Communication and Society in Ibero-America Heidelberg University

The Master's programme in Communication and Society in Ibero-America critically examines the current social, political, economic, and environmental debates in Ibero-America by studying their reflection in social and public communication. The programme provides its students with area-specific knowledge on Ibero-America, a macro-region consisting of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula at its core as well as those regions with which there are close historical, cultural, political, or socioeconomic ties.

The programme builds upon the students' previous work and broadens their knowledge with complementing perspectives from a variety of disciplines, focusing on the current challenges being faced by Ibero-American societies. At the same time, the programme strengthens the students' methodological skills by combining approaches from both the humanities and the social sciences.

The course work is organised into five sections:

1. Fundamental Competencies

Students are provided with fundamental and specialised knowledge organised into three major thematic areas to address the complex relationships between communication and society in Ibero-America:

• Social, Political, and Economic Spaces, and their Communication Dynamics in Ibero-America
• Cultures, Peoples, and their Environments in Ibero-America
• Language Diversity, Social Cognition, and Information Society in Ibero-America

2. Methodology

The courses highlight the diversity of methodological approaches in humanities and social sciences and provide a comprehensive understanding of specific goals and application contexts in order to tackle societal and communication-related phenomena.

3. Advanced Competencies

Students acquire further, in-depth knowledge on the dynamics of communication and societies in Ibero-America. This is combined with interdisciplinary perspectives.

4. Key Transversal Skills and Mobility Window

Students have the possibility to gain and expand language and methodological knowledge and application-oriented skills. They flexibly configure their course programme according to their academic and professional interests. During the mobility window, they apply these skills and gain insights into professional fields.

5. Graduation Modules

The study programme concludes with a Master’s thesis and an oral final exam. During the five-month preparation of the thesis, each student is advised by two mentors representing different knowledge areas. Students participate in a colloquium in which they will present an outline of the thesis and discuss it with fellow students and researchers from Heidelberg and abroad.

Students can choose between orienting their profiles towards research in academic institutions tackling current questions related to communication and society in Ibero-America from an interdisciplinary perspective, or they may sharpen their professional skills in environments outside academia where they may utilise their knowledge on communication and their regional expertise on Ibero-American in the private or public sectors.

• A degree in a humanities or social sciences programme with good results. The degree programme should have a study duration of at least three years.
• Proficiency in English (C1 CEFR)
• Proficiency in Spanish (B1 CEFR; if not available for study start: to be proven until the end of the second semester at the latest)

Proficiency in Spanish (B1; if not available for study start: to be proven until the end of the second semester at the latest)

Approx. 170 EUR per semester

Heidelberg University's Career Service provides students and graduates with events and information for professional orientation. The HCIAS academic programme coordinator advises you during the application period as well as during the whole course of study (advice in English, Spanish, or German).

Heidelberg University offers student dorms open to all Heidelberg students. Additionally, information on rooms and flats on the private market is provided.