in the second semester and can optionally be taken up again in the third semester.
Courses in this module:
- Creativity (1st semester)
- Project creativity (2nd semester)

Students acquire theoretical competences and learn to apply them to theoretical and practical cases. In the context of project management, students also learn to process tasks and problems effectively and in a resource-saving manner.
Courses in this module:
-   Communication project I (1. Semester)
-   Communication project II (2. Semester)
-   Project management (2. Semester)

Communication management has to be considered from both a theoretical and practical perspective. In addition to theories of advocacy and current sector-specific issues, students in this module deal with selected organisational forms and their communicative management.
Courses in this module:
-   Theories of advocacy (2nd semester)
-   Deepening corporate management and organisation (elective, 2nd semester)
-   Selected organisational forms and their communication management (elective, 2nd semester)
-   Current and theoretical issues in communication management (3rd semester)

The methodological and statistical knowledge taught in the fourth module is put into practice here. The students deal with a scientific question and answer it together within an empirical research project. By continuing the project in the third semester, they test necessary knowledge and their methodological skills. In addition to the further development of application-oriented knowledge, the focus is also on working in a team.
Courses in this module:
- Empirical research project I (2nd semester)
- Empirical research project II (3rd semester)

Modern communication management is embedded into an international context. Therefore, students learn in this module to view their work from an international perspective. At the same time, they work out models of marketing and develop their own viewpoints on professional ethics and gender issues.
Courses in this module:
-   National and international issues of communication management
-   Marketing
-   Professional ethics & Gender

In this module, students can acquire in-depth knowledge of either the philosophy of language or multivariate statistical data evaluation, depending on their interests. In addition, they can choose between media technology tasks and the continuation of the creative project (Module 5). This offers them the opportunity to develop their own focal points of competence.
Courses in this module (Elective):
-   Thinking, language, communication
-   Multivariate statistical evaluations

-   Communication & technology
-   Creative agency

Course structure

Communications Management and Public Relations

Course structure

Modules

Link to the MKO course progression plan

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