Communications and Media Studies

This page covers:

Communication and Media Studies Programs

Note:

  • Study Abroad programs and Northwestern may have specific prerequisites, including language prerequisites, for admission. Click on the program name, below, to view these prerequisites and other details.
  • Northwestern has a number of requirements that students must adhere to while they are abroad. View these requirements.

English Language Programs

Program Location Coursework NU Terms Abroad
Unviersity of Stirling Stirling, Scotland
  • The Film & Media Studies Department is one of the most renowned in the UK.
  • Available courses include: Reading Film and Television, Film & TV in Scotland, Radio Drama Production & Modern European Cinema.
  • NU Prof. Larry Lichty taught at Stirling as a visiting professor. He welcomes student inquiries.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Goldsmiths College, University of London London, England
  • The Communications Department is one of the most highly rated in the UK. It offers courses in video, graphics, radio, journalism, film, script writing, and photography.
  • Communication Studies courses can be extremely difficult to get into due to high demand from both British and American students. This department often closes early during the application process. If you are interested in these courses, please also refer to the Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) courses on the Goldsmiths' web site.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Queen Mary, University of London London, England A variety of Film Studies courses are available including: Introduction to British Cinema, The Classical Hollywood Musical, & Film Philosophy.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Danish Institute for Study Abroad Copenhagen, Denmark
  • A specialized program in "Communication & Mass Media" is open to students majoring in media studies, communication, journalism or a related field.
  • Elective courses are also offered in advertising, communication, film studies, media studies, journalism and marketing.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
University of Melbourne Melbourne, Australia Departments in film, media, journalism, international media (no production courses) Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia Department of Media and Communications offers courses in film (including production), media, popular culture, and communications Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia Faculty of Journalism and Communications offers courses in mass media, public relations, and journalism. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand Courses in communication studies and film and media studies Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand
  • Offers particularly strong courses in film, media studies, and theater.
  • The city of Wellington supports a large theater and film industry.


 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
American University in Cairo Cairo, Egypt Several courses are available in journalism, broadcast journalism, marketing communication, and film studies. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Collegium Heironymi Pragensis Prague, Czech Republic Past courses offered have been Modern Czech Film: History on Screen and Screening the European Space: Who Are These People.? Check website for current offerings. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters
CIEE-University of Hyderabad Hyderabad, India Various courses are offered within the Department of Communication at the University of Hyderabad, including radio & video production, print & new media, communication studies, advertising and public relations. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year

Contemporary India: Development, Environment, Public Health

 Pune, India
  • The following course is open to all students: Nation, Caste, and Gender through Film.
  • Internships in the fields of communication and media may also be available.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year


Foreign Language Programs

Program Location Coursework NU Terms Abroad
IFSA-Chilean Universities Program
 Santiago, Chile A wide variety of courses in communication and media studies are available at the partner institutions Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Universidad Diego Portales. Options include film, media studies, broadcasting, radio and television production, journalism ethics and law, advertising, marketing and social communication.
Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (NU Exchange)
 Santiago, Chile Various courses are available within the Communication and Journalism Departments at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
SIT-Bolivia:Multiculturalism, Globalization, and Social Change Cochabamba, Bolivia The Program director, Ismael Saavedra, is a Bolivian filmmaker whose ethnographic and documentary films have won major international awards. Students may work with him to produce films as their final independent study projects. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters
IES-Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina IES offers a few history and theory courses in film studies at their center, and students can also select from a variety of communication and media courses at the partner institutions La Universidad del Museo Social Argentino and the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
IFSA-Argentine Universities Program Buenos Aires, Argentina Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
C.V. Starr – Middlebury School in Latin America Florianópolis, Brazil Production, film and screenplay courses are offered at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Consortium for Advanced Studies in Barcelona (Northwestern Program) Barcelona, Spain Various Communication courses taught in Spanish or Catalan at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona and Universitat de Barcelona. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Madrid Film Studies and Documentary Video Production Program Madrid, Spain This program combines advanced coursework in language and culture studies through Spanish film and television, including a documentary video production course. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters
Madrid Language and Liberal Arts Program Madrid, Spain
  • A program course, Spanish Film, is offered specifically for study abroad students.
  • Advanced language students who attend for the full year or spring semester can also take cinema courses at the partner institution Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
IFSA-Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida, México IFSA students are allowed to enroll in any communication course offered at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, including production workshops, organizational communication, communication theory, script and essay writing, investigative techniques & methodology and information age technology.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Padova Language and Liberal Arts Program Padova, Italy
  • Courses offered in the Department in Communication and Media Studies at Universita degli Studi di Padova
  • Full year and spring semester students can see course listings online.
 Fall Quarter, Fall-Winter Quarters, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
IES-Berlin Berlin, Germany
  • Courses offered at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Communications, Linguistics, and Media Studies
  • IES also typically teaches some communications and media studies courses
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
IES-Freiburg Freiburg, Germany
  • Courses offered at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität
  • IES also typically teaches some communications and/or media studies courses
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Antioch-Tübingen Tübingen, German Media Studies courses available at the local university. Fall-Winter Quarters, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Montpellier Integrated Studies Montpellier, France The University of Montpellier offers courses in Media, Language & Communication, Speech Communication, Semiology, and the History of Communication.
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
IES Abroad Paris French Studies
 Paris, France The IES Abroad Center offers Communications and Film Studies courses. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Sweet Briar College: Junior Year in France Paris, France Communication and film studies courses are offered at Université de Paris VII - Paris Diderot. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year
Internships in Francophone Europe Paris, France
  • This is a one semester, intensive internship/academic experience
  • Placement possibilities include: communications departments of NGO's and regional government offices; communications agencies; print media; press services of government ministries; think tanks or watchdog organizations looking at media issues; film production
 Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters
IES Abroad-Beijing Beijing, China Several courses available in communication and film studies that focus on China. Fall Quarter, Winter-Spring Quarters, Full Year

