Bachelor Communication Science

 The Bachelor in Communication Science is based on four major components:

• Basic and in-depth knowledge of communication science
• Basic knowledge of the social sciences
• Basic and in-depth knowledge of the empirical methods of communication science and their use
• Possible specializations and practical experience

The first three components form the central pillars of your Bachelor studies and are completed in the first three semesters. In this introductory phase, you lay the groundwork for the subsequent specialization phase, which offers opportunities for in-depth study and practical training. In the specialization phase, you can focus on one of four areas - (1) data science, (2) management of media, music and entertainment, (3) political communication or (4) health and environmental communication - and gain practical experience through internships in Germany and abroad. In the final phase of the program, you have the opportunity to reflect on your studies, prepare for your thesis and your career entry.

• Basic and in-depth knowledge of communication science (more)

  First, we will provide you with the basics of communication science: Which research areas exist, which theories and assumptions are used and what are the key findings? Thus, you will get to know media and digital markets, learn about the development of media, gain an overview of media content and media providers, media and management, media reception and media effects and learn how communication can be used strategically to achieve defined goals.

• Basic knowledge of social sciences (more)

  In addition, your qualification profile in the Bachelor in Communication Science includes basic knowledge of social sciences, which are closely linked to communication sciences. Specifically, you will gain insights into the fields of economics, political science, psychology and sociology.

• Basic and in-depth knowledge of empirical methods in communication science and their use (more)

  A third pillar of your Bachelor studies is learning basic and advanced methods of empirical, i.e., knowledge-oriented communication science and its use in market, media and opinion research. One focus is on standardized surveys, media content analysis and qualitative methods such as guided interviews. You will also learn how to use social science statistics and data analysis in a precise manner. You will not only acquire theoretical knowledge, but also learn how to use the necessary software. In addition to processing and managing data, the focus is on univariate and multivariate statistics, inferential statistics and table analysis, as well as on general linear models, explorative data analysis and the visualization and interpretation of results.

  In addition, we provide you with in-depth knowledge of the communication science research process: Which method is appropriate for which case? Where and how do you find the necessary literature? How do you develop a scientific question and derive an empirical research design from it? How do you conduct it and what happens to the results? You learn all this with us.

• Opportunities for specialization and practical experience (more)

  This component of the program allows you to complete your qualification profile with theoretical, methodological and applied knowledge in one or more areas of specialization. While all students undergo the same basic courses in the first three semesters of their Bachelor studies (pillars 1 - 3), you now have the chance to focus on your individual preferences and interests. Specifically, from the fourth semester onwards, you can choose from four different areas of specialization, which you can pursue for the rest of your Bachelor studies:
  

  • Data Science
  • Management of Media, Music and Entertainment
  • Political Communication
  • Health and Environmental Communication

  In this part of your studies, you can also enhance your profile through internships in Germany and abroad, through practical and management knowledge from media-, digitally and communication-related activities in commercial enterprises, public authorities or organizations, and you can earn credit points through activities in the student community.

• Specialization Data Science (more)

  In today's digitalized world, data is everywhere: It is created by our own digital activities, for example by a post on social media or a purchase in an online shop, by other private individuals who publish texts, photos, videos or audios, or by companies and organizations publishing content such as news articles. The existing and newly created datasets are becoming increasingly important not only for media companies, but also for science. Many business areas, for example in journalism or marketing, are gaining new opportunities through the analysis of large amounts of data ("big data"), and completely new business models are emerging around the analysis of large amounts of data. The collection, processing, analysis and visualization of large and sometimes unstructured amounts of data is increasingly becoming a relevant key qualification for a career in the fields of communication, media and music.

  This is exactly where the BA specialization "Data Science" comes in. Students learn about methods and established techniques of "Computational Communication Science" and apply digital methods to real communication science research projects and practical management issues. What exactly is artificial intelligence and how does it affect our everyday lives? What different types of data exist and how can we deal with them? How can we automatically recognize emotions in texts? Can topics in reporting be recognized automatically? How can we tell a story with data ("data storytelling")?

• Management of Media, Music and Entertainment (more)

  Media, music and entertainment play an important role in our everyday lives - be it the new playlist on Spotify, the new series on Netflix or the new video game with stunning graphics. The strategic establishment, development and management of media and digital companies require extensive theoretical knowledge, the ability to reflect, and agile methods. Particularly in the music and entertainment industries, promising reactions to the rapid digital transformation can be studied very early and vividly. This is why in times of change, research into new media, current market structures and their genesis, industries, forms of media use, target audiences, payment flows and, last but not least, management strategies play just as central a role as an understanding of goal-oriented innovations in companies. In the BA specialization "Management of Media, Music and Entertainment", students acquire relevant management and communication knowledge and practical tools for management and innovation that enable them to master challenges. Exemplary questions for this specialization are: How did the music market and the movie and video game industry change? Why do we watch sad movies? How does music in video games affect us? How do I establish a successful start-up in the music and media industry?

