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WELCOME TO LSE DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS MSc Handbook
Term Dates and School Closures
Term dates and School closures – Academic Year 2018/19
Michaelmas Term (MT) The School will also be closed for English public
Thursday 27 September – Friday 14 December 2018 holidays*. In 2018/19 these will be:
Christmas Closure
Thursday 21 December 2018–
Monday 1 January 2019
Lent Term (LT) Easter Closure
Monday 14 January – Friday 29 March 2019 Thursday 29 March–Wednesday 4 April 2019
Summer Term (ST) May Bank Holiday
Monday 29 April – Friday 14 June 2019 Monday 6 May 2019
School Reading Weeks are the weeks beginning Spring Bank Holiday
Monday 5 November 2018 and Monday 18 February Monday 2 May 2019
2019.
Summer Bank Holiday
Monday 26 August 2019
*Some facilities, such as the Library, may open on
some of these dates. The School will issue updates
throughout the year.
1
Key Dates 2018/19
24/09/2018 MT0 Meeting with Academic Mentor. Online course choice and seminar sign-up starts on LFY
01/10/2018 MT1 MT teaching starts
08/10/2018 MT2
15/10/2018 MT3 Online course choice closes
22/10/2018 MT4
29/10/2018 MT5 Formative coursework for MC408 due in
05/11/2018 MT6 Reading Week
12/11/2018 MT7 Formative coursework for MT courses (except MC408 & MC4M1/2) due in
19/11/2018 MT8 Formative coursework for MC408 - feedback due back
26/11/2018 MT9 MC499 Dissertation topic/supervisor preference submission + MC4M1 workshop sign up
03/12/2018 MT10 Formative coursework (except MC408) feedback due back
10/12/2018 MT11 MC499 Supervisors allocated + MC4M1/2 formative coursework due in - to Supervisor
17/12/2018
24/12/2018
LT0 Exams for some non-MC courses in LT0
31/12/2018
07/01/2019
Summative c/w for MT courses except MC4M1/2 due in + MC499 Group Supervision #1
14/01/2019 LT1
+ MC4M1/2 formative c/w feedback
21/01/2019 LT2 MC499 Lecture #1 Friday
28/01/2019 LT3 MC499 Dissertation plan #1 due in (Abstract and outline concepts and theories)
04/02/2019 LT4
11/02/2019 LT5 Release of feedback and provisional grades for summative coursework
18/02/2019 LT6 Reading Week
Formative coursework for LT courses due in + MC499 group supervision #2 + Exam
25/02/2019 LT7
Timetable publication
04/03/2019 LT8 MC499 Dissertation plan #2 due in (Literature Review + Ethics)
11/03/2019 LT9 MC4M1/2 revision session Thursday
18/03/2019 LT10 Formative coursework feedback due + MC4M1/2 Q&A Thursday + MC499 Lecture #2
25/03/2019 LT11
01/04/2019
08/04/2019
15/04/2019
22/04/2019
Summative coursework for LT courses due (Mon + Thu) + MC421 +MC424 Revision
29/04/2019 ST1
lectures + MC4M1/2 Q&A
06/05/2019 ST2
13/05/2019 ST3
20/05/2019 ST4
27/05/2019 ST5 Release of feedback and provisional grades for summative coursework except MC4M1
Release of feedback/provisional grades for MC4M1 summative c/w + MC499 Group
03/06/2019 ST6
Supervision #3 (provisional, subject to exams)
10/06/2019 ST7
Aug Provisional marks available on LFY
12-Aug Dissertation submission - MSc Global Media & Communications (Fudan and USC)
19-Aug Dissertation submission - all other programmes
Nov Final marks available on LFY
2
Head of Department Welcome
Dear Students,
Welcome to the Department of Media and Communications! There could not be a more exciting time
to begin studies in the media and communications field. We are currently experiencing rapid, deep and
widespread changes in the media, communications and digital environment. This is creating new
opportunities, but also presents us with challenges – political, ethical, social, cultural and economic.
The Department was established in 2003. Our research is interdisciplinary, and we draw on theories
and methods from across the social sciences and humanities, applying these to the media, old and
new, and to a variety of forms of communication. This approach also informs our teaching and you
will see it reflected in the range and content of our courses.
During your programme of study with us at the LSE you will encounter new ideas about the nature and
importance of the media and communications in contemporary societies. Our goal is to offer you
scholarship, theory and interdisciplinary knowledge that will allow us to envision together where and
how there will be significant evolution of media and communications, and how these changes will
affect us. We hope you will find inspiration and, because you bring a wealth of experience from
around the world, we very much look forward to learning from you.
The Department’s mission is to provide a high-quality graduate education in the field of media and
communications, to help you develop your knowledge and expertise and, by the end of your
programme, to enable you to conduct your own independent research. We are dedicated to teaching,
and learning from, the next generation of leaders and critical thinkers and we aim to be
comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and innovative in our scholarship and practice. And we are so
fortunate to have these opportunities in one of the most diverse and global cities in the world, London!
Our academic staff cover a wide range of topics in media and communications, from children’s digital
rights to media in the global south. We study media regulation and policy as well as algorithms and
design of media systems. We think critically about branding, consumer culture, and the relationship
between communication and humanitarianism. We investigate how we can use media and
communications to tackle issues of inequality and marginalisation. Our think-tank, Polis, and our
Media Policy Project offer events connecting your studies with journalism practice to the UK and with
international policy communities.
With my academic colleagues, our Department Manager, and the Department’s professional services
team, I wish you a very rewarding year!!
