Programme Specification: MSc Social and Public Communication
1. Awarding Body
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. Application Code
9. First written/last amended
LSE
ESRC Recognition
MSc
Social and Public Communication
Full-time 12 months; part-time 24 months
Social Psychology
N/A
L7U5
December 2007 / November 2012
10. The programme aims to:
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to provide a high-quality, research led postgraduate education in social and public
communication;
to familiarize you with theories of communication that inform a social psychological
analysis of public communication in contemporary life;
to provide knowledge of specialist fields of public communication: politics, business,
public health, science & technology, international conflict, inter-cultural issues;
to familiarize you with concepts and theories of public communication: rhetoric,
semiotics and coding, communicative action, speech acts, inference and relevance,
discourse, persuasion, representation and social influence, rumours and gossip,
diffusion, propagation and propaganda, deception and cooperation, participation and
engagement etc.;
to provide knowledge of the design, implementation and evaluation of public
communication initiatives;
To appreciate, evaluate and conduct empirical enquires in public communication;
to familiarize you with case studies and offer opportunities to interact with
communication practitioners;
to prepare you for a career in public communication, public relations, marketing, and
consultancy.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
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carry out research projects and transfer analytic skills to new problems;
be able to critically evaluate theories, concepts and empirical research in areas of
public communication, their contradictions and tensions;
design public communication initiatives;
design research to establish the effectiveness of public communication initiatives;
understand the social psychology of public communication and relevant social
psychological processes within the public sphere;
demonstrate a critical understanding of the major tensions underlying communication
theory and practice;
evaluate the central concepts and debates in social psychology relevant to public
communication contexts;
appreciate sociological as well as psychological approaches to the study of public
communication.
For further information relating to careers.
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
Core course: PS429, Social Psychology of Communication (full unit).
Teaching and learning strategy
Lectures and seminars in the Michaelmas term.
Assessment strategy
The content addressed in the lectures is assessed through a formative assignment and a
summative 3hr exam (100%).t.
Methods for Social Psychological Research
Teaching and learning strategy
. This methods training consists of four streams and students are recommended to take a
combination of methods courses from within a particular stream (depending on the statistical
proficiency of the student).
Assessment strategy
gives practical and analytic skills assessed 100% through course work and examination
Additional current course options include:
Option courses: 410, 411, 415, 418,, 428, 437, 438, 439, 445, 446, 447, 451, 456, 458, 460,
462 (half units).
Teaching and learning strategy
These are taught in the Lent term, after students have completed the lectures on the core
course and selected the topic for their research projects. They are aimed to provide students
with training and knowledge in depth in field relevant to their chosen research and intended
career including political marketing, public relations, science, inter-cultural and health
communication.
Assessment strategy
They are assessed through a formative essay plan and a 3,000 word summative essay
(100%).
PS497 Dissertation (full unit):
Teaching and learning strategy
Individually tailored to students’ aims and chosen area of research.
Assessment strategy
Assessed through a 7,500-10,000 word dissertation.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See the MSc Social and Public Communication programme regulations.
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
To be considered for a place you should normally have a good honours degree in one of the
social sciences and have relevant professional experience.
15. Indicators of quality
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expertise of programme/course development teams and feedback from GSSC;
informal feedback from students via tutors, programme directors, teachers
responsible for individual courses, part-time teachers;
formal feedback from student representatives to the Staff-Student Committee or
through meetings of the Dean's Committee for Masters students;
student responses to TQARO surveys and departmental questionnaires;
annual reports of the external examiner;
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internal reviews of provision by TLAC;
jobs and careers taken up by past students.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
Institute mechanisms:
Pre-sessional institute meeting (a) to review current courses and programmes and (b) to
discuss and agree proposals for new courses and programmes. Ongoing course review
through the year through the regular staff meetings. Annual Planning meeting for all
academic staff, includes a review of all course teaching, an evaluation of changes introduced,
views on further development/improvements, resource issues such as space etc., and a
discussion of any relevant new policies.
School mechanisms:
 regular staff appraisal and review;
 improvements in teaching technique are effected by the Teaching and Learning
Centre through observations, advice and further training;
 induction programme and mentoring scheme for new members of staff;
 support of Graduate Teaching Assistants by the lecturer responsible for a particular
course plus the Graduate Teaching Assistant Tutor;
 centrally administered questionnaires by the Teaching Quality Assurance and Review
Office;
 an improved system for ensuring that External Examiner’s
comments/recommendations are fed through to Departments and acted upon;
 the Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects of
teaching quality;
 the School’s Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all graduate
programmes and ensures that significant changes to programmes and courses pass
through a sequence of formal stages to ensure that curricular changes are
appropriate and compatible with other developments.