• Political Communication (more)

  Democracy is unthinkable without communication. As citizens, we must be able to inform ourselves if we want to reach well-considered decisions. There must be a public space in which various political positions are presented and discussed. This is why politics is directly and profoundly affected by the digital transformation of media and social communication. Mass media and social media are intertwined, political actors and citizens are using digital channels and are changing the processes and dynamics of the formation of political opinions, election campaigns and ideological controversies. Enemies of liberal democracy use digital channels in their own way. At the same time, many independent providers of journalistically edited political information are under economic pressure. Communication science is required to describe and explain these multifaceted developments. Concurrently, it is important to prepare citizens for political participation under changing conditions and to strengthen the stability of our civil society and our institutions against (both hidden and open) attacks on the free and democratic constitutional order.

  In the BA specialization "Political Communication", students acquire theoretical and empirical knowledge on political communication and the political dimensions of digital change. They actively participate in research projects on these dynamics of change and acquire techniques and strategies for the structuring of digital political communication, for example for political parties and political consulting, for associations and lobby organizations, for civil society players and public affairs tasks in companies. The specialization "Political Communication" includes the following questions: How can we identify and counter populist communication strategies? How do dynamics of public opinion formation develop in the digital space? What does a successful election campaign look like? How do political parties and politicians present themselves on social media?

• Health and Environmental Communication (more)

  Supporting healthy and sustainable living conditions and lifestyles is one of the most urgent challenges of our time, particularly in the context of demographic change and the consequences of climate change, as well as in view of intensifying social and health inequalities. The digitalization of all areas of life and society increases the importance of media discourse as well as communicative processes and strategies, also with regard to how people's health and environmental behavior can be improved and how the risks in various areas of life (e.g., nutrition, work, environment, traffic) can be addressed. At the same time, the aim is to analyze dysfunctional analog and digital, interpersonal and media discourses and their dynamics and to identify theoretical and empirical explanatory approaches and strategies for dealing with them. Thus, actors in health, social and environmental contexts face major challenges when it comes to making use of the potential associated with digitalization for the protection of the population, the reduction of health and social inequality as well as prevention, health care, environmental and climate protection by supporting information and communication skills. In the BA specialization "Health and Environmental Communication", students acquire theoretical and empirical knowledge as well as strategic skills to analyze processes of health, risk and environmental communication and to deal with the resulting challenges in a systematic manner. For this purpose, students acquire in-depth knowledge of models and empirical findings from these fields of communication science through own educational research projects and study approaches to strategic communication in these contexts. This prepares them for strategic and planning work in the field of health and environmental communication, for example with health insurance companies and clinics, health, social or environmental authorities, but also with trusts and associations, advertising and PR agencies and media providers in these fields. This results in exemplary questions such as: What does a successful health campaign look like? What influence do social groups such as friends have on a person's risk behavior? How does media coverage affect the perception of health or environmental risks?

• Top marks in German university rankings (more)

  We are not among the biggest. But we are among the best. And we have that in black and white: The Department of Journalism and Communication Research (IJK) in Hanover has achieved top positions in German university rankings. The Centre for Higher Education (CHE) has been evaluating the quality of education in media and communication science disciplines since 2005. In the current CHE University Ranking of 2011, the Department of Journalism and Communication Research again achieved excellent results and is one of the three best rated university programs in the discipline. The IJK was thus able to further strengthen its top performance in all central evaluation categories and is the only program to have been ranked in the top group since 2005. So, there is no doubt: Hanover is one of the best addresses for communication studies in Germany.

  By the way, this was also the opinion of the business magazine "karriere": In its evaluation of 50 comparable university institutions, the IJK achieved 2nd rank.

  In a nationwide survey of graduates of communication and media studies conducted by the German Society of Mass Communication (DGPuK), former students also rated the IJK's courses and study conditions as above average.

  “We are very proud of this success," says Professor Dr. Christoph Klimmt from the IJK. "It is based on good teamwork. We seek a vivid and intensive combination of research and teaching. We closely observe developments and the demands of practice without neglecting our high scientific standards. And all of this is always done in close cooperation with our students, because they play a key role in shaping the IJK.”

• Optimal study conditions (more)

  Everyone studying at the IJK appreciates the close cooperation between lecturers and students. The relations work well: There are currently five professors and around a dozen junior academics working with about 180 students. We are the opposite of a large university. Using state-of-the-art methods and excellent spatial and technical equipment, teaching staff and students work together as a team on current and relevant topics in the field of communication and media.

• High level of practical relevance (more)

  Academic excellence is based on the highest level of theoretical and methodological knowledge, which is at the core of the IJK programs. However, you will also learn right from the start how to put this knowledge into practice. Project seminars and two internships during the course of your studies help to test your acquired skills in the professional world and to establish first contacts with potential employers. IJK students benefit from our department's close relationships with renowned media companies in Germany and abroad. They find an internship that matches their interests and skills. The IJK really is committed to its students.

• Excellent career prospects (more)

  There are numerous job profiles and rapid changes in the media and digital industry - your first job may not even exist today. Studying at the IJK will qualify you because, in addition to a broad knowledge of media, you will learn how to approach problems systematically and solve them methodically. You will therefore be ideally prepared for all challenges. And that is why our graduates are successful in a wide variety of areas: In media companies such as publishing houses or communications agencies as well as in consulting firms, in market and opinion research, in marketing, in project management or in advertising and public relations. Or else they establish their own start-ups in the digital economy. Our large network of alumni and alumnae and our connections to companies make it easier for you to start your career: Two out of three IJK graduates are offered a permanent job during their studies. And most of them subsequently proceed rapidly with their career in the media industry.

• A variety of student activities (more)

  All staff and students at the IJK greatly appreciate the fact that life at the department is not just about work. During the lecture period, various activities take place that not only serve education and research, but above all provide entertainment, fun and socializing and also strengthen the sense of community among everyone at the IJK. We would like to present the most important ones here.

  • First semester party

    At the beginning of their studies, first semester students are also welcomed with a small but special party. Organized by students from higher semesters, it offers students the opportunity to make their first contacts and get to know each other in a pleasant atmosphere with good music and cold drinks.

  • First semester trip

    A popular tradition for many students at the IJK is the annual first semester trip. In carefully selected accommodation, the first semester students experience unforgettable cultural highlights together with their new fellow students. With fun mini-games in groups, musical evenings and other exciting activities, the first semester students get to know each other even better. There are also always some students from the higher semesters who enjoy taking part in the festive activities, creating a good atmosphere and exchanging ideas with the new students. The trip guarantees a lot of fun during the three short days and the opportunity to network within the semester as well as across semesters.

  • Running dinner

    Usually at the beginning of the winter semester, the support association KommunikationsKultur e.V. organizes the running dinner. Each participant is randomly assigned a partner - student, professor or member of staff - with whom they have to prepare a delicious meal. Two other pairs come to visit them at home to spend a cheerful evening. Before or after this visit, the student will also visit other pairs to have them cook for him or her. The running dinner - a unique opportunity to get to know professors and fellow students from a different angle.

  • IJK-Forum

    One of the academic highlights at the Department of Journalism and Communication Research is the IJK Forum, which takes place every fall. Since 1998, the department's graduates have been celebrated with a festive and varied program in the main building of the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media. With entertaining moderation, live musical performances by various artists, exciting insights into today's media landscape and speeches by professors and lecturers, the graduates and their families are entertained throughout the evening. After the festive gala, guests can continue partying in the mensa with good music until the early hours of the morning or relax with cocktails and long drinks. The IJK Forum is traditionally organized and realized by the third-semester students, who are supported by students from other semesters.

  • Drama club

    The drama club has been very popular among students since 2001. Every winter semester, a new project is started for an elaborate play, which is produced over two semesters and finally performed in Hanover at the end of the summer semester. The students work with a great deal of joy and motivation on everything involved: from marketing and production to costumes, make-up, stage design and acting. Anyone can join the drama club - with or without theater experience. And the end result is something to be proud of: Comedies, satires, thrillers, dramas and much more are celebrated by an enthusiastic audience in the summer.

  • IJK soccer team (AC Plaza)

    The IJK naturally also has its own soccer team. The participating students regularly test their soccer skills. In addition to the fantastic celebrations and events that the team organizes throughout the year, it also tries to compete with other teams in Hanover's Campus League - sometimes more and sometimes less successfully. What counts, however, is determination, fighting spirit and fun. This is precisely why the enthusiastic AC Plaza soccer players always rely on the support of the IJK fan community encouraging them from the sidelines. Every IJK student is welcome to join AC Plaza and can register at the beginning of each semester.

  • KKeV - The support association of the IJK

    KommunikationsKultur e.V. (KKeV) has been active as a non-profit support association since 1994. It supports science, research and education at the IJK. Its focus is on the exchange between science and practice, education at the department and its international orientation. The central idea of KKeV is networking and the joint commitment of current and former students to their department. New students are very welcome to contribute their own ideas to KKeV.

You can also get more impressions of student life at the IJK on our Facebook page or on our Instagram channel.