Program Overview
The BA in Society, Media, and Politics at Constructor University combines sociology, media studies, and political sciences to equip students with the knowledge and skills to address complex social issues. Through a research-oriented, student-centered approach, students develop digital media skills and explore their creative potential at the SMP Media Center. The program culminates in a summer internship, study-abroad opportunities, and a Bachelor's thesis project, preparing graduates for careers in media, non-governmental organizations, and other fields.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The BA program in Society, Media, and Politics (SMP) at Constructor University equips students with the social sciences knowledge and skills needed to tackle the complex challenges of our rapidly changing and highly digital world. Integrating sociology, media studies, and political sciences allows students to address pressing social issues through a research-oriented, student-centered approach. At the SMP Media Center, students learn how to effectively communicate and campaign for their initiatives using digital media tools and platforms, such as podcasts, websites, animations, and more. This provides students with opportunities to explore their creative potential and prepares them with vital digital skills in high demand in today's job market.
Outline:
The three-year undergraduate program involves six semesters of study with a total of 180 ECTS credit points (CP). The curricular structure follows an innovative and student-centered modularization scheme - the 3C-Model - that groups the disciplinary content of the three study years according to overarching themes:
Year 1
The first year provides a comprehensive curriculum that builds upon the students' previous education and offers them a choice of 45 credit points from a variety of disciplines. Of these, 15 credit points must be from their intended major. CHOICE Module: Introduction to the Social Sciences 1: Politics and Society (7.5 CP) CHOICE Module: Introduction to the Social Sciences 2: Media and Society (7.5 CP)
Year 2
In their second year, students continue their education with a selection of 45 credit points from discipline-specific CORE modules. CORE Module: Systems of Social Inequality (5 CP) CORE Module: Comparing Mass Communication Systems (5 CP) CORE Module: Systems of Democratic Governance (5 CP) CORE Module: The Sociology of Conflict and Crisis (5 CP) CORE Module: Crisis, Conflict and Media (5 CP) CORE Module: International Resource Politics (5 CP) CORE Module: Consumer Culture and Society (5 CP) CORE Module: Media, Culture and Digitization (5 CP) CORE Module: Mass Beliefs and Civil Society (5 CP)
Year 3
The program's third year focuses on providing students with the tools and experiences necessary for success in their post-graduation careers. To gain valuable hands-on experience and explore their interests, students are required to complete a summer internship. This year also provides opportunities for students to broaden their perspectives through study-abroad programs in the fifth semester. Finally, in the sixth semester, students deepen their research skills by completing an extensive Bachelor's thesis project. Students can choose four of the following Specialization Modules: Specialization: Social Science of Happiness (5 CP) Specialization: Applying Social Science in Research (5 CP) Specialization: A New Cold War? EU-Russian Relations (5 CP)
Careers:
Studying SMP typically opens careers in the media, in non-governmental organizations, public administration, community development, international aid agencies, international business, the cultural sector, international youth and social work, fundraising and many other pursuits.