Professor Sarah Banet-Weiser
Head of Department
3
Contents
Term Dates and School Closures ............................................................ 1
Key Dates 2018/19 .................................................................................................................. 2
Department of Media and Communications Welcome ............................. 3
Key Staff ................................................................................................. 5
Professional Service Staff ....................................................................... 6
Key Information....................................................................................... 7
1.1 Where We Are .................................................................................................................. 7
1.2 How to Get in Touch and Give Feedback ......................................................................... 7
1.3 School Procedures for Quality Assurance and Management ........................................ 10
1.4 IT Resources for LSE Students ........................................................................................ 12
1.5 Resources for Department of Media and Communications Students ........................... 13
2. The Department’s MSc Programmes and Courses ............................ 15
2.1 Courses ........................................................................................................................... 15
2.2 Teaching ......................................................................................................................... 15
3. MSc Programme Assessment and Feedback ..................................... 19
3.1 Programme Learning and Feedback............................................................................... 20
3.3 Summative Assessment .................................................................................................. 22
3.4 General Guidelines for Formative and Summative Assessment .................................... 25
3.5 Avoiding Plagiarism/ Academic Dishonesty ................................................................... 27
3.6 Formative and Summative Assessment Criteria ............................................................ 31
4. Formal Assessment Procedures and Regulations ............................. 34
4.1 Candidate Number and Marking Process ....................................................................... 34
4.2 Examinations .................................................................................................................. 35
4.3 The Role of The External Examiners ............................................................................... 35
4.4 Formal Assessment Regulations ..................................................................................... 35
4.5 Deferral, Special Examination Arrangements and Exceptional Circumstances ............. 37
4.6 Notification of Final Results ........................................................................................... 38
5. LSE Services and Resources for Students........................................... 41
Services and People Who Can Offer Advice ......................................................................... 41
Health and Well‐Being .......................................................................................................... 43
4
Key Staff
Head of Department Professor Sarah Banet-Weiser
Deputy Head of Department Dr Bingchun Meng
Director of Graduate Studies Dr Shakuntala Banaji
Exam Board Chair Dr Shani Orgad
Programme Director, MPhil/PhD Professor Lilie Chouliaraki
Director of Polis Professor Charlie Beckett
Director of Media Policy Project
MSc Programme Directors:
MSc Global Media and Communications (Fudan) Dr Bingchun Meng
MSc Global Media and Communications (UCT) Professor Robin Mansell
MSc Global Media and Communications (USC) Dr Ellen Helsper
MSc Media and Communications Professor Bart Cammaerts
MSc Media and Communications (Research Track) Dr Ellen Helsper
MSc Media and Communications Dr Damian Tambini
(Media and Communication Governance)
MSc Media and Communications Dr Alison Powell
(Data and Society)
MSc Media, Communication and Development Dr Shakuntala Banaji
MSc Politics and Communication Dr Nick Anstead
MSc Strategic Communications Dr Lee Edwards
5
Professional Service Staff
Catherine Bennett
Department Manager
c.l.bennett@lse.ac.uk
James Deeley
Departmental Research Manager
j.a.deeley@lse.ac.uk
Michael Etheridge
Events and Special Projects Manager
m.etheridge@lse.ac.uk
Nicole Garnier
MSc Programmes Manager (Teaching Delivery)
Media.communications.msc@lse.ac.uk
Sylvia Ibezi
MSc Programmes Manager (Regulations & Assessment)
Media.communications.assessment@lse.ac.uk
.
Lwam Tesfay
Departmental Administrator
Media.communications.admissions@lse.ac.uk
Julia Ziemer
Polis Manager
polis@lse.ac.uk
Please check the departmental website for a full list of staff, their research interests, and contact
details.
6supervision. However, experienced Graduate
Key Teaching Assistants and LSE Life will be
available for practical dissertation support
Information during this period.
Contacting staff outside term time
You should organise your workload to allow
1.1 Where We Are
time to see your Academic Mentor or
Supervisor during term-time, especially for
We are on the 6th floor of Tower 2, and the 7th dissertation supervision during the Summer
floor of Tower 2 and Tower 3. Term. Professional service staff are available
all year round.
Contact details:
LSE closes during the Christmas and Easter
Department of Media and Communications public holidays. During this time, all the
London School of Economics and Department’s offices will be closed and there
Political Science Houghton Street will be minimal facilities available at the
London WC2A 2AE School. Details about which buildings will be
open will be published online.
The Department Student Common Room
(TW2.6.01J on the 6th floor of Tower 2) is for
use by students registered on Media & 1.2 How to Get in Touch and Give
Communications programmes. The Feedback
Departmental kitchens (TW2.6.02 and
TW2.7.02 and TW3.7.04 are available to all Contacting professional service staff
MSc students in the Department.
The Department’s administration is based in
Formal teaching TW2.6.0.J, and is open to queries from you all
year round. Please check the office for
Formal teaching is usually completed by the
opening hours.
end of the Lent Term. Examinations for MC
courses taken in both terms will normally be Contacting academic staff for advice
held during May and June. Some departments and guidance
hold examinations in January. Supervision of
dissertations takes place throughout all Academic staff can be contacted during
teaching terms, including Summer Term and Feedback and Advice Sessions (drop-in
you will continue to have access to your sessions and bookable meetings). Use the
individual supervisors for two weeks of the ‘Office Hours’ link on LSE For You (LFY) to
Summer Vacation, after the end of the Summer book Feedback and Advice Sessions. You may
Term. drop in without booking an appointment during
drop-in sessions. Academic staff do not hold
You can use the remaining weeks of the Feedback and Advice sessions during reading
degree to work independently on completing weeks or outside term time. Feedback and
your dissertation. You don’t have to stay in Advice sessions for all members of staff are
London during the summer break as long as displayed on their doors.
your Dissertation is submitted in person or by
post by the deadline in August. Members of You can also leave messages in the staff
academic staff will be on research leave during pigeonholes on the 6th floor of Tower 2.
