Curriculum
The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism collaborates with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to provide the course work necessary for students to become fully engaged with the phenomenon of global communication through this dual master’s degree program. Upon satisfaction of all program requirements, students will be awarded a Master of Arts (MA) in Global Media and Communication by USC as well as a Master of Science (MSc) in Global Media and Communications by the LSE.
Residence
This is a two-year program during which students spend their first year at the LSE and their second year at USC.
Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirements
There are no foreign language requirements. Students take a one-term research methods course as part of their course work at the LSE.
Course Requirements
The Master of Arts in Global Media and Communication requires 42 units; the equivalent of 18 units earned at the LSE and 24 units earned at USC.
Year One at LSE: The LSE academic year has three terms. Students will complete classes approved by faculty at the LSE. Students must earn at least 3 units at the LSE, which articulates as 18 units at USC.
Year Two at USC: Students must complete COMM 597 or COMM 598 as well as 20 elective units (5 courses) from the School of Communication graduate curriculum, excluding COMM 525, COMM 526, COMM 550 and COMM 552. All students are required to complete an internship/practicum during their year at Annenberg.
Students may take one four-unit course from a department outside Annenberg with the approval of their advisers.
Students have two options for their mandatory thesis course. In COMM 597, students extend the research they began at LSE for their dissertation. In COMM 598, students participate in a group-based research project about global media industries.
Additional Requirements
All master’s degree candidates in the USC Annenberg School of Communication are required to complete the Managing Complexity in Diverse Organizations (MCDO) program during their enrollment at USC. MCDO is a non-credit, professional skills-building curriculum designed to prepare students to create, sustain and thrive within increasingly complex global work environments. The program is offered online by USC Annenberg every fall, spring and summer term. USC Annenberg faculty developed this immersive, eight-week, active learning program to equip learners with the skills to collaborate with, manage and lead across teams with diverse perspectives and expertise, while supporting resilient, high-performance professional environments. Learn more about MCDO on the MCDO page.
This page is based on the current 2024-2025 USC Catalogue. The 2025-2026 USC Catalogue will be published in summer 2025.