In this seminar, students evaluate existing public or strategic communication initiatives — such as PR, propaganda, election or activist campaigns, public information material, social media strategies, or science communication efforts. Using these insights, evidence based communication concepts or materials (e.g., an exhibition concept, awareness campaign, or CSR strategy) are developed translating critical analysis into actionable, theory driven solutions.

This theory seminar examines how digital media reshape social relationships, communicator roles, values, identities, social behavior and public discourse. Through a focused case — such as political influencers, online misinformation, cybermobbing, political populism in social media, or telemedicine — students engage with key communication theories and critically reflect explanatory frameworks. By semester’s end, participants will be able to systematically analyze complex digital phenomena based on a solid knowledge of current theoretical approaches.

In this seminar, students will gain hands-on experience with designing, conducting, and developing a quantitative study. It focuses on research questions and hypotheses, operationalization, and the creation of appropriate data collection instruments. Throughout the seminar, one method (survey, experiment, or content analysis) will be selected for practical implementation. Students will explore measurement techniques, sampling strategies, and data analysis methods, gaining a deep understanding of quantitative research practice.

This lecture covers key topics, theories, and findings in science, crisis, health, environmental, and risk communication (COM SHER). It explores models, social media, AI, misinformation, and strategies for audience engagement. Emphasis is on digital health communication, messaging’s role in behaviour and treatment decisions, cultural identity, emotion-driven messaging, and advanced strategies like framing and tailored communication.

The seminar focuses on topics, theories and findings in science, health, environment, and risk communication (COM SHER). It introduces students to the depictions and media effects in the field of COM SHER and focuses on audience effects of different portrayals in legacy mass and social media. The seminar is a theory-driven and reading-intensive course, in which basic texts are studied and discussed using real-world examples. As a second learning goal, students will conceptualize a small empirical study based on one of the discussed topics.

This class provides a problem-based introduction to the application of scientific research methods in the context of communication science. Working in small groups and addressing current research problems, the course introduces the basics of quantitative and qualitative surveys as well as qualitative content analysis. Students also learn about applying data collection methods in different contexts and how to implement them. General methodological knowledge is deepened with regard to its application to specific research problems.

This class introduces quantitative content analysis and experimental designs in qualitative and quantitative research. It focuses on problem-based learning. Students familiarize themselves with the application contexts, understand the research process, and deal with specific requirements and quality criteria. Practical problems are used to acquire the basics, e.g. for the development of categories and codebooks and their application to selected media materials as well as for the design and implementation of experimental studies.

Changing gender concepts, diversity in postmigrant societies and the transformation of social norms are not only reflected in the media. The media also prefigure these processes of societal change and the media effect gender, diversity and norm perceptions among users. The seminar examines these different interplays theoretically and/or empirically.

Mass media are a crucial channel for the public to acquire scientific knowledge. News articles, social media postings, or entertaining blockbusters can help us learn about science-related topics such as climate change, genetic engineering, health risks, and artificial intelligence. The seminar explores how scientific knowledge is presented and discussed in different media settings and the effects science communication has on audiences. Students will learn about the ways in which people process science-related media content, learn from it, and change their attitudes.

In this seminar, students gain hands on experience executing a complete qualitative research project. Starting with the articulation of theoretically informed research questions, participants choose a qualitative design (e.g., interviews, focus groups, qualitative content analysis, qualitative observation), construct data collection instruments, plan sampling, collect and analyze their data. Through an iterative process of theme development and interpretation, students produce a results report. Throughout the seminar, students critically appraise their research process regarding quality criteria and ethical issues.