the Easter break and after the end of the
Summer Term and will not be available for
7Note that Feedback and Advice sessions, Academic Mentors will hold start-of-year
seminars and lectures can only be recorded by group meetings for all advisees.
you with the explicit permission of the member
of staff. You should regard your Mentor/Supervisor as
the first port of call in relation to academic
Academic mentors/supervisors and welfare matters. Any issues not resolved
with your Supervisor can be taken to your
At the start of Michaelmas Term (MT) each of Programme Director, the Director of Graduate
you is assigned an Academic Mentor, whose Studies or ultimately to the Head of
role is: Department. If the relationship between you
and your Supervisor is not satisfactory, a
To provide academic guidance and change of Supervisor may be requested
feedback on course choices, your progress through your Programme Director. If the
and performance and to discuss any Programme Director is your Supervisor, then
academic issues. you can request a change through the Director
of Graduate Studies.
To provide pastoral support on non-
academic issues and to refer students, as Programme directors also offer advice and
necessary, to the appropriate support support on course choice and other
agencies within the School. programme related matters.
To implement the provisions outlined in In the rest of this document the term
Inclusion Plans (IPs) for those of you with Supervisor will be used to refer to both
disabilities in liaison with the School’s academic Mentors and Supervisors unless the
Disability and Wellbeing Service. issue discussed explicitly refers to academic
Mentors.
To maintain regular contact with you on
academic and pastoral issues through
Student/Staff Liaison Committee
direct one-to-one meetings, group
(SSLC)
supervision sessions, and other means of
communication, such as emails. The
number and nature of meetings may vary The Department of Media and
between departments and programmes. Communications has an MSc Student/Staff
Liaison Committee (SSLC), which comprises
To inform the Programme Director and your representatives from each of the MSc
School of any student whose progress is programmes. This committee meets each
not satisfactory. term to provide a forum for students to
discuss courses and programmes with staff
and to make suggestions on issues that affect
Towards the end of Michaelmas Term, you will
the student body as a whole.
be assigned a Supervisor who takes over the
role of the Academic Mentor and in particular
Dates for the termly meetings will be
advises you on your dissertation – although
announced on Moodle.
you can consult any member of staff on
questions related to dissertation research. It is
Programme representatives (two per
your responsibility to attend group supervision
programme in any given term) are chosen by
sessions where attendance is mandatory, and
you as early in the Michaelmas Term as
to make appointments to see your Supervisor
possible. It is up to students in each
and/or visit during drop-in Feedback and
programme to decide how to select these
Advice Sessions.
representatives, one of whom will be elected to
represent the Department on the Taught
8Graduate Students’ Consultative Forum, and If you have issues with individual members of
two of whom will be invited to attend the staff, you should first try and speak directly to
Department’s Teaching Committee meetings. this person.
Student representatives are expected to
represent the whole cohort in their programme If it is to do with the course in general or you
and be responsible in representing others’ feel talking to the individual teacher has not
views. solved anything, speak to the Course
Convenor. If it is to do with your programme,
Names and contact details of student speak to your Programme Director.
representatives and agendas and minutes of
SSLC meetings will be published on Moodle. If things cannot be resolved in these places,
then you can speak to the Director of Graduate
Studies or the Head of Department.
Student suggestions and concerns
In addition, the School has a procedure for
We really hope that you enjoy your studies in student concerns and complaints. Should you
the Department, and that you are pleased with decide to express a concern or to pursue a
the teaching, the community of students, and complaint outside the Department, we ask that
other forms of support that you receive. If you you also inform the Head of Department so
have any suggestions or concerns, we aim to that she is aware of any problems.
respond to these constructively and to address
any problems as promptly as possible.
Attendance/absence
Specifically, if you have a concern about a
course, your programme or any aspect of the
Department’s activities, you are invited to raise Students are required to attend the School for
this as early as possible with any of the the full duration of each term. Students who
following: wish to be away for good reasons in term-time
must first obtain the consent of their
The relevant course teacher or course Supervisor. Students away due to illness or
convenor other reasons must inform their Supervisor
and seminar teachers and, where the absence
Your Programme Director is for more than two weeks, the Student
Services Centre. Students are required to
The Director of Graduate Studies attend seminars and attendance will be
recorded in LFY on a weekly basis. Supervisors
The relevant Student/Staff Liaison have an overview of the seminar attendance
Committee (SSLC) student representatives registers in LFY and will follow up if you are
for your programme not attending regularly. In particular, you
should note the attendance requirements
The Department Manager placed on you by your funding body and/or
your visa status.
The Head of Department
Communicating with you
Departmental practices for giving feedback on
teaching are explained during the first SSLC The School and the Department will use your
meeting. LSE email address to communicate with you,
so you must check it regularly.
The Department has the following procedure in
place for teaching and course specific If you change your term-time or permanent
feedback: home address and/or telephone number, you
9must update your personal contact details Code of good practice: and the
online via LFY. It is essential that you keep academic code
these details up to date. Your address is
protected information and will not be disclosed The Code of Good Practice for Taught
to a third party without your permission unless Master’s Programmes The Code also sets out
it is for reasons of official School business. your responsibilities, i.e., what the School
expects of you. It should be read in
On non-academic matters we may also conjunction with The Academic Code.
communicate with you via the Hub.
