The Politics & Communication specialisation is offered by the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in
the capital of the Netherlands. This programme is registered as a post-initial Master’s programme.

Based at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), the largest research institute of its kind in Europe, and one of the largest worldwide, the Politics & Communication specialisation focuses on the role of (political) journalism in contemporary democracies. In particular, it centres on the changing nature of political journalism and other forms of political communication, and their impact on citizens, politics and societies at large. 

In the courses, we consider the perspectives and priorities of journalists, citizens, politicians and communication professionals and explore the challenges they face as they interact with each other in politically charged and hyper-mediated information environments. We look at these issues as they play out against pressing global challenges: the climate crisis, the rise of dis- and misinformation, European (dis)integration, declining trust in governments and media, political polarization, rapid technological change and the explosion of AI. We critically examine how these developments challenge journalism’s legitimacy, while at the same time exploring innovative responses and new forms of journalism. Students also engage with data journalism and develop skills in working with computational methods.

Important to note that the specialisation in Politics & Communication is theory- and empirical research-oriented.  Politics & Communication is therefore primarily an academic and research-oriented specialisation rather than a professional journalism training programme. You will be trained to improve your analytical skills, and you will be equipped with a solid theoretical and empirical basis to be able to critically assess contemporary and future evolutions in journalism, media governance, and political communication more broadly.

An energetic and ambitious study environment 

As a student in Amsterdam, you will most probably find that there is no time to waste. Staff at the University are actively engaged in research and involved in a number of international collaborations and larger research projects. Students have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects, and they have access to internal events and talks organised by the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR). All course lecturers are also members of the Centre for Politics and Communication, which provides an overview of ongoing research projects and activities on its website.

Throughout the specialisation year in Amsterdam, you will have the opportunity to take part in numerous field trips, guest lectures and activities. In the past, our students have visited the World Press Photo Exhibition, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the EU Commission Representation in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and held career events and networking opportunities with former Mundus students, among others. 

Students at UvA are ambitious and international. Their work outputs echo the ambitious working environment of their teachers. Several Mundus students have published their master’s thesis research in international peer-reviewed journals or presented their thesis findings at international conferences.

Even though the focus of Politics & Communication is on empirical social-scientific research, guest lecturers from the professional field also contribute to the courses. You will also work on your own journalistic product in which you will translate the findings from your empirical MA thesis research into a journalistic format for a broader non-academic audience.