Digital technologies have changed the world of communication and its professions. By multiplying the information sources and distribution channels, the Internet has shattered the dream of top-down transmission and turned communication into a subtle art of influence and propagation.

Communicating today means above all understanding the languages ​​of online communities, the codes of their creativity, the folklore that they develop, and the practices by which they nourish and circulate their ideas. All these elements (and many more) are the subject of the Master in Communication and Digital Cultures in which we take seriously the richness and potential of digital cultures as an object of research and a tool for communication.

By combining theory and practice, the Master encourages its students to open the black boxes of digital technologies to observe their inner workings, question their uses and analyze their social, economic and political consequences.

The Master combines theoretical contributions which allow the developing an open mind about societal transformations, and hands-on training of a series of techniques of digital communication and digital research. The pedagogical approach of the Master is based on the participation in research projects, the development of multimedia productions, the collaborative work in small groups, the analysis and creation of digital contents.

This Master is oriented towards all professions of digital communication. Analysis and creation skills can be leveraged in a variety of institutes and agencies, companies and organizations engaged in digital transformation, but also serve as the basis for a plurality of careers as content creators or influencer in a sector with unparalleled dynamism.

Among the professional opportunities of the Master:
- online ethnography
- mapping of digital debates and discussions
- content design for different media and platforms
- strategic monitoring of digital performance
- development of online communities
- research on media audiences and practices

The master is composed of four blocks.

The first block, "Digital Cultures", contains five courses focussing on digital cultures and communication:
- Socio-anthropology of Digital Cultures
- Platforms, Participation, Power
- Uses of Digital Networks
- Internet Subcultures 
- Innovation, imagination and digital futures

The second block is composed of practical courses supporting students in the development of their dissertation, which can be based on original research or internship.

The third block, "Methods: analysis and creation", allows students to refine their technical skills freely choosing from 18 courses dedicated to different methods: quantitative, qualitative, computational or specifically focused on the analysis of communication.

The fourth block, "Digital communication: content and practices", focuses on online communication practices and the analysis of content circulating on digital networks.

Overview of the Master's courses >>
Schedules, study plan and regulations >>

Directive relating to the University Master's degree in Communication and digital cultures

• Required diploma: Bachelor or equivalent title 

• Teaching language: French
  (good skills in French, level B2 is required to study at the University of Geneva)

The deadline for all applications is February 28 of each year. Applications can be submitted starting from mid-January on the platform of the Faculty of Social Sciences. They must contain the following elements:

• A set of documents depending on the academic situation of the candidate 

• Two letters of recommendation

• A mini-research project (2 to 3 pages), describing a possible research subject that the candidate would like to develop in the Master. The project must be aligned with research areas of the Medialab, and cite some sources in the literature. 

Information about cost of studies, accommodation, other UNIGE services can be found on the UNIGE portal