Requesting written references for
employment/ further study
During the year, and/or after you have left LSE,
you may need to request references in support
of applications for employment or further
study. Your Supervisor is the first person to
whom you should address a reference request,
following these guidelines:
Use the Reference Request Form from the
Current Students section of our website. Quality assurance
Please do not give someone’s name as a The Academic and Student Affairs Committee
referee without asking them in advance. (ASC) is responsible for quality assurance and
enhancement. One of the ways it discharges
Provide all the information needed to help this responsibility is by reviewing academic
your referee write the reference, for departments. These are known as ‘ASC
example your coursework grades, CV, reviews’. They take place about every five
scholarships awarded, internships years for each department. Review teams
undertaken and information on the identify examples of good practice in
post/course for which you are applying. departments and share them across the
School. They also flag any concerns about
Please allow ten working days for your standards and make recommendations to
referee to write the reference. departments for addressing them. The
Department’s most recent ASC Review was in
State clearly what you would like your 2016 when the Department was strongly
referee to do with the reference once commended for its MSc teaching.
written, e.g. either send it off directly (you
ASC is serviced by the Teaching Quality
should provide an email or postal address)
Assurance and Review Office (TQARO). This
or leave it for you to collect.
office is responsible for supporting the
School’s quality assurance infrastructure. This
includes acting as the School’s point of
contact with the Quality Assurance Agency, a
1.3 School Procedures for
national body that safeguards quality and
Quality Assurance and standards in UK higher education.
Management
10Student charter Equity, diversity and inclusion at LSE
The School is committed to ensuring equal
“This Charter has been written by LSE students
access, treatment and opportunity for all
and staff with the aim of introducing you to the
students irrespective of their age, gender,
School community. It sets out how LSE’s
disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national
mission and ethos are reflected in the
origin, religion, sexual orientation or personal
education you can expect to receive here, and in
circumstances. The School has developed an
the diverse, equitable and inclusive community
overarching Single Equality Scheme as the
that all students and staff can take pride in,
main School strategy on Equity, Diversity and
contribute to, and value. It is not a contract and
Inclusion. The scheme sets out a commitment
should therefore be read in conjunction with the
to ensure policies and procedures comply with
School’s formal policies and procedures, which
the law, and that services reflect the diverse
include details of the institution’s and students’
needs of staff, students and visitors. LSE sees
obligations and disciplinary sanctions that can
it as its duty to:
apply when they are breached.” (taken from
Student Charter 2017).
eliminate discrimination, harassment and
victimisation,
Student satisfaction surveys
advance equality of opportunity and
The Teaching Quality Assurance and Review
Office (TQARO) conducts two School-wide
foster good relations between diverse
surveys each year to assess students’ opinions
groups
of teaching, one in the Michaelmas Term and
one in the Lent Term. They give you the
In response to the duty, the School has
opportunity to give feedback on your lectures
developed an overarching set of Equality
and class/ seminar teaching. They provide
objectives. In practice, this means we will
lecturers and teachers with important
expect students and staff to:
information about the perceived quality of their
teaching, and the School with a measure of
Actively oppose all forms of discrimination
general teaching standards. They are
and harassment;
conducted via online questionnaires
distributed via email by your class teacher or
Reflect on prejudices, including examining
lecturer in weeks 8 and 9 of Michaelmas and
the use of inappropriate language and
Lent terms.
behaviour;
Teaching scores are made available to
individual teachers, heads of departments, Strive to create an environment in which
course convenors, the Director of the Teaching your goals may be pursued without fear or
and Learning Centre and Pro-Director intimidation;
(Teaching and Learning). In addition to
producing reports for individual teachers, Not victimise any student who has
TQARO produces aggregated quantitative data complained, or who has given information
for departments and the School, which provide in connection with such a complaint;
important performance indicators.
Please don’t feel that you have to wait until Challenge and/or report unacceptable
the student satisfaction surveys to give us behaviour which is contrary to equality
feedback on our teaching, bring up legislation and principles;
constructive feedback as early as possible!
Treat all peers fairly and with respect;
11 Foster an inclusive environment for all site (such as a security threat), or a major
students to access opportunities, and loss of infrastructure or facilities (such as
participate fully in the learning process; power failures, IT outages);
Equip students with the skills, concepts and Managing less serious occurrences and
values which enable them to challenge events which may adversely affect the work
inequality and injustice in their future work; of the School, such as adverse weather
conditions or disruption to travel from the
Ensure that learning or any other materials weather or other causes such as industrial
do not discriminate against any individuals disputes. These occur from time to time
or groups; and we do all we can to keep the School
running and keep you informed about what
Ensure that learning resources are equally action is being taken.
accessible by all students.
1.4 IT Resources for LSE
Within the Department of Media and
Students
Communications students with concerns in
relation to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Moodle
should contact Catherine Bennett, or Dr
Shakuntala Banaji as Director of Graduate Moodle is LSE’s virtual learning environment. It
Studies. is a web environment that contains a range of
teaching resources, activities, assignments,
For further advice or information, please visit information and discussions for courses. The
the School’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion content of Moodle is the responsibility of the
webpages teacher and so it will vary from course to
course. You can access Moodle from any
device connected to the internet, on and off
campus. Go to moodle.lse.ac.uk/ and use your
LSE user name and password to login. This
page also has links to help/ advice on using
Moodle. If you have any technical problems
with Moodle, you should contact the helpdesk
at it.helpdesk@lse.ac.uk
You must subscribe to Moodle and join the
course area for courses that you are taking.
You may choose also to join the Moodle area for LSE
courses which you wish to audit or are interested in.
You will automatically be enrolled for the
Disruptive incidents Department’s general Moodle area.
The School has strategies for potential In Moodle courses you will find direct access
disruptive incidents, these are concerned with: to some readings covered by the School’s
Higher Education Photocopying and Scanning
Planning to ensure that the School runs as Licence. Access to other readings for courses
normally as possible during known or is provided through the LSE Library to online
predicted major events and occurrences journals, e-books and other resources.
and predicted pandemics such as flu; Publishers impose restrictions on printing in
some cases. Copyright laws do not allow us to
Planning the School’s response to and supply both printed course packs and online
recovery from the impact of possible major versions of the same items. Previous cohorts
incidents causing the loss of access to the
12of students have agreed that they prefer to Provide a forum for public debate on key
have electronic access. issues in journalism.
