Study programme

The curriculum of the Master’s in Corporate Communication comprises one year of full-time study. The courses are designed to prepare you for research, policy, and advisory positions in the corporate communication sector. Throughout the programme, we will discuss and examine relevant themes, theories, and developments from the perspectives of the organisation (meso-level) and the media (macro-level).

First semester

You will start the Master’s with the mandatory specialisation seminars: Strategic Communication and Organisations, Media and Society. Right from the start of the programme, you will also start your thesis process in the course Thesis Preparation Groups. Towards the end of the first semester, you take the course Research Methods Tailored to the Thesis, in which you will refresh and further develop your research skills before starting with writing your Master’s thesis in the following semester.
Second semester

In the second semester, you choose two electives, allowing you to create a Master’s programme that suits your interests best. There is a range of excellent electives offered, including, for example, Corporate Social Responsibility Communication, Digital Analytics, Shaping Society, Climate Change Communication, Sustainability Marketing and Communication. You can find all electives here (the selection of electives varies each semester).
Master's thesis
In the second semester, you will complete your Master’s thesis. You will be guided and supervised in the creation, design, conduct, analysis and reporting of an academic empirical study. Previous research topics include:

Social responsibility and accountability of big tech companies

Organisations’ involvement in socio-political issues

Media framing of organisations

Communication and trust in governmental organisations

The effectiveness of crisis communication strategies

Misinformation threats for corporations

Adoption of new communication technologies within organisations

How to motivate employees through communication

Lecturer Linda with dark hair and shirt, light background.

My favourite moments as a lecturer come when your curiosity, ideas, and diverse experiences spark lively discussions. Dr. Linda van den Heijkant talks about exploring topics together in class, read more

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC

Organisations, Media and Society

Period 1

Period 2

12

This course focuses on topics relevant to organisations. You will examine themes like legitimacy, issue arenas, and the interplay between organisations, media, and strategic communication. You will dive into topics such as agenda-building, framing and crisis communication. The course also considers broader social contexts such as Corporate Social Responsibility and Artificial Intelligence.
Strategic Communication

Period 1

Period 2

12

In this course, we will focus on strategic communication in and of organisations. You'll use communication theories to explore topics like framing, dialogue, stereotyping, and more. You'll look at research methods that can be used for studying relevant communication processes. Also, you conduct an empirical study on understanding the practice of strategic communication in organisations.
Thesis Preparation Groups

Period 1

Period 2

—

This course serves as an introduction to the individual Master’s thesis you will write in the second semester. You will set up an Initial Thesis Proposal: select a core theme, central research question, and research methodology.
Research Methods Tailored to the Thesis

Period 3

6

This course builds on your prior knowledge of research methodology and statistics. You will further develop your skills as a preparation for your Master’s thesis. You will focus on the research method you plan to use: content analysis, experimentation, survey, or qualitative research.
Elective 1

Period 4

6

In this Master’s programme you choose two electives. The selection of electives may vary each semester. These electives allow you to create a Master’s programme that suits your interests best.
Elective 2

Period 4

6

In this Master’s programme you choose two electives. The selection of electives may vary each semester. These electives allow you to create a Master’s programme that suits your interests best.
Master's thesis

Period 5

Period 6

18

For your Master’s thesis, you are linked to an individual supervisor. After passing the extended research proposal, you will continue with conducting your research, analysing your results and writing your thesis.

Compulsory course

Elective

Find more information in the online course catalogue

Workload

This Master's programme is a full-time study. A large part of your programme focuses on self-study, e.g. preparing for tutorials or working on assignments (32 hours per week). In addition, you have weekly lectures (4 hours per week) and opportunities for tutorials and group projects (4 hours per week).

For multiple papers, I looked at how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is developing and how internal communication styles influence CSR performance. Lotte van Walstijn, The Netherlands Read her experience

Frequently asked questions

Is it possible to have a side job next to my Master’s?

It is very personal how you experience the workload and how much effort your side job takes. Keep in mind that the Master’s programme is a full-time study and takes up about 40 hours a week (8 contact hours and 32 hours of self-study). The week before the start of the programme/semester, you can see on which days you will have lectures and tutorials which can help in making your (work) planning.

Study programme

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