Broadening horizons

By Natasha Fernandopulle and Madhushala Senaratne

The UK has always offered a comprehensive and valuable experience in terms of education, and you are most often guaranteed a clear pathway to build a good career making it definitely an investment worth making. This time we focus on Media and Communications and what the UK has to offer for those of you interested in studying for a Postgraduate Degree or Diploma and we given you a few options to choose from.

Education UK Exhibition 2008 was held in Colombo and Kandy and this was the 15th time the event was held in Colombo. This very comprehensive education fair has always given students and parents an opportunity to speak the various representatives from the many institutions at the fair, and this year was no different.

This year the Colombo leg was held at the Hilton Colombo on February 23 and 24 and in Kandy at the Queens Hotel on February 26.

Why study Mass Communications and why in the UK?

Why would you choose to read for a Masters in Media and Communications, and why in the UK, is probably one of the first questions that would pop into your head, so we are here to try and answer that for you. It seems there is a large and growing number of employers who demand a postgraduate journalism qualification as evidence of commitment and ability with competition for the most sought-after jobs being fiercer than ever before.

The various courses in universities offered addresses important concepts and debates. And they are all about the relationship between the media and society. It focuses on the social, cultural, economic and technological processes and practices of the media as well as the role of media in the exercise of political, social and cultural power. Central concerns of this MA include the roles played by the media in public discourse, in the structuring of everyday life, and in the construction of (post)national and sexual identities.

What you would gain is the ability to develop a range of professional and practical skills and knowledge that will equip them for a job in journalism, including news writing, feature writing, public affairs, media law and shorthand. In addition, some universities help you open your future in terms of job opportunities, ranging from internship to being permanently employed.

These aside you can find employment in the fields of research teaching, public relations as well as political communications.

What young journalists in the field have to say…

“When you study media it helps you to gain a better understanding of various issues. You get to learn all aspects of the trade in terms of designing, layout and so on and of course writing. In addition, studying media in the UK, is so much more than just studying.

There is also the culture and other practical experiences which help make you a well rounded person. Dilini (23). “There are so many reasons why I joined the newspaper. I enjoy writing and the whole experience which cannot really be described in a few words. Also being able to talk to so many different people and learning the art of getting through to them and relating to them in different ways.” Stephanie (19)

“Having studied mass communications as a subject in university and also working as a journalist at the same time really helped me understand the value of how important a tool the media is, in today's society. After all, communication is vital and the media is able to communicate to the masses which makes it powerful weapon in the 21st century.” Shehani (25)

“It's really exciting and it's never the same each week. Meeting daily deadlines are really challenging and having an understanding boss helps! Actually it helped me to present myself better to others, especially when talking to people.” Shehan (20).

Requirements

Most of the universities offering these courses require the following, preferably in a relevant field:

• Either a good first degree or sufficient work experience

• A score of 6.5 for IELTS or 577 for TOEFL

Scholarships and funding

Most universities offer a range of scholarships for international students. These include the British Chevening Scholarships, the DFID Shared Scholarship Scheme, the Commonwealth Scholarships, Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards, Ford Foundation International Fellowships, Overseas Research Students Award Scheme (ORSAS) and Marshall Scholarship Scheme.

Scholarships are awarded for students of high academic standing or sufficient work experience, and are limited. Some universities also offer bursaries and discounts so check out the relevant university website for details.

University options

• MA Media and Public Relations

• MA Media and Journalism

• Graduate Diploma in Communications, Media & English as a Foreign Language

• MA Mass Communications

• MA Globalization and Communications

• MA New Media & Society

• MA New Media, Governance & Democracy

• MSc in Media and Communication Research

• MA in International Journalism

• MA International Public Relations

• MA Journalism Studies

• MA Political Communications

• MA International Broadcast Journalism

• MA Media and Communications

• MA Television and Interactive Content

• MA Media Enterprise

• MA in Media, Culture and Society
  

• MA in Arts and Cultural Management

• MA in Media and Cultural Studies

• MA/Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism]

• MA in Communications / MA in Media / MA in Magazine Journalism (These courses are currently under development and would be available in the near future

• MSc in Globalization, Communication and Culture

• MSc in Media and Communications

Sheffield Hallam - URL: www.shu.ac.uk

MSc media and Communication

• MA Sports Journalism

• MA International Broad Journalism

• MA International Media Industry

• MA Media Communication

• MA Print Journalism

• MA Public Relations

• MA/Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism (Television & Print pathways)

• MA/ Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Journalism

• M/A Postgraduate Diploma in Media, Communications and Critical Practice