In addition to Moodle subscription you must
Provide a space where practitioners and
register for all of your courses on LSE For
academic researchers can deliberate the
You.
impact of mediation and journalism in our
societies.
LSE For You (LFY) and the Student Hub
LFY and the Student Hub allow you Polis hosts regular guest speakers,
personalised accessed to a range of publishes research reports, runs a blog and
services. For example, you can: social media to foster and lively debate around
the most topical issues in media and
view or change your personal details journalism. The director Charlie Beckett is a
professor in the Department and a regular
monitor and pay your tuition fees online commentator on journalism.
register for courses Work experience: At the beginning
of each academic year Polis recruits a number
sign up for seminar groups of MSc students for work
experience placements. Students on these
book Feedback and Advice sessions with Polis placements may choose from a variety of
academic staff roles, which vary year by year based on the
needs of Polis. In the past students have been
view your exam timetable and provisional involved in Polis social media, events,
marks reporting for our blog, photography and video,
and assisting on research projects.
access a wide range of resources (fees,
study rooms etc) Media and Communications in Action Talks
(MC408): This is a speaker series combining theory
You can also access online tutorials on how to and practice, hosted as part of MC408 Theories
navigate and personalise LSE For You via its and Concepts in Media and Communications,
login page. Use your LSE network username and organised by the Director of Polis,
and password to login via lse.ac.uk/lseforyou Professor Charlie Beckett. It is not assessed,
but attendance is compulsory. Speakers
Timetables include a mix of practitioners, regulators,
journalists, and other media professionals. See
Timetables for all courses are available on the
Moodle, and the School’s timetable for MC408.
LSE website, listed according to course code.
For any comments on these talks, please
You are responsible for keeping an eye your
contact Charlie Beckett in the first instance, or
own timetable on LSE For You the Student Hub
discuss with the Director of Graduate Studies.
and the timetables pages.
Follow Polis at @PolisLSE
1.5 Resources for Department of
Media and Communications
Media Policy Project (MPP)
Students
Polis is the journalism think tank based in the The Media Policy Project (MPP) is the
Department of Media and Department's think-tank in charge of running
Communications, with the mission to: the LSE Truth, Trust and Technology
Commission that reports in late 2018. It is
13looking at policy responses to the problems of
information credibility and journalism, digital
platforms, political communication and media
citizenship.
Our students have been working with MPP on
organising events, writing and moderating
blogs, and helping form current debate and
research as project assistants. For more
information look at the blog or follow MPP on
twitter @LSEMediaPolicy.
Study skills workshops (MC499.2)
We offer optional study skills workshops
taught by Graduate Teaching Assistants who
are PhD researchers in the Department of
Media & Communications. These sessions are
designed for students from a range of
academic backgrounds and focus on skills and
knowledge that will help you succeed in your
study and future careers. The workshops are
also an opportunity to develop research skills
in preparation for work on your original project.
These sessions are available throughout the
year only to those of you registered on MSc
programmes in the Department. Details of how
to sign up are available on Moodle and the
sessions are timetabled with the same code as
the Dissertation (MC499).
Additional workshops are organised by LSE
Life.
14Interruption of studies/withdrawal from
2. Our MSc the school
Programmes Students who wish to interrupt their studies
(with the approval of their department) or
and Courses decide to withdraw from the School must
inform their Supervisor, the Programme
Director and the Student Services Centre in
writing by email as soon as possible. Failure to
inform the School in time will result in a
MSc Global Media and Communications demand for fee payments for the full session.
(Fudan) There are deadlines in each term for informing
the school of requested interruption after
MSc Global Media and Communications (UCT) which you cannot interrupt without paying the
full fees. More details at: lse.ac.uk/registration
MSc Global Media and Communications (USC)
Programme structure
MSc Media and Communications
All the MSc programmes offered by the
MSc Media and Communications (Data and Department, with the exception of the two-year
Society) MSc Global Media and Communications, run
for a year through to submission of the
MSc Media and Communications (Media and dissertation in August. All programmes except
Communication Governance) for the MSc Global Media and
Communications can be taken part-time over
MSc Media and Communications (Research) two calendar years.
MSc Media, Communication and Development 2.1 Courses
This section provides essential information
MSc Politics and Communication for planning your selection of courses.
The online School Calendar contains official
MSc Strategic Communications
programme documentation. The information
given in the Calendar takes precedence over
Request to change programmes within all other sources and should be regarded as
the Department the central point of reference:
Exceptionally, students may be permitted to Programme Regulations for each MSc
change programmes. If you wish to transfer to programme.
an MSc programme within the Department, you
Graduate Course Guides for all courses taught
must complete and submit the online form by
in the School.
9am on Monday of MT2. If you submit the
form after this deadline, it may take longer to
consider your application and a transfer is less
2.2 Teaching
likely to be approved. Teaching hours
Most half unit courses in the Department of
Students will be notified whether or not their
Media and Communications are taught as a
request has been approved by email, by 5pm
weekly lecture (1 hour) and a weekly seminar
on Thursday of MT2. Approval will be granted
(1 hour), thus two hours for each half unit
on an exceptional basis as students are not
course. Check the Calendar entry for each
normally expected to change programmes.
course for further details, and for information
15on courses outside this department. Friday is a up of taught courses to the value of three units
research day for most Department faculty. A and the Dissertation to the value of one unit.
few faculty members teach on Friday and Some courses are equal to one unit; most are
therefore take Monday as a research day. You equal to a half unit. Each programme has
should generally not expect responses to compulsory courses and optional courses.
communications from faculty on research
days, or at weekends. The Department’s Part-time students normally take courses to
Professional Services staff are available on all the value of two units in each year of study.
working days.
