MA in Global Communications

Delivering transformative educational experiences since 2006, AUP’s MA in Global Communications is an interdisciplinary, hybrid academic program that produces expert communications professionals and scholars. Taught by a dedicated, inspirational and international faculty made up of intellectual and professional leaders in their fields, the program is designed for you to find a pathway to future success that suits your own needs.

RNCP Certification and Post-Graduate Work in Paris

Graduates of the MA in Global Communications (MAGC) and the MSc in Strategic Brand Management (SBM) will be awarded two certifications upon successfully completing the degree requirements:

• The American University of Paris Master’s Diploma certifying the successful completion of the program’s degree requirements, including its 48 credits. 
• The degree qualification “Manager de la Communication et de Marketing International (Manager of International Communications/Marketing)”. This European-level qualification is recognized by the French state and is recorded in the French national register of professional qualifications (Répertoire National des Certifications Professionelles, or RNCP). The RNCP is the central reference framework for all diplomas, qualifications and titles recognized by the French state. This professional certification allows its holder to demonstrate competency of the skills and knowledge necessary to exercise an activity corresponding to a professional field. It guarantees that the holder is qualified to begin work in that field immediately.

The MA in Global Communications program and the MSc in Strategic Brand Management are both recognized by the RNCP. As part of this certification, all MAGC and SBM students who graduated on or after May 21, 2013, are eligible to apply for the Carte de séjour -Recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise. This grants students the opportunity to live and work in France, as per the guidelines of the visa.

In the Fall of 2022, AUP launched the MSC in Strategic Brand Management. The MSc in SBM is a hybrid degree combining classes from AUP's Master of Science in International Management with classes from the Master of Arts in Global Communications. Courses in the MAGC program are equally core courses in the SBM program so that the RNCP certification is awarded to both degrees.

Please note that only MA in Global Communications and MSc in Strategic Brand Management students are eligible for the Carte de séjour -Recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise at this time. It is advisable to apply for the Carte de séjour -Recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise after you have completed your studies but before your student visa expires. Please contact the Graduate Office (graduateprogramsaup.edu) for more information.

Breadth of expertise

The courses in this program take advantage of the extraordinary breadth of faculty knowledge and expertise, in a curriculum always being adapted to meet emerging needs. We welcome students with a wide range of interests and provide expert academic and practical training on topics spanning:

• Communications Theory – from the development of the field and its major concepts and debates to the latest debates and challenges in a globalized world
• Digital Media Technologies – from the rise and promise of the Internet to the immersive networks of social media and ubiquitous computing devices
• Global Media and Media Systems – producing comparative knowledge of structures of ownership, control, influence and innovation
• Visual Culture – exploring the multivalent power of images and screens and practices of looking
• The Creative Industries – their increasing role in advertising and branding goods and services, and promoting and disrupting ideas and values
• Journalism and Public Relations including the challenges and opportunities of producing and sharing compelling content in an attention-based digital economy
• Fashion and Material Culture – from luxury to sustainability in a rapidly transforming industry and wide-ranging practices of consumption in a consumerist society and beyond
• Cultural Difference and Cultural Diversity – their complex relationship to changing practices and politics of communication globally, including practices, policies and organizations
• Activism and Advocacy – in a world of new political stakes and stakeholders and transformative technologies

Developing critical and practical skills

Across these areas of expertise, you will develop a toolkit of critical and practical skills to equip you for the varied and fast-moving communications landscape. Global Communications graduates move into the workplace with core competencies, such as research skills, qualitative and quantitative analysis, writing for different audiences, oral communication and presentation skills, and visual communication methods, including video, visual design, and data visualization.

An international approach to learning

The MA in Global Communications encourages students to take their education beyond the classroom. Your learning experience is deepened by the opportunity of immersive practica and study trips where you will come into contact with experts in the field. Whether networking with communications professionals in New York or London, developing sustainable initiatives in India, or experiencing nation branding in Iceland or cultural heritage in Morocco, we are committed to putting theory into practice.

Program Requirements

The program features core and elective courses, allowing you to focus on various fields of practice. We cover a rich scope of content in the expanding fields of communications, media studies and cultural studies, including:

Select three courses from the following list:

Explore the full Program Requirements

Critical thinking and professional skills

This degree will prepare you to be a culturally literate, influential and boundary-pushing communications professional.

Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand and be able to use qualitative and/or quantitative communications research methodologies  
2. Be aware of key issues in debates about globalization and their relationship to forms of global media and culture
3. Develop critical perspectives on major concepts and theories in media studies, communications, and cultural studies
4. Develop practical competence in a field of contemporary communications

As a student of the MA in Global Communications you will:

• Challenge assumptions and weigh up opposing perspectives, to find the right evidence, and to build compelling arguments on complex emerging topics
• Develop independent research skills to deepen your own topics of contemporary significance in close consultation with faculty
• Master practical skills in cutting-edge techniques and technologies of communication
• Gain professional training and experience with industry leaders from a wide range of organizations
• Be immersed in experiential learning, in the field, in the studio, in intensive workshops and in international locations
• Explore global and cross-cultural perspectives in a world where human interaction has been both enhanced and fragmented and understand the importance of historical contexts to contemporary challenges
• Receive intellectual and professional mentorship in intimate classrooms, personalized attention and faculty-student collaboration

Global Communication Tracks

Building on the core program, the MA in Global Communications offers specialized tracks in fashion, development, and digital cultures and industries communication.

Internships

During the course of your study, you are encouraged to build on your education at AUP by applying gained knowledge and skills. An internship provides you with the crucial connection between theoretical knowledge and the real world experience that can ultimately kick start your professional career.

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Experience the Program

Learning methods focus on conventional techniques as well as critical management studies and approaches from other academic disciplines. Courses combine lectures, seminar discussion, case-method and student-directed projects. Within this context, a special emphasis is put on professional skills development and career development. You also have the opportunity to collaborate with each other and program faculty for research projects and specialized directed study courses.

Find out more about applying to AUP