MA in Media & International Conflict

We are now open to receiving application for 2012/2013

"Studying in the Clinton Institute was a wonderful experience. The classes are small, which means you really get to know everybody, and there is a very comfortable atmosphere. I studied the MA in Media and International Conflict. A wide range of topics ensured that everybody got a chance to study and discuss areas that they are passionate about. Lively debates were the norm! This MA was a fascinating journey through history, current affairs, politics and media. It offered a great opportunity to build strong research ,writing and presenting skills, with the help of the diligent and engaging staff of the Institute. I would do it all over again if I could! - Karen Dunne Class of 2011

This MA programme is designed to enable students to develop understanding of the ways in which media interact with war, conflict and security in international contexts. It analyzes the complex roles played by the media in the enactment and representation of conflict situations and addresses the relationships among media, governments, the military, and NGOs in framing perceptions of international conflict.

It provides an interdisciplinary approach that considers both cultural and political dimensions of media responses to international conflicts, focusing on issues such as: public diplomacy as soft power, human rights and representation, distinctions between information and propaganda, the ethics of depicting human suffering, the role of new media in perceptions of conflict, the visual economy of the production, circulation and reception of imagery of conflict, and the effects of news reporting on government policy and NGO activity. Modules in this programme are taught by resident UCD faculty and by external speakers, both academics and practitioners, who will broaden intellectual discussion and speak to examples of media work.

The programme will interest those seeking a career in international communications, professionals seeking more critical understanding of the international dimensions of their industry, and those wishing to prepare for advanced research in this area.

As it evolves, The Clinton Institute will keep its MA curriculum in constant review and will introduce new modules.

Eligibility
Course Outline
Student Assessment
Teaching & Tuition
Fees & Funding
Application Procedure

Eligibility

Applicants for the MA should hold one of the following qualifications:

A First Class or Second Class, grade 1 degree in a relevant subject
US or Canadian degree with a grade point average of 3.50
62% in the MA Qualifying examination (UCD students only)

Course Outline (2012/2013) Provisional

"Studying at the Clinton Institute was one of the best decisions I ever took. Not only is the curriculum mind-opening and challenging, its interdisciplinary nature will also, I believe adapt and appeal to a wide array of people and provide future students with an important and rich intellectual baggage that will prove valuable in their furture academic and or professional life. The teaching staff and faculty also have to be acknowledged for their professionalism and commitment to ensuring that each and everyone feels welcomed and productive within the Institute" - Silvio Ghiglione - Class of 2011.

This is a provisional list of modules that will be offered and is subject to final confirmation and scheduling arrangements

Compulsory Modules

Media & US Foreign Policy
Imaging International Conflict
Public Diplomacy
US Foreign Policy
Journalism: Reporting Conflict
Research Skills & Methods
Dissertation

Optional Modules

America & Globalisation
International Politics in the Middle East
War and US Foreign Policy
Africa in Crisis

Module Descriptions

Imaging International Conflict AMST 40140 (10 Credits)

This module examines the roles of image producers and the functions of visual imagery in the documentation and communication of wars, violent conflicts and human rights issues. It will examine the role of humanitarian frameworks in ‘Western’ genres of visual journalism and analyse the ideological impulses and functions of contemporary modes of visual documentation. It will also examine the political economy of visual documentation of conflicts, including the work of selected international news organizations and NGOs in the global distribution of images, the effects of imagery on government policy and NGO activity, and the use of visual archives in civil and legal inquiries surrounding violent conflicts. (Note: The module will draw on the research produced by the ‘Photography and International Conflict’ project at the Clinton Institute, funded by the IRCHSS).

Public Diplomacy and Soft Power AMST 40130 (10 credits)

This module will analyse historical and emergent roles of public diplomacy as the ‘soft power’ wing of American foreign policy. It will consider the ways in which the power of the American state is manifested in its operations across national borders, and examine the implications for cultural production and knowledge-formation shaped by the operations of this power. Key issues include: strategic communications and information warfare; the promotion of educational and cultural programmes; private/public networks and the role of non-state actors and NGOs in delivering and contesting public diplomacy goals; the role of rights discourse in public diplomacy; and the impact of new media technologies on public diplomacy. We will examine communications strategies that evidence new and sophisticated relations between public relations and public diplomacy, and comment on how these strategies are tied to (but also in tension with) foreign policy initiatives.

