DOHA: Qatar University (QU) is planning to launch a Master of Arts in Mass Communication programme, a first in the country.
The Master of Arts in Journalism, New Media and Strategic Communication, major in Mass Communication is planned to be initiated in September next year. The postgraduate programme is proposed to offer specialisations on International Communication, TV and Radio Broadcasting, Online/Print Journalism, Strategic Communication and Sports Journalism.
The MA programme will be mainly in English with electives in the Arabic language. It will be the first of its kind at a postgraduate level at QU and the country.
Recognising the contribution of mass media industry in Qatar and GCC countries to local, regional and international socio-economic change; QU saw the need to expand expertise, training and skills development and postgraduate programmes to cater to the growing industry.
Set to potentially position QU as a leading educational institution in the GCC and the Middle East, the new programme is aimed at providing students with a critical understanding of the economic, social and political contexts of regional and global media and major policy issues, creating a well-grounded generation of students on communication policies and media planning and encouraging scientific research in media and communication, among others. Graduates of the program me will be able to contribute effectively to media policy and planning, and will have opportunities to work in the media industries, particularly those operating in an international context.
To explore the demand for this MA programme a survey has been conducted among representatives of media organisation in Qatar as well as interviews with potential stakeholders in Qatar, which indicated a significant demand for such an MA programme.
An analysis survey has also been undertaken to examine the importance of starting a Master’s programme in the QU College of Arts and Sciences. The study involved 96 QU male and female students and alumni with ages ranging from 25 to 34 years.
The study found that 75 percent of the respondents were very interested in joining the programme with its various concentrations. The participants said that a Master’s programme would help them find better employment opportunities in the field of media and public relations in the public sector.
Also, some of the female respondents highlighted the convenience of undertaking such MA programme at QU rather than abroad because of family circumstances and the inconvenience for travelling outside Qatar for a year or more. When asked whether such MA programme would enhance their career opportunities, 95 percent said it would be a great boost for their future career chances.The Peninsula