Lectures, seminars (or classes) and
workshops
Courses offered by the Department of Media
and Communications are generally taught
through the combination of a weekly one- hour
lecture plus a weekly one-hour seminar. (Plus,
computer classes and workshops for Methods
courses). Lectures may be delivered to large
groups
Compulsory courses
of students, depending on the numbers of
students who select that course. The compulsory courses are the central focus
of each MSc programme, providing an
Seminars are normally taught in smaller advanced understanding of theories, concepts
groups of 15-17 (unless special permission for and methods in media and communications
larger seminars has been granted by the research. There are departmental compulsory
School) by full-time faculty, LSE Fellows and courses that every student must take, and, in
Guest Teachers. MC499.2 Study Skills addition, each programme has a compulsory
Workshops are taught by appropriately trained course that is tailored to that programme and
Graduate Teaching Assistants. not open to students on other programmes.
The compulsory departmental courses for all
You are required to attend regularly and to
MSc students in this department are taught as
participate in seminars; attendance is
follows:
recorded. The LSE Registry will directly contact
students, seminar teachers and Supervisors MC408 Theories and Concepts: Weekly lecture
where there is an irregular pattern of (1 hour) and weekly seminar (1.5 hours),
attendance. LFY sends out automated
MC4M1/2 (Advanced) Methods of Research:
messages to you, your teacher and your
Michaelmas Term – weekly lecture (1 hour),
Supervisor.
weekly quantitative analysis lecture (2 hours),
Lectures start in the first week of term (MT1 and computer class (1 hour); Lent Term – one
and LT1). Seminars start in the first or second revision lecture (1 hour), an assignment
week of term (MT1 or MT2, and LT1) – for all support session (2 hours), two workshops (6
details check the timetable and speak to the hours) for MC4M1 and 10 workshops (30hrs)
course convenor. and a weekly quantitative analysis lecture and
computer class for those taking MC4M2.
Summer Term – one Q&A and methods
Units and courses
assignment support session.
Students are required to take four units to MC499 Dissertation: Michaelmas Term –
complete an MSc programme. These are made group meeting with Academic Mentor (1 hour);
16Lent Term – two lectures (2 hours each), two research undertaken by its staff and students.
group supervision sessions (2 hours); Summer This applies to all research undertaken by
Term – group supervision (2 hours). Individual students in preparation for essays and
supervision during feedback and advice hours dissertations.
throughout Michaelmas, Lent and Summer
Term. You will be asked to submit an ethics form to
your Supervisor in connection with the
For the Dissertation, students conduct original
Methods Summative Essay and Dissertation in
research which develops their particular
the Lent Term. Instructions are provided in the
interests. Full details of dissertation
department’s Dissertation Guide and more
requirements and the Supervisory process are
information can be found on the MC499 and
set out in the ‘Dissertation Guide’ issued
MC4M1/2 Moodle pages. You need ethical
during the Michaelmas Term. More
approval from your Supervisor for any
information can be found on Moodle.
empirical work conducted as part of your MSc.
At the end of Michaelmas Term, Dissertation This includes the MC4M1/2 summative
Supervisors are allocated in order to provide assignment, the dissertation and any other
the best possible match between students’ research work conducted for courses that are
dissertation topics and academic staff part of your MSc.
research interests. The Dissertation Supervisor
may not be the same person as the Academic Course availability
Mentor assigned when you arrive, and from the
beginning of LT your Supervisor also becomes Media and Communications courses (MC-
your point of contact for your overall progress. prefixed) Students in the Department can take
most MC-prefixed courses on offer as long as
Optional courses they are not core courses on other MSc
programmes. Access to optional courses, both
Students will choose option courses to the within this Department and in other
value specified in their programme regulations, departments, is often limited.
selected from the lists of all available options.
Programmes have lists of recommended Controlled access courses are either ‘capped’
options that suggest a pathway tailored to your (i.e., their availability is limited by numbers) or
programme. You may wish to consider these ‘restricted access’ (i.e., their availability is
options before looking at lists of other options; limited by other criteria). Students may request
however, these are only recommendations. approval to take controlled access courses
Courses are usually taught only once in each through LSE For You (LFY), LSE’s web-based
academic year (i.e., courses taught in the self-service student administration system,
Michaelmas Term are not offered again in the with the opportunity to include a statement in
Lent Term). Consider how your option choices support of your request where this is required.
will affect the balance of your workload over LFY operates an automated waiting list for
the year – especially with regard to the number controlled access courses. Once the request is
of assessed essays you may have to write over submitted, a decision will be made. You will be
the winter break - and be realistic about what notified of the outcome of this process via
you can do in the Michaelmas Term. email. You then have two working days to
register for that course before the offer times
out.
Research ethics policy
Full unit courses are taught across
Students should familiarise themselves with Michaelmas and Lent Terms. Most half unit
the LSE Research Ethics Policy. The School courses are taught in either the Michaelmas or
attaches considerable importance to the Lent Term.
maintenance of high ethical standards in
17Course registration For all courses, please refer to the online
Calendar. For further information on courses
All course choices are subject to the final approval outside this department, please contact the
of your MSc Programme Director and will be teacher listed in the Calendar entry.
reviewed during MT3. If your choices are
approved this will be indicated on LFY; if your Dropping courses
Programme Director needs more information
To withdraw from a course, click the ‘Select’
or wants to speak to you before approving your
button and then put a tick in the box alongside
choices, this too will be indicated on LFY. You
the course you wish to drop. You may not
may also receive an email asking you to
select or change a Michaelmas Term course
contact the Department about your course
after LFY Graduate Course Choice closes in
choices.
