伦敦政治经济学院

The MSc Social and Public Communication explores communication as a social psychological process central to the conduct of everyday life, in public as well as in private.

Have you ever wondered about 'the five language games of communication'? Here you can find the answer.

Communication is the foundation of social life as well as a professional activity to influence and persuade, to gain advantage, to build and sustain a community of trust, and to reach a common understanding on a controversial issue. You will be provided with an overview of theories of communication and their psychological foundations that enable you to analyse communication events and the practical dilemmas faced by those working in different domains of public communication.

The programme is not simply a training programme in social marketing but an academic, research-based degree which will enable you, through a range of compulsory and topical courses, to engage critically with existing tools of analysis, evaluation and design of communication endeavours. We offer a comparative approach, with a focus on clear language across a range of domains where public communication is pivotal. The programme is recognised by the professional certification of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in the UK.

Teaching methods

LSE is internationally recognised for its teaching and research and therefore employs a rich variety of teaching staff with a range of experience and status. Courses may be taught by individual members of faculty, such as lecturers, senior lecturers, readers, associate professors and professors. Many departments now also employ guest teachers and visiting members of staff, LSE teaching fellows and graduate teaching assistants who are usually doctoral research students and in the majority of cases, teach on undergraduate courses only.

Assessment

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It is designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others.

You will be summatively assessed according to various elements of teaching including a required dissertation.

Careers

This programme has a special relationship with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the United Kingdom accreditation body for Communication Professionals. Students who successfully complete the MSc Social and Public Communication will be uniquely entitled for a fast route through the professional accreditation process. No other MSc programme in or outside LSE is offered this professional recognition.

Our students go on to develop exciting careers in the field of professional communication such as journalism, publishing, advertising, public relations, education and outreach, and in international organisations. Some have founded their own PR companies. Others, inspired by the theories and research they have learned during their MSc, decide to pursue a PhD.