Political Communication
Entry requirements
Our standard postgraduate entry requirement is a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university, or an equivalent international qualification.
Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.
Months of entry
October
Course content
This MSc Political Communication is an advanced course that follows a diverse, globally conscious curriculum. It gives you the opportunity to explore key issues at the intersections of politics, media and public policy.
Why choose this course?
- This course is a collaboration between our School of Social Sciences and School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication, designed to offer you the flexibility to combine politics modules with more practical training in areas such as digital journalism, conflict negotiations or public relations.
- It is closely linked to activities at Birkbeck’s Centre for British Political Life so you will gain direct access to events, talks and networking activities featuring MPs, leading academics, big tech and journalists.
- Academics on this course have led research that is shaping UK policy on AI strategy, open data transparency, fact-checking and science communication.
- You will gain regular opportunities to get involved with political communication research through funded collaborative projects.
What you will learn
On this course you will explore important topics at the heart of political communication, such as media’s impact on political behaviour, misinformation and digital campaigning. It also equips you with critical insights and practical skills used by grassroots and institutional actors to communicate with their audiences.
This course is underpinned by a core module exploring political communication from a comparative perspective. Following that it is highly customisable to suit your interests and career goals. You may choose to specialise in specific areas of politics, such as governing public services, British politics or theories of public policy. Media modules offer you the chance to specialise in areas such digital branding, digital journalism or public relations.
How you will learn
As a course that spans across different schools, teaching on this MSc is interesting and varied, relying on a mixture of lectures and seminars to prepare you for a variety of research-based and practical roles within the strategic and political communication field.
This course is available to study full- or part-time and follows an evening timetable.
This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.
If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
- Our MSc Political Communication offers graduates and practitioners in adjacent fields (media, government) a meaningful opportunity to engage with current research in pursuit of their professional aims and to strengthen their communication skills.
- Birkbeck is a world-renowned centre of original, influential research in politics. We organise a lively programme of seminars and conferences and are home to affiliated research centres, such as the Birkbeck Centre for British Political Life, which run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.
- Our academic staff are international authorities in their respective fields, publishing and delivering stimulating teaching in a wide range of political topics including civil society and the state, public policy, development, gender, international security and terrorism, and social and political theory.
- Our location in central London puts us at the heart of the UK’s political life and at the centre of academic London. You can walk down to Parliament and Whitehall, while Bloomsbury contains some of the world’s most famous libraries and centres of research. Our departmental building was once a key location for members of the Bloomsbury Group, so you could be studying in rooms that have hosted distinguished visitors, including T.S. Eliot, George Bernard Shaw and Maynard Keynes.
- You can take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including Senate House Library, which is right next door to Birkbeck, the British Library, which is five minutes’ walk away, and the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, which is walkable from Birkbeck. Birkbeck Library has a large politics collection, including the major specialist journals, and provides you with access to an extensive range of online materials.
On successfully graduating from this MSc Political Communication, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:
- a broad understanding of politics and political communication
- strong digital research skills, including open data skills
- critical thinking and analytical reasoning
- strong presentation skills.
Politics graduates from Birkbeck have gone on to a wide range of careers in the public and private sectors. Some join the civil service or parliamentary offices; several MPs are Birkbeck alumni. In particular, this course is designed to enhance career paths in:
- strategic communication and research
- publicity and professional communications
- media including investigative reporting
- politics, including local politics.
Graduates from this course have gone on to employment in media, central and local government offices, tech companies, campaigns groups and think tanks.
We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.
Information for international students
If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
Please note, if you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MSc
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700