For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Minimum entry requirements for Global Media and Communications (LSE and USC)

Upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent in social science, or a degree in another field with professional experience in media and communications.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission.

f you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our Information for International Students to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students and want to recruit students with the very best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of their background.

For this programme, you need to apply both to LSE and to USC. Before starting your USC Graduate Admission application, please review the USC graduate application guidelines. Please note that applications are reviewed by both institutions.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
- statement of academic purpose
- two academic references
- CV

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency, although you do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE. See our English language requirements.

When to apply

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis, meaning the programme will close once it becomes full. There is no fixed deadline by which you need to apply, however to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details. 

The first year at LSE lays solid theoretical and methodological foundation for future media and communications professionals to examine issues of media and communication within their political, social and cultural context. Please note that at LSE we do not provide practical training in journalism, production, campaigning or media management.

For the second year at the University of Southern California, please see details below.

First year, at LSE

(* denotes a half unit)

Theories and Concepts in Media and Communications I (Key concepts and interdisciplinary approaches)* 
Addresses key theoretical and conceptual issues in the study of media and communications.

Media and Globalisation*
Explores and demonstrates the role of the media and communications in the processes of globalisation.

Methods of Research in Media and Communications (including Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis)*
Provides general training in research methods and techniques.

Dissertation.
An independent research project of 12,000 words  on an approved topic.

Courses to the value of one and a half units from a range of options.

Second year, at Annenberg, USA

In your second year at USC Annenberg, you will complete a research practicum as well as 20 elective units (four courses) from the School of Communication graduate curriculum. You may choose one of your elective courses from a department outside Annenberg with the approval of your advisors.

More information about the year at USC Annenberg.

You will produce a final research project on global communication that will be the product of work done at both LSE and Annenberg. You complete a dissertation during the summer after your year at LSE. You will continue to develop the thesis during the year at Annenberg in the research practicum.

Global students can continue to take courses in global media and cultural studies and other courses in the MA and PhD programmes in seven tracks:

- Global and Transnational Communication
- Media, Culture and Community
- Rhetoric, Politics and Publics
- Health Communication and Social Dynamics
- Groups, Organizations and Networks
- Information, Political Economy and Entertainment
- New Media and Technology.

You can take practical courses in the Communication Management programme, with area studies in: 

- Marketing Communication
- Media and Entertainment Management
- Health and Social Change Communication
- International and Intercultural Communication
- Organizational and Strategic Corporate Communication.

You can also take courses in Public Diplomacy, in Journalism and Strategic Public Relations, and in addition take a class outside the Annenberg School. 

To find the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page. 

You must note however that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the updated graduate course and programme information page.

Contact hours and independent study

At LSE you will take a number of courses, often including half unit courses and full unit courses. In half unit courses, on average, you can expect 20-30 contact hours in total and for full unit courses, on average, you can expect 40-60 contact hours in total. This includes sessions such as lectures, classes, seminars or workshops. Hours vary according to courses and you can view indicative details in the Calendar within the Teaching section of each course guide.

You are also expected to complete independent study outside of class time. This varies depending on the programme, but requires you to manage the majority of your study time yourself, by engaging in activities such as reading, note-taking, thinking and research.

Teaching methods

LSE is internationally recognised for its teaching and research and therefore employs a rich variety of teaching staff with a range of experience and status. Courses may be taught by individual members of faculty, such as lecturers, senior lecturers, readers, associate professors and professors. Many departments now also employ guest teachers and visiting members of staff, LSE teaching fellows and graduate teaching assistants who are usually doctoral research students and in the majority of cases, teach on undergraduate courses only. You can view indicative details for the teacher responsible for each course in the relevant course guide.

Assessment

Formal classroom teaching is usually completed by the end of the Lent term. Coursework is usually submitted in January and May, and examinations are generally held in May and June. The remaining months are set aside for you to complete the dissertations, supported by staff supervision. 

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It is designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. You will be summatively assessed by written examinations (seen and unseen), research assignments, essays and the dissertation, which must be submitted in August.

Teaching and assessment in the second year will vary according to each institution. 

Academic support

You will be assigned an academic mentor within the Department who will be available to discuss your personal and academic concerns.

There are many opportunities to extend your learning outside the classroom and complement your academic studies at LSE. LSE LIFE is the School’s centre for academic, personal and professional development. Some of the services on offer include: guidance and hands-on practice of the key skills you will need to do well at LSE: effective reading, academic writing and critical thinking; workshops related to how to adapt to new or difficult situations, including development of skills for leadership, study/work/life balance and preparing for the world of work; and advice and practice on working in study groups and on cross-cultural communication and teamwork.

LSE is committed to enabling all students to achieve their full potential and the School’s Disability and Wellbeing Service provides a free, confidential service to all LSE students and is a first point of contact for all disabled students.

On graduating, our students enter a variety of global careers including broadcasting, journalism, advertising, new media industries, political marketing, market research, regulation and policy, media management and research in both public and private sectors.  

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the support available to students through LSE Careers.

Set out below, you will find some suggested readings that will prove helpful to you in preparing for your arrival at LSE, and for finding out about courses you may be interested in taking.

It is not essential that you read everything on the list - the intention is simply to give you an idea of the level and range of material covered.

• Appadurai, A. (1996). Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
• Flew, T. (2007) Understanding Global Media. Basingstoke, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Kraidy, M. (2005) Hybridity, Or, The Cultural Logic of Globalization. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
• Maxwell, R.(ed.) (2001) Culture Works: Essays on the Political Economy of Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Miller, T. (et al.) (2005) Global Hollywood 2. London: BFI Publishing.
• Orgad, S. (2012). Media Representation and the Global Imagination. Cambridge: Polity Press. 
• Pickering, M. (2001) Stereotyping: The Politics of Representation. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
• Rantanen, T. (2004) The Media and Globalization. London: Sage.
• Silverstone, R. (2007). Media and Morality. Cambridge: Polity Press. 
• Tomlinson, J. (1999) Globalisation and Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press.
• Thussu, D. (2006) Media on the Move: Global Flow and Contra-Flow. London and New York: Routledge.
• Silverstone, R. (2007) Media and Morality. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme.

The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2020/21 for MSc Global Media and Communications (LSE and USC)

UK/EU students, first year: £22,608 (2020/21 at LSE)
Overseas students, first year: £22,608 (2020/21 at LSE)
UK/EU students, second year: USD 47,880 (2021/22 at USC)
Overseas students, second year: USD 47,880 (2021/22 at USC)

Fee status

For this programme, the tuition fee at LSE is the same for all students regardless of their fee status. However any financial support you are eligible for will depend on whether you are classified as a Home (UK/EU) or Overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Fee reduction

Students who completed undergraduate study at LSE and are beginning taught graduate study at the School are eligible for a fee reduction of around 10 per cent of the fee.

Scholarships and other funding

The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide over £13 million in scholarships each year to graduate students from the UK, EU and overseas.

This programme is eligible for needs-based awards from LSE, including the Graduate Support Scheme, Master's Awards, and Anniversary Scholarships. 

Selection for any funding opportunity is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline. 
Funding deadline for needs-based awards from LSE: 27 April 2020.

Government tuition fee loans and external funding

A postgraduate loan is available from the UK government for eligible students studying for a first master’s programme, to help with fees and living costs. Some other governments and organisations also offer tuition fee loan schemes.

Find out more about tuition fee loans

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities