Master in Communication for Development
Malmö, Sweden
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 Apr 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
31 Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
SEK 155,000
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* this is the deadline for national round. Non-EU/EEA students who require a residence permit should apply during international admissions round opening mid-October 2026.
Key Summary
This programme gives you the skills to work with media and communication in international development cooperation as well as in other areas.
This is a half-time study programme, combining courses on culture, communication, and development and integrating them with practical fieldwork. It explores the use of communication - both as a tool and as a way of expressing processes of social change - within the context of globalisation.
The form of study is unique, comprising a combination of live seminars and web-based communication. The seminars (2 days) are compulsory and consist of lectures, discussions, and workshops. Overseas students who cannot physically attend can follow the seminars online. In between the seminars, the students carry out assignments individually and in groups.
Communication for Development starts with new students every autumn semester. In the first year, students receive a comprehensive overview of globalisation and a systematic inventory of the entire field. In the second year, students follow specialised courses that end with an independent project concentrated on one of the field's sub-areas.
Future employment opportunities include work for professional media companies, international organisations (governmental and non-governmental), and PhD studies.
What is Communication for Development?
Communication for Development (ComDev) is an interdisciplinary field combining studies on culture, media, communication, and development. ComDev explores communication within contexts of articulating global and local processes of social change.
The ComDev field is part science, part craft, and part art, and its multidisciplinary academic foundations draw on aspects of development studies, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. These multiple entry points create a rich framework for challenging hegemonic notions and knowledge and engage with questions of social, cultural, economic, and political power. The theory and practices of ComDev play an important role as witnesses to global injustice and marginalisation, as amplifiers of dissent, and as connectors between people, cultures, and stories.
ComDev is taught as a 50% full-time course that distributes 60 credits over four semesters. Our part-time approach is an ideal format for professionals already working in the field, to complement internships or part-time work, as well as for those on sabbaticals or parental leave.
Our pedagogical approach: the Global Classroom
ComDev has been successful in bridging the gap between traditional internet-based learning (often called ‘distance learning’) and conventional forms of education on campus. Our convergence pedagogy creates a glocal classroom — a global learning space grounded in local realities. Based in Malmö, our global classroom has travelled to partner universities, conferences, and seminars in more than twenty countries. Seminars with local alumni, development organisations and our academic network usually take place once a year.
What you will learn
The core courses of the first year triangulate concepts of international development by engaging with keywords such as globalisation, culture, participation, or mediatization.
Virtual group work, short review assignments, as well as longer essays and presentations, help students to progress through the course, connect with their peers, and explore different activity-based learning formats.
Individual feedback from the ComDev team, as well as longer teaching seminars and workshops, round off the classroom experience for students.
The second year comprises a hands-on, blog-based ICT4D module, a research methodology course, and a thesis course. ComDev encourages students to conduct empirical fieldwork, reflect on their practice, and explore alternative formats to complement their MA degree projects.
In short, ComDev fosters teamwork and facilitates the exchange of knowledge and diverse perspectives among students.
It is also possible to add another year of full-time studies to the core, two-year, part-time degree by doing courses on communication planning, an optional internship, and an extended thesis production project.
Organisation
Communication for Development is a half-time study programme. The form of study is a combination of live seminars and web-based communication. The seminars, which last two to three days, are compulsory and consist of lectures, discussions and workshops. For overseas students who cannot physically attend, it is possible to follow the seminars online. In between the seminars, the students carry out assignments individually and in groups.
In this programme, where the form of study strives to be conducive to the course content, progression lies in the group dynamic process as well as in the coursework itself. The multidisciplinary nature of the subject means that the same content should provide in-depth knowledge for students with different backgrounds. One major advantage of this pedagogical approach is that it brings together different experiences.
A focus on group diversity allows students to deepen their knowledge of their major as well as gain a sufficient overview of the subject based on the academic backgrounds and practical experiences of other students. This will enable them to be able to work in both interdisciplinary and transcultural ways, whatever their future profession.
