Programme Specification
A statement of the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin a
taught programme of study leading to an award from
The University of Sheffield
1
Programme Title
International Political Communication
2
Programme Code
JNLT03
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JACS Code
P500
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Level of Study
Postgraduate
5a
Final Qualification
Master of Arts (MA)
5b
QAA FHEQ Level
Masters
6a
Intermediate Qualification(s)
Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip)
Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert)
7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield)
Not applicable
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Faculty
Social Sciences
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Department
Journalism Studies
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Other Departments involved in
teaching the programme
None
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Mode(s) of Attendance
Full-time
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Duration of the Programme
1 year
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Accrediting Professional or Statutory
Body
None
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Date of production/revision
August 2013
15. Background to the programme and subject area
Political communication has become a key area of scholarly interest over the last twenty years. Its concerns range
from normative debates about government news management to discussion about the effects of political marketing
and election campaigns. In contemporary post-industrial democracies and within an increasingly internationalised
context, the media increasingly contributes to the constitution of the political world and it has become impossible to
understand politics and the political process without understanding its relationship to the media. These
developments have highlighted the importance of understanding the place, impact and character of political
journalism, party political campaigns, government communications, pressure group and lobbying strategies and
the range of activities which form the interface between media and politics in the modern world.
This programme is committed to providing students from a range of academic and professional backgrounds with
the analytical skills and critical knowledge to understand and interpret the dynamic area of political communication
internationally and to provide them with high quality research skills to enable them to undertake research work
using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The course also provides students with practical skills that will
enable them to communicate more effectively with the media and understand how media coverage of politics
emerges through journalistic routes and practices.
The course is well-placed in a department of journalism studies which sets as one of its defining characteristics the
understanding and critical reflection upon the place of media in society. As well as this, the programme’s aim of
enabling students to understand the practice of political communication is well-served by the department’s
excellent links with the media industry and the wider sectors of the communication industry in government and the
corporate sector.
For more information visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/journalism
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16. Programme aims
In addition to the general aims of the Department, the programme aims to:

Equip students with the skills and knowledge to understand, research and interpret the principal
conceptual, theoretical and normative concerns in the field of political communication in an international
context.

Give students understanding and knowledge of the practice of political communication internationally.

Foster a critical appreciation of the significance and relevance of ethics in communication.

Give students some experience of writing in a journalistic manner.

Foster a critical appreciation of the strategies adopted to communicate effectively with and through the
media.
17. Programme learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
Upon successful completion of the Masters programme students will have acquired knowledge and understanding
of:
K1
the political economy of the media in an internationalised context.
K2
relevant communication of theory and practice.
K3
contemporary developments and debates concerning the relationship of the media to politics.
K4
key research methods.
K5
conducting individual and team research.
K6
the significance of comparative and transnational approaches to journalism studies.
K7
strategies for communicating effectively with and through the media.
K8
devising, researching and independently executing a major piece of research presented as a dissertation.
Skills and other attributes
Upon successful completion of the Masters programme students will be have demonstrated the ability to:
S1
employ relevant research techniques.
S2
research, report, organize and structure information in a variety of formats.
S3
meet deadlines.
S4
manage their own learning, reflect on it critically and seek and use constructive feedback.
S5
work independently and as a member of a team.
S6
make seminar presentations.
S7
relate academic research to the processes and practices of international political communication.
S8
reflect critically on the processes, theory and practice of international political communication.
For the award of Postgraduate Diploma students will have acquired K1-K7 and S1-S7. For the award of
Postgraduate Certificate students will have acquired K1-K6 and S1-S6.
18. Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching and learning methods:
A programme of lectures and seminars provides students with a structured knowledge of all the programme
learning outcomes, supplemented by specialisation in one or two areas which provides more in-depth knowledge
of one or two of the main subject areas. As part of the teaching and learning process, students will be required to
present the results of research and study in seminars which will allow them to consolidate and improve their
understanding and knowledge of the programme learning outcomes as well as hone their presentational skills.
They will also attend a programme of workshops designed to introduce basic journalism writing skills. Guest
lecturers who have worked as journalism practitioners in countries outside of the UK will add to students’
knowledge and understanding of the practice of International Political Communication.
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Opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes are provided through the following
assessment methods:
A variety of assessment methods will be used to allow students to achieve the learning outcomes. Students will
produce a range of written work including book and article reviews, essays, news stories, reports and
dissertation in order to demonstrate their command of the knowledge areas and reflect critically on the
processes, theory and practice of international political communication (S8). These pieces of written work will
assess students’ enhanced knowledge and understanding of key theoretical debates and developments in
International Political Communication by requiring them to identify issues and problems related to political
communication in an international context (K1-3), engage with the academic literature (K5-7) and employ relevant
research methods (K4, S1) in order to construct coherent arguments which will demonstrate the outcome of critical
reflection on these problems (K7-8, S1-4). They may take formal examinations (K1-3, 8, S7) or be assessed on
class presentations, as individuals or as part of a group (depending on options taken) (S5- S7).
19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
Subject Benchmark Statements
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/subject-guidance/Pages/Subject-benchmark-statements.aspx
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (2008)
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/The-framework-for-higher-educationqualifications-in-England-Wales-and-Northern-Ireland.aspx
University Strategic Plan
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/strategicplan
Learning and Teaching Strategy (2011-16)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/staff/lts
Department aims and objectives
Department Learning and Teaching Strategy
Faculty of Social Sciences Learning and Teaching Strategy
External examiners’ reports
20. Programme structure and regulations
The programme’s structure is based on the establishment of core knowledge and understanding of the key
concepts, theories, methods and debates in the field of International Political Communication together with the
research skills, basic practical skills and knowledge to undertake and complete a substantial piece of research,
undertaken in the latter half of the programme. The programme also gives students the opportunity to specialise in
related areas of interest.
The programme will consist of four core modules making up 105 credits, with a range of options offered (15 credits
each) to make up a total of 180 credits.
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression and
descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html.
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21. Student development over the course of study
The first semester of the programme lays the conceptual, methodological and theoretical and practical
groundwork, as well as covering key areas of knowledge, for the rest of the year. Lectures, seminars and
workshops are the means to build students’ confidence and knowledge through tutor-directed discussion and
study. As the semester progresses, seminars become increasingly student-led as students are expected to take
more responsibility for critical understanding of the subject areas. In the second semester, the focus shifts to more
autonomous project work geared to exploring more fully the links between theory and practice in international
political communication and effective communication with and through the media. By this time students are
expected to have developed the skill of critical reflection which will be assisted by peer and tutor evaluation.
In the final third of the programme, students will be expected to undertake tutor-guided, individual research. This
work should show strong analytical skills and knowledge, expressed in the ability to conceptualise, devise and
execute a complex, rigorous piece of research.
22. Criteria for admission to the programme
Detailed information regarding admission to programmes is available from the University’s On-Line Prospectus at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/courses/.
23. Additional information
None
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be
considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the University. In
addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University of Sheffield can be
accessed via our Student Services web site at http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid.
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