MT3.
More detailed information regarding course You should make all of your course choices,
choice can be found at: for both Michaelmas and Lent Terms, by the
end of MT3, thereafter, students may not drop
www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/students/
a Michaelmas Term course and replace it with
registrationTimetablesAssessment/
Registration/Course/Graduate/ a Lent Term course. All changes to course
pgcoursechoice.aspx selection will be subject to the approval of your
Programme Director.
and at:
Full-time students
lse.ac.uk/registration
All full-time students must select courses to
MSc students are required to make their
the value of FOUR units only, no fewer, no
course selection online via LFY. Information on
more. This includes compulsory courses, for
how to activate your LFY account can be found
which students are automatically registered,
via the online application tracker system.
and option courses, for which students have to
register, to be taken in both MT and LT.
The online course selection facility will be
accessible during the following periods: You must not de-select the compulsory
courses for your programme.
Welcome Week ‘browsing’ period, followed by
the active periods:
You must not de-select MC408 and MC499.
Michaelmas Term: from MT0 to the Monday of
MT3 You must not de-select MC4M1 (or
MC4M2 for Research Track students).
Lent Term: from LT0 until LT2
Do not separately select MY464 or MY452
During the ‘browsing’ period you will be able to
when you register as these Quantitative
access the Graduate Course Choice facility to
Analysis courses are already included in your
familiarise yourself with its functionality and
compulsory courses MC4M1 or MC4M2.
the options available to you. However, no
course selections will be saved during this ‘Controlled Access’ Courses
period. If you are logged in when the system
As noted above, some courses are ‘capped’ or
switches to live in Welcome Week, you may
have ‘restricted access’ so an application will
need to refresh your browser in order to start
have to be made to the person teaching the
making course selections. You must select
course before it can be selected (see above for
four units of courses during the MT
more information). If a personal statement is
registration period (except for Part-time
required, this will be indicated on the LFY
students who may select up to 2.5 units).
course choice system.
18Registering for Seminar Groups commitments allow them to attend their
lectures and seminars, complete written
Students should sign-up for seminar groups
assignments and attend examinations. The
via LFY after registering for a course. In some
Department will try to accommodate requests
instances, the teacher will assign a student to
from part-time students who wish to sign up
a seminar group. You should register for
for specific seminars to avoid clashes with
MY464/MY452 computer classes in
paid work.
Michaelmas Term. Registration for MC4M1
Lent Term workshops will become available
during MT9 and registration for MC4M2 Lent Term Courses in other departments
workshops will become available during MT8. All the
information about MC4M1including registration is Some courses are limited to a certain number
provided during the first lecture in Michaelmas Term of students. Students should consult the
and in the MC4M1 Handbook, a hard copy of department in which the course is offered, and
which will be distributed during the first follow the instructions given there. If you are
lecture. choosing a course offered by another
department, discuss this choice with your
LSE courses are generally offered from 09:00 Academic Mentor and Programme Director if it
on Monday to 18:00 on Friday. The School is not listed as an option for your MSc
expects that full time students will be available programme and with the course teacher (in
for classes at any time during that period. For accordance with any course restrictions as
courses where the teacher does not pre- listed in the School Calendar). Such ‘outside’
allocate groups, LFY allows you to select the options may not fit very well within the
seminar group of your choice, provided that structure of your programme and it may be
places are available. We understand that you harder to perform well. Students should check
may wish to sign up for certain seminar groups the arrangements for seminar group allocation
in order to create the most convenient with the department offering the course.
personal timetable; however, we are not able to
Students should note that at LSE the
guarantee that you will be able to enrol for the
summative assessment differs by department.
seminar group of your choice.
Students taking courses other than those with
an MC prefix should consult the course
convenor early in the term to verify methods of
assessment and coursework submission
deadlines.
Auditing courses
You may be permitted to audit lectures (attend
without credit) subject to the approval of the
course teacher, whom you must contact
directly for permission. Normally you may not
attend the seminars.
Part-time students
Part-time students normally select courses to
the value of TWO units in each year of study.
The MC499 Dissertation should be selected in
the second year. Part-time students must meet
the same requirements as full-time students
over two years. It is the responsibility of part-
time students to ensure that other
19other staff are also good opportunities to
3. MSc receive feedback on the development of
your dissertation ideas.
Programme During the year you will receive written
Assessment feedback on your formative and summative
assessment assignments. This written
and feedback can then be discussed with your
Supervisor and the course teacher for the
Feedback assessed course. After the conclusion of
the dissertation marking process, you will
receive written feedback on your
dissertation. You will receive brief written
feedback on your examinations within the
department.
3.1 Programme Learning and
Feedback
You also will receive oral feedback from
teachers providing any extra-curricular
Throughout your MSc programme in the courses you register for during the year, for
Department of Media and Communications, example, on essay writing, citation practice
you will receive feedback in diverse forms and or language skills. You will receive
on a variety of aspects of the development of feedback from mentors if you choose to
your understanding of the field of media and engage in internship activities facilitated by
communications and on your performance. the LSE and by the Department and from
the Director of Polis if you volunteer for
You will receive oral feedback during work experience placements with Polis.
seminars with your seminar teachers as
you develop your ideas and participate in You will complete two kinds of assessment
seminar activities. during your MSc programme: formative and
summative assessment. The following provides
You will work in small groups in your details about expectations, deadlines, and the
seminars, interacting with your peers, who requirements for formative and summative
give you feedback on how your learning is assessment.
progressing.