Issues such as gender, ethnicity, and migration saturate the whole programme but are particularly emphasised in the courses Media, Globalisation and Development and Communication, Media and Culture Analysis. Regarding environmental perspectives, the programme emphasises local initiatives and participation at a grassroots level that aims at achieving sustainable development.
There is a clear evolution over the course of the programme within the field of communication for development. In the first year, students receive a comprehensive overview of globalisation and a systematic inventory of the entire field. In the second year, students follow specialised courses before completing an independent project that concentrates on one of the field's sub-areas.
Contents
Autumn 2025 - Semester 1
- Media, Globalisation, and Development (KK620C), 15 credits, compulsory
Spring 2026 - Semester 2
- Communication, Culture, and Media Analysis (KK621C), 15 credits, compulsory
Autumn 2026 - Semester 3
- Media Strategies and Methodologies (KK629A), 15 credits, compulsory
Spring 2027 - Semester 4
- Communication for Development: Degree Project (KK624D), 15 credits, compulsory
Knowledge and understanding
To receive a master's degree in Communication for Development, the student shall demonstrate:
- An understanding of the social and cultural consequences of globalisation processes through an in-depth study of specific case studies of communication for development/social change in their local, regional, and global contexts.
- In-depth knowledge of a variety of methods -- from analysis of texts to ethnography and action research -- engaging with analyses of communication, learning processes/pedagogy, and cultural conditions. These methods include topics such as post-colonial perspectives on theory and identity formation.
- Knowledge of important strands of theory in communication and cultural studies (such as participatory communication, semiotics, and discourse analysis), and their integration with, and practical application in, communication for development processes.
- An understanding of international development cooperation and its key players in multilateral, bilateral, and unilateral fields of action, as well as the ability to analyse current trends in development, their mediation (embedded in a variety of strategic discourse and communication), and practical application.
- An understanding of several of the following generic themes: governance, citizenship, and the public sphere; media and conflict/peace communication; identity politics and social movements; health, environment, and sustainable development; and art, cultural heritage, and social change.
Competencies and skills
To receive a master's degree in Communication for Development, the student shall demonstrate:
- The ability to integrate knowledge and to analyse, evaluate, and handle complex phenomena and situations within the field of communication for development, even with limited access to information.
- The ability to independently analyse media and cultural artefacts and articulate the importance of media and culture -- including new information and communication technology -- for global development and social change.
- The skill to evaluate communicative programmes from a global and local development perspective, and to be able to convert this analysis into practice when facing difficult conditions with few resources.
- The ability to independently identify and formulate research questions, to plan and, with the help of adequate methods, carry out qualified assignments within given time frames.
- The ability to both scientifically analyse and practically implement data and experience that has been collected by the student.
- The ability to use advanced critical source analysis when collecting data, especially online.
- The ability to, both in oral and written form, clearly present and discuss their conclusions, as well as the knowledge and argumentation that form the basis of these conclusions, in dialogue with different groups.
- The skills required to participate in research or development work, or to work in other qualified professions in the field of communication for development.
Evaluation and approach
To receive a master's degree in Communication for Development, the student shall demonstrate:
- Ability to make judgments within the area of Communication for Development, with consideration taken to relevant scientific, societal, and ethical aspects, and to show an awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work.
- Insights into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society, and the responsibility of people for its usage.
- Ability to critically reflect on the various parts of the process of communication, and his/her role as communicator or mediator.
- Capacity for trans-border cooperation and intercultural dialogue, and consequently critical self-reflection of his/her background and position of power, including reflection upon ethical issues about his/her work.
- Ability to identify his/her own need for further knowledge, and to take responsibility for his/her learning.
The programme’s alumni quite literally work on all continents and in a variety of capacities: in the aid industry nationally and internationally, in embassies, United Nations organisations and NGOs. In the spirit of ComDev, they interpret communication for development broadly and work in many capacities to advance positive social change — from social enterprises in The Gambia to local and regional government organisations in Sweden. Graduates from the programme also go on to successfully complete doctoral studies.