This program separates critical knowledge and critical analysis in the field of media from practical disciplines that are therefore dependent on external customers and the industry environment, which for certain categories of applicants focused on a purely academic track or deep professional reflection is more a virtue than a disadvantage. Most foreign media studies programs combine these components (disciplines aimed at developing critical thinking + disciplines involving a particular professional track).

Leading specialists from foreign universities, who are major specialists in various fields of critical media research, are involved in teaching the program. The Media Department has strong ties with these colleagues who, one way or another, came at the invitation of program initiators to the HSE:

Discourse Analysis (Nico Carpentier, Professor, Charles University and Uppsala University) (conducted a Workshop on discourse analysis for HSE students at the Department of Media in June 2019)
Global Media (Oliver Boyd-Barrett. Emeritus Professor, Bowling Green University) (came and conducted a seminar in spring 2018)
Concentration of digital media companies (Nikos Smirnayos, Professor, University of Toulouse) (held a seminar in March 2019)
Creative Industries (Philippe Buquillon, Professor, University of Paris-North, Labex Deputy Director Cultural and Creative Industries) (participated as key speaker at the HSE April Conference in 2017)
Internet Critical Review (Jody Dean, Professor, Hobard College and William Smith, New York) (hosted a seminar at the HSE in October 2017)
Most of the colleagues who will be invited by the program are involved in teaching in general programs in the field of media research abroad. From this point of view, the educational program proposed for opening collects the data of colleagues in one place.

A graduate of the program should be ready to solve the following problems in each of these types of professional activities:
• Research:
- Theoretical and empirical analysis of media, including analysis of communication structures and actors, the content of communication and the effects of the distribution of messages;
- Planning and organization of scientific research;
- Development and management of their own scientific project.
• Pedagogical:
- Development of interactive forms of assignments and seminars, their use in the educational process;
- Conducting lectures and seminars;
- Preparation of presentation and teaching materials, including using distance learning tools, to accompany the educational process.
• Analytical and expert:
- Creation of temporary analytical groups for the implementation of analytical projects;
- Implementation of analytical projects based on tasks and key managerial decisions, as well as development strategies for media companies;
- Examination of media content, media structures (including from a management perspective), communication channels, performativity of advertising messages, etc .;
- Planning for labor and resources. Organization of work on analytical projects;
- Presentation of projects and their results to the target audience and customers;
- Transformation of research results into practical recommendations for implementation;
- Negotiations with clients, discussion of the conditions for conducting expert examinations, organization of work on finding clients and preparing commercial and expert proposals, research work.

The structure of the curriculum of the EP is based on the requirements of the HSE standards and assumes the existence of a common block of direction, which includes the study of the general theory of media, economic and legal foundations of media.
Then follow the discipline of the program, which are aimed at the formation of three sets of competencies:
• In the field of research of communicators, media structures, institutes and other macrostructures behind any media activity (Political and economic theories of media)
• In the field of research of the content of mass communication materials with a predominance of discourse analysis and other qualitative methods (Critical discourse analysis)
• In the field of media practice research (that is, the perception and application of media communications by the audience)
Then the program is built on an impressive block of elective disciplines, where students are offered a choice of various disciplines that improve or deepen certain research areas, individual methodologies, etc. (studies of ideologies and their formation, research on the formation of conspiracy theories, communication in a globalized world, quantitative methods in media research, etc.).
A cross-cutting element of the program is a research seminar, built on the consistent development of various methods and a design and research seminar (workshop), in which students implement collective research projects in mini-groups.

This degree programme of HSE University is adapted for students with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. Special assistive technology and teaching aids are used for collective and individual learning of students with SEN and disabilities. The specific adaptive features of the programme are listed in each subject's full syllabus and are available to students through the online Learning Management System.

All documents of the degree programme are stored electronically on this website. Curricula, calendar plans, and syllabi are developed and approved electronically in corporate information systems. Their current versions are automatically published on the website of the degree programme. Up-to-date teaching and learning guides, assessment tools, and other relevant documents are stored on the website of the degree programme in accordance with the local regulatory acts of HSE University.

I hereby confirm that the degree programme documents posted on this website are fully up-to-date.

Vice Rector Sergey Yu. Roshchin

Summary of Degree Programme 'Contemporary Media Research'