Mass Communication

Precondition for admission to the Program

A bachelor or a person with an academic degree equalized with the right to study the educational program on the basis of common Master's Exams or in accordance with the rule established by the legislation of Georgia without passing general Master's Examinations. The additional conditions for entering Master’s Program are:

  • Internal university exam in specialty;
  • Confirmation of the knowledge level of foreign language (B2) certification or with examination.

The right to study in the program can obtain a student from another higher education institution based on mobility in compliance with Georgian legislation and rules of regulation of educational process.

The goal of the educational program

The aim of the educational program corresponds to the mission and development strategy of Ltd Guram Tavartkiladze Tbilisi Teaching University. The purpose of the program is to promote the establishment of a genuine citizen with fluent intellectual, universal ideals. The program envisages modern requirements of the potential employer of the labour market. The program envisages modern requirements of the potential employer of the labour market.

The program aims at offering high quality education standards for higher education, based on depth knowledge, preparation of high qualification competitive mass and strategic communications specialist and competitive field journalist. In order to achieve already mentioned goal, the graduate will develop field competences:

  • Field knowledge, Specifically: the description and analysis of mass communication concepts and theories, the establishment of unified strength of strategic communications, the importance of analytical coverage of the current problem for the media, Determining the role of mass communication in society, to classify / obtain the principles of the field pedagogy and modern research methods, systemize knowledge received from conterminous areas.
  • Field Skills, Specifically: creating analytical media products for different media outlets, using modern technologies for conducting studio work, conducting clinical studies, participation in strategic communications campaigns, preparation of a journal for printing and assisting the professors in the field.

The educational program should ensure the development of general competences necessary for mass communication, particularly: analyzing data on critical approach, elaborating valuable scientific conclusions, using innovative information, new environmental adaptation, personal and social communication, planning of own and others' learning, valuing public communication of mass communication. The modules and content of the educational program, the teaching / evaluation methods and credits provide the achievement of the goals and learning outcomes. The program has all the necessary prerequisites for implementing the objectives: human, material and information resources. The academic / invited staff was involved in the planning and development of the educational program, employment spheres of students and graduates.

The program will prepare the graduate students for continuation of doctoral studies and research work.

Educational Program Study Outcomes

The educational program should ensure the development of general and field competences necessary for mass communication.

Specifically, after completing the educational program, the Master may have the following competences:

General Competences

Conclusion Making Skills

  • The graduate will be able to analyze the complex, incomplete and contradictory data, in view of the critical approach;
  • Innovative processing / classification of information;
  • Exposing scientific conclusions and research recommendations as a result of research in mass communication.

Communication Skill

  • Graduates should be able to work efficiently in the group as a member as well as a leader.
  • The graduate determines the relevant forms of communication with the respondent and the audience;
  • Select the adequate and optimal means of communication with the source;
  • Be able to demonstrate its own position or opinion;
  • To develop communication skills in native and foreign languages, including professional skills;
  • New environment adaptation.

Learning skills

  • The graduate determines, plans and fulfills the requirements of the study process itself;
  • Will be able to plan and organize others' learning.

Values

  • The graduate will correctly assess the role and importance of mass communication in forming an open, democratic and educated society.

Field Competences

Knowledge and awareness

  • Masters should be able to describe the deep theoretical knowledge based on the latest theoretical and research of mass communication;
  • Linking conterminous and other social disciplines with key specialties;
  • Master's will reveal various areas of mass communication, it will classify and divide them into legal, economic and organizational aspects;
  • The graduate describes modern concepts and models of strategic communications systems;
  • Masters will adequately assess the importance of analytical coverage of strategic problems in the field of mass media;
  • The master will elaborate the modern methods of researching social sciences and adapts them to media studies;
  • The Master will correctly assess the role and place of mass communication in the globalization process and at the present stage of community development;
  • He will be able to describe philosophical and anthropological concepts and use it correctly;
  • It defines media professional standards and principles and understands the importance of their protection.