You may discuss your overall progress and
your plans for formative and summative
You will receive face to face feedback from
coursework with your Supervisor during their
your Academic Mentor in Michaelmas Term
weekly Feedback and Advice hours or with the
and from your Supervisor in Lent and
course teachers. The feedback you obtain
Summer Term. This feedback may be about
from course teachers in response to the
your overall learning and
submission of formative assessments will be
helpful in planning your summative
progression, on a specific aspect of your coursework.
development, or on your performance in a The official departmental assessment
specific assignment. guidelines can be found on the departmental
Moodle page.
You will receive oral feedback on the
development of your dissertation ideas
from your Supervisor during feedback and
advice hours and group supervision
sessions. Feedback and advice hours of
203.2 Formative Assessment work. If you find it difficult to stay within this
word limit, you should seek advice from your
The purpose of formative assessment is to Academic Mentor, Supervisor, course teacher
support the learning process, to give you a or LSE Life on how write in a more precise and
sense of the areas where you are strongest focused way, and how best to edit your work.
There are some variations of formative
and where you need more work, and to help
assessment types and students should always
you to prepare for summative assessment.
refer to the assessment section on a course’s
You will receive a grade and comments to help
Moodle page for the exact details of formative
you develop analytical and writing skills in
and summative assignments.
preparation for the formally assessed
summative coursework.
Essays should be appropriately and correctly
Formative assessment does not count towards
referenced using a standard bibliographic
your final mark for the course.
format. If in doubt, Harvard and APA are most
You are also expected to complete advance commonly used across the department.
reading and prepare seminar presentations as
Timed essays should normally be completed
required by course teachers on which they will
under simulated exam conditions, i.e.
receive oral feedback during the seminars or
handwritten and timed by you. The specific
workshops. If courses are taken in other
requirements for timed essays will be
departments, you must check their
provided by the course teacher. Your teacher
expectations for formative assessment.
will mark your essay on the assumption that
you have followed these instructions and it will
Formative Assessment Task benefit you to do so, in order to gain a realistic
assessment of your performance. If you
Formative assessment is set by the teacher for
decide you do not wish to prepare your
each course and generally takes the form of an
formative essay under these conditions, you
essay of 1,500 words unless otherwise
will be asked to indicate that on the cover page
specified. Usually you can choose from a
of your essay when you submit it. It will then
selection of essay titles available in the
be marked without taking into account what
assessment section of each course’s Moodle
can be achieved under simulated exam
page. For courses that are assessed by an
conditions.
exam you may be asked to prepare a timed
essay – details will be discussed in each Formative Assessment for MC4M1/ MC4M2
course. For courses that are assessed by a (Methods Courses)
presentation and reflection, the formative There is a special formative assignment for
assessment might take the form of a these courses; the assignment guidelines are
presentation. Check the specific course made available on the MC4M1/2 Moodle page.
Moodle page for details on assessment.
Feedback will take the form of written Formative Assessment for MC499
comments on the strengths and areas for (Dissertation)
further development according to the The MC499 Dissertation Guide contains further
assessment criteria. Requirements for courses information about the two formative
outside the Department of Media and dissertation plans (submitted to your
Communications might vary – check with the Supervisor in LT) and the dissertation research
course convenor. process and can be accessed via the MC499
section of Moodle. You will receive oral
In general, formative essays should be 1,500
feedback from your Supervisor.
words in length including footnotes but
excluding references. An important aim of the
exercise is to demonstrate your ability to write
within the boundaries set for any assessed
21Formative coursework submission programme where mid-year references are
instructions required by USC for scholarships and teaching
assistant positions.
See ‘Key Dates’ for submission dates.
Formative assignment essays should be
printed on A4 or American letter paper,
using a font of at least 12pt, with 3 cm/1
inch margins, and 1.5 line spacing.
Electronic submission to Moodle is
required, refer to your teacher for whether you
must also submit a hard copy.
Upload an electronic copy of your essay to
the assessment section of Moodle. You
must name the file as follows:
MC4xx_. For example,
MC408_JennyJones. 3.3 Summative Assessment
A standard submission sheet (Formative The purpose of summative assessment is to
Coursework Coversheet, available on
evaluate your performance in each course and
Moodle) must form the first page of the
to determine the Class of Award to be made at
formative assessment.
the end of the programme of study (i.e. Fail,
Formative assessment coursework should Pass, Merit, Distinction). The marks awarded
be submitted to your seminar teacher for summative assessment determine or
(according to each teacher’s instructions) contribute to the final course mark. Summative
in your Week 7 seminar, except for MC408 assessment is formal and can be based on
(Theories and Concepts) and MC4M1/ presentations, coursework essays and other
MC4M2 (Methods) as indicated below. written work, exams or the dissertation.
For MC408, the formative essay must be
The Department uses a diverse range of
submitted during seminars in MT5, or to
summative assessment methods to evaluate
seminar teacher’s pigeonholes by 4pm on
your performance and to support you in
Thursday, of MT5.
developing a range of skills and knowledge
For MC4M1 or MC4M2, submit hard copy of during your studies. The most common form
the formative assessment coursework to of summative assessment is a 3,000-word
your Supervisor by 12:00 (midday) on coursework essay (which might also include a
Tuesday of MT11 and an electronic copy case study). Check Moodle and discuss
on Moodle (instructions for submission on individual course assessment methods with
the MC4M1 Moodle page). You must name your course teacher. The Methods of Research
the file as follows: MC4M1 courses (MC4M1/ MC4M2) and the
Dissertation (MC499) have distinct forms of
Formative assessment feedback summative assessment appropriate to the
course aims and should be discussed with
Important: Students should note that grades your Supervisor.
awarded for formative coursework throughout
the year, in the absence of provisional
summative coursework grades, may be used
by your teachers when writing references.
This applies particularly to students on the
MSc Global Media and Communications (USC)
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