Department of Media and Communication (MA)
Institute of Social Sciences

Department of Media and Communication (MA)

Master’s Degree Programme in Media and Communication Systems 

General Description

In the rapidly globalizing information society of today’s world, the employees of the national and international organizations and the media industry are in dire need of both the theoretical knowledge and the information endowed with new communication technologies. The Master’s Degree Program in Media and Communication provides the industry with qualified members thanks to its syllabus composed of both theoretical and applied courses and created in an interdisciplinary perspective to meet the requirements resulting from the changes and improvements within the field of communication. The main objectives of the program are to educate well-qualified professionals to fulfill the requirements of the traditional media as well as the requirements of the media industry created by the new information and communication technologies, and to educate the future academicians, researchers and scientists in the field of communication sciences. ​

Foundation

Beykent University’s Master’s Degree Programme in Media and Communication Systems began to offer education on 25.12.2014. The Programme enables students to adopt the basic theoretical and research methods essential for a multidisciplinary perspective and research; and in parallel with today’s changes in which we live an information age in terms of the science of Communication, the Programme focuses on Conventional and New Media, the fields in which more research and experts are required. 

Degrees Offered

Thesis Master’s Degree in Media and Communication Systems

Cycle

Second Cycle / EQF 7 (Master’s Degree)

Admission and Registration Requirements

To apply for the Thesis Master’s Degree Programme, candidates must hold a bachelor’s diploma, and submit their copy of the ALES (Academic Staff and Postgraduate Education Admission Exam) score, which must be at least 55 of the required weight (verbal or quantitative or equally weighted) by the Programme. The exam is centrally held by ÖSYM (Centre for Assessment, Selection, and Placement). 

Recognition of Prior Learning 

In accordance with Article 10 of the Regulation on Beykent University’s Postgraduate Education and Training, students are admitted to the programmes at Institutes through horizontal transfer provided that they meet the requirements for horizontal transfer, which are determined by the Academic Board upon the Institute Administrative Board’s decision, and the Head of the Department’s opinion. Students submit a letter of application by means of which they request to be exempt from certain courses within the same postgraduate programme of Beykent University as the courses of the postgraduate programme of another university they had enrolled in before. Their application including the course contents and transcripts will be Head of the Department, and the Board will decide which courses the students took will be awarded credits for the courses they must take within the Programme they have recently enrolled. The courses students took at the university they attended may be recognised as the elective or compulsory courses with the Institute Administrative Board’s approval. 

Competence Requirements and Rules 

3 years, 2 terms in each year, 15 weeks in each term, 120 ECTS in total

Programme Description

The Master’s Degree Programme in Media and Communication Systems aims to cultivate students into researchers who have knowledge of current and advanced approaches, and basic concepts in Communication Studies, use these approaches and concepts in their research, comprehends the interaction between Communication Studies and other disciplines to follow and evaluate current discussions, and who carry out a specific study or a project independently to make contribution to scientific studies. The Programme also aims to cultivate students into academicians who undertake original studies, and have the skills to turn the information, which they acquired from their interpretation to the existing studies, into national and international publications. Another aim of the Programme is to cultivate students into future academicians who have the creative and critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, follow the national and international literature, analyse and evaluate new and complicated ideas resulted from the interaction of other disciplines, and obtain remarkable results through their evaluation. 

It is clear that the need for a qualified labour force in the Communication field is increasing day by day in Turkey, as in other democratic societies in the world. In big cities, the number of institutions and organisations in areas such as Journalism, Radio, Television, Cinema, Advertising, Public Relations, Visual Design, and Communication is increasing. In parallel with the increase, the number of local newspapers, public relations agencies, and the need for a qualified labour force in the field of New Media is in increase. The Master’s Programme in Media and Communication Systems offers courses regarding all the fields of Communication Studies, and enables students to carry out researches on a subject they are interested in, through which the Programme contributes to the sector by cultivating students into qualified employees.

Learning Outcomes 

Students will be able to: 

  1. Describe the basic concepts, terms, its development from past to present regarding Media and Communication, which they study.
  2. Have knowledge of the approaches and perspective, including current ones, in their field, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
  3. Have knowledge of the basic theoretical approaches and perspectives, compare, and contrast them, and explain their similarities, differences, contributions, and limitations.
  4. Have knowledge of the practical aspects of their field, detect and correct the deficiencies in the field by using various methods and tools.
  5. Follow the scientific developments in respect of their field in Turkey and the world with the help of scientific literature, update their knowledge, collect information from different levels, and express it with their effective language skills.
  6. Have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and have the skills and experience in drawing up a research plan, choosing an analysis method, collecting, interpreting, and reporting data, and discussing it to carry out scientific research in their field.
  7. Follow and analyse published scientific activities in their field such as scientific papers and reports, and when necessary, carry out similar activities individually or as a group, and put their acquired knowledge into practice.

Career Opportunities 

Graduates of the Master’s Degree Programme in Media and Communication Systems can work as specialists, and consultants in various public and private institutions. They can also work as social media managers in the sector of new media, as well as in conventional media organisations such as advertising agencies, public relations agencies, the national and local press, radio, and television. Students who wish to pursue a PhD Programme can carry on their studies at universities, and become faculty members.