Ability to use knowledge in practice

The Master will be able to:

  • Constructive evaluation, expressing and receiving a different opinion;
  • Recognition of academic professional writing standards;
  • Will use modern methodology of research;
  • Use modern approach of creative pedagogy;
  • Be able to set goals in a professional activity and solve the problem independently;
  • Will be able to present the initiative and take personal responsibility in professional activities;
  • Preparation of competent and objective analytical media productivity of journalism for the field of broadcasting and printed media (economy, politics, culture)
  • Will use modern technologies in the fields of electronic media (TV and radio broadcasting) to provide studio work;
  • Be able to conduct media analysis / research using modern research methods;
  • Determines targeted media arrangements according to the parameters established by social psychology and determines the degree of social influence on it;
  • Will be able to participate in planning and executing various campaigns of strategic communications (political technological, election, advertising);
  • Will be able to work out the concept of the magazine, business plan, Determine target audience, assess the real situation of the media outlet (in terms of diversity of the magazine), Prepare the model, cover materials (including editing) and the final electronic version.

Description of the Educational Program modules

Within the framework of the Master’s educational program, learning is undertaken by the main requirements of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). The learning process is based on the modular teaching principles and is intended to enhance the knowledge acquisition and level of self-education based on the choice of training courses and individualization of the teaching process within the specific Master Program.

The educational program consists of modules and implies division of study courses in the following principle:

Specialty Basic study module - 18 credits. The main objective of obtaining the disciplines of basic study courses is the introduction of basic directions and concepts of humanitarian and social sciences, expansion of erudition, modernization of social sciences research,; Determining the place and role of mass communication in the process of modern globalization.

Specialty Study Course Module - 60 credits:

  • The study of the basic modular discipline of the specialty aims to acquire and study fundamental principles, basic theories and concepts in the field of strategic communication; obtaining system knowledge in the field; Classification of the work and source of empirical material; Multilateral and objective analysis and generalization of the facts and events covered in the media; Defining the role of mass communication in the political, economic or cultural processes taking place in the society; Cross-border crossing of strategic communications, interconnection and studying and analyzing methods, methods and results of influence on target audience; Understanding the media as a business in the global business environment; Forming basic knowledge about media; The Specialty Module provides for the theoretical knowledge and the acquired practical skills required by the student's scientific research to improve the skills and the scientific apparatus. Specialty Compulsory study courses - 42 credits.
  • Master Program "Mass Communication" the module of the Specialty Elective Courses aims at practical preparation of the specific media products (for printed and broadcast media) on the topic of politics, economy and culture; as well as studying related disciplines or different fields with mass communication. The student can make himself a set of disciplines from any of the university's master's programs according to their own needs and interests.Specialty Elective Study Courses – 18 credits.

Professional practice - 12 credits. Professional practice of the Master’s Program aims to take the results of the theoretical knowledge and studio work received in the course of the study process into practice. The student will undergo professional practice at the university base (in study radio and TV studios) as well as in professional media organizations with which GTUNI signed a memorandum of cooperation: Information portals “kvira”, ”Mediasiti”, “Aipresi”, "Reporter", Medianews”, Magazines: "Liberal", "Arsenal", Newspapers "Batumelebi" (Electronic Newspaper "Netgazeti"),"Georgian words, literature, art, politics"TV Company "Georgian Public Broadcaster", "TV First", "Georgian TV", "Iberia", "Trialeti", Radio Company FM107.9, Media Organizations "BusinessMedia Georgia", Studio "Monitor,"CEC Press Center.

Study courses are available in the study course program curriculum.

Qualification to be granted

After obtaining the number of credits established by the educational program, the graduate is conferred with the Qualification / Academic Degree: Master of Social Sciences in Mass Communication. The graduate will also get the bilingual supplement to the diploma; The Diploma Supplement follows the model developed by the European Commission, European council and UNESCO/ CEPES.

Occupation Sphere

Theoretical knowledge acquired in the learning process, obtained practical skills and relevant research experience provide the basis that a person with a Master of Social Science in Mass Communication can manage media, media organizations, state and non-governmental organizations, research centers, to take the following positions: Field Journalist (column, page, rubric, transmission, etc.); Editor of the relevant (policy, economy, culture) editor; Medium and high level media manager; Media analyst, media expert, media researcher; Journalist-columnist; Specialist in Political Technologies Projects of Election Campaigns; Assistant Professor of Journalism and / or Mass Communication Direction