General Tips for Earning Major or Minor Credit Abroad

  • Obtain approval from your advisor to count Study Abraod coursework toward your School of Communication degree requirements. Research the course descriptions of the classes you hope to take abroad so your advisor can review them. Take a broad spectrum of courses: both in and outside your major. It is usually possible to graduate on time WITHOUT taking any major courses while studying abroad, so let your interests be your guide, not your worries about graduating. Your advisor will help you with this!
  • Keep a copy of your syllabus and course materials from your abroad classes and bring them to your advisor when you return so you can get proper credit for your course work.
  • Credit in the School of Communication will not be given for courses that are inappropriate to the School's curriculum or that do not meet the usual standards for credit in the School.
  • If you are attempting a minor or second major in another school, you must gain permission from that department to apply transfer courses toward that minor or major. Discuss your plans with an advisor in that department BEFORE you go. Credit is never guaranteed, but you have the best likelihood of approval if you talk to the department before you go.

Rules and Recommendations for Communication Studies Majors

  • You may transfer the following types of courses for credit:
    • Up to three classes that count towards the three major courses that can be taken anywhere in the School of Communication.
      Note: The three classes may not replace the nine (10 for the class of 2006 and on) Communication Studies classes that must be taken at Northwestern.
    • Major credit courses that are similar to courses that are offered in the SoC. That is theatre, media, radio, television, film, drama, communication studies and/or communication sciences and disorders courses can count. The course must be equivalent to a 200- or 300-level course.
    • Courses that count for the field of concentration (outside of the major).
    • Both distribution and elective courses.
  • When you meet with your advisor for their approval signature, you should discuss your course options and how they will fulfill your degree requirements.
  • You encouraged to strongly consider studying abroad for a full year and incorporating their study abroad work into their curriculum upon return, in an independent study or senior thesis. Discuss these options with your advisor before you go.

Rules and Recommendations for Radio/Television/Film Majors

  • You may transfer the following types of courses for credit:
    • Up to two classes that count towards the two major courses that can be taken anywhere in the School of Communication.
      Note: the two classes may not replace the six Radio/Television/Film classes that must be taken at Northwestern. The courses must be on the 300 level.
    • Up to three courses that count toward the three 100/200 level major courses that must be in the School of Communication but not in the RTF department.
    • Major credit courses that are similar to courses that are offered in the SoC. That is theatre, media, radio, television, film, drama, communication studies and/or communication sciences and disorders courses can count.
    • Both distribution and elective courses. When you meet with your advisor for their approval signature, you should discuss your course options and how they will fulfill your degree requirements.
  • You are encouraged to consider when study abroad best complements your course of study. For example, studying abroad in the second half of the sophomore year is a good option for RTF students who want to focus on production their junior and senior years.
  • You are encouraged to incorporate study abroad work you're your curriculum upon return, in an independent project or senior thesis. Discuss these options with your advisor before you go.

NU Contacts for studying Communications and Media Abroad

Communication Studies: Susan Dun, 847-491-7214, Location: 1-101 Frances Searle
Radio/Television/Film:

  • Roberta Stack, Phone: 847-491-7214, Location: 202 Anne May Swift
  • Larry Lichty, Phone: 847-391-2244, Location: 207 Anne May Swift