Journalism: Reporting Conflict and Foreign Affairs AMST 40180 (5 credits)

This module will examine genres and styles of reporting that focus on conflict and foreign affairs. What determines a focus on particular aspects of foreign affairs? What frames are used to report on particular issues? What is the role of international news agencies in disseminating international news? We will consider the nature of contemporary war reporting. What is the role of journalists in war and violent conflicts? How do they negotiate the competing demands of employers, governments and military sources? How do they manage the tensions between objectivity and empathy with human suffering? We will also consider the changing nature of news production and consumption in a global media marketplace, including the impact of new media technologies on the reporting of conflict and foreign affairs.

Media & US Foreign Policy

This module will focus on the roles of media in the making and representation of United States foreign policy. It introduces students to critical debates on the relationship between media, war and diplomacy and draws on scholarship from media studies and international affairs as well as primary media content. It covers a range of media, including print journalism photojournalism, television, cinema, and the internet. Historical coverage moves from WWII to the current ‘war on terror’ and considers throughout the connections between military and media technologies.

US Foreign Policy

This module will provide an introduction to US foreign policy during and after the Cold War. It will outline some of the major topics that have animated the history of US foreign relations since the beginning of the Cold War, and will interrogate these topics through examination of empirical evidence and scholarly interpretation. Beginning with the origins of the Cold War, the course focuses on some of the key facets of that confrontation, before considering the Vietnam War and its ramifications. The course ends with a discussion of US foreign policy in both the post-Cold War and post 9/11 worlds.

Journalism: Reporting Conflict

Student Assessment

The Masters degree programme will be assessed by means of course work for the modules (largely by essay but this may vary) and a minor thesis of 12,000 to 15,000 words. Credit values vary for each module.

Students choose the dissertation top in consultation with the programme director. It may be supervised by the programme director or co supervised with another academic either within UCD or outside the university. Supervisors monitor student’s individual progress and offer advice on the preparation and presentation of the dissertation. The final mark for the Masters Degree will be divided between the course work and the dissertation.

Teaching and Tuition

Each module tutor will provide students with documentation setting out the structure and content of the module.

Modules will normally consist of weekly two-hour seminars. These are group discussion classes where students are expected to bring up issues arising from their independent study.

Tutors will also be available to discuss individual students’ written assignment.

Provisional Fees 2011/2012 Fees

Course Details	EU Students	Non-EU Students
MA in Media & International Conflict Full-time	€5,600	€13,900
MA in Media & International Conflict Part-time: each year	€3,350	€9,300

UCD College of Arts and Celtic Studies' Graduate Scholarship Scheme, 2012-2013

For 2012-2013, the UCD College of Arts and Celtic Studies will operate a competitive graduate scholarship scheme. This is designed to assist those students likely to be most affected by recent changes to graduate funding provision in Ireland. To be eligible for the scheme, applicants must be in receipt of a full CDVEC grant covering the cost of their fees for an MA, MMus or MLitt (full-time) programme in the College of Arts and Celtic Studies for 2012-2013. Up to fifteen bursaries worth €1,000 euros each will be awarded to eligible applicants who have achieved the highest GPAs in their undergraduate degrees.

http://www.ucd.ie/graduatestudies/mailout/ucd/scholarship.html

Application Procedure for MA in Media & International Conflict

Student can now apply online (www.ucd.ie/apply) and decisions are made on a rolling basis. A conditional offer can be made if you are still waiting for your final exam results.

The following documents should be uploaded with your application (if you are not able to upload the documents you can post them directly to the application office and quote your application number - address below

Two academic references will be required. It is the responsibility of the applicants to ensure that these are completed and returned in a sealed signed envelope.
In all cases a 300-word dissertation proposal must be submitted.
Non-University College Dublin applicants are required to submit the following additional documentation:
- Original birth certificate
- A degree certificate or academic transcript (not a copy). If the degree result is pending at the time of the application this documentation should be forwarded as soon as the result is known.
- Applicants whose native language is not English must provide a certificate of proficiency in the English language (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge)
Standard of English required it is expected that students will normally have reached an overall 7.0 in the IELTS Academic Module (with no individual band lower than 6.5) or an A in the Cambridge ESOL - CAE prior to commencing graduate study.

These documents should be returned to the

On Line Application Office
Tierney Building
UCD
Belfield
Dublin 4

If you have any questions on the process please contact
Catherine.Carey@ucd.ie or Tel +353 1 7161560

UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies

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