B.Sc. in Communication Science

What makes vaccination such a divisive issue? How can a single mistake spell the end for a company? How do social media influence your self-image?

The world is in the throes of a communication revolution and media use is constantly changing. During the Bachelor of Communication Science programme at VU Amsterdam, you will study the effect of media and communication on what people think and do.

The programme makes use of project-based education. Every semester has an overarching theme, in which you will follow relevant courses and work on a project together with your fellow students. These projects involve particular communication problems for you to analyse and solve, often in collaboration with external companies. This way, you will gain valuable professional experience long before you graduate.

The small-scale setup allows ample opportunity to develop close relationships with your lecturers. The close-knit atmosphere of the programme is reflected in the cutthroat football tournament organised annually between students and lecturers. There is also an active student association that regularly organises activities and events.

Would you prefer to follow this programme in Dutch? Take a look at Communicatiewetenschap.

The start date of this programme is September 1st.

In the first year, you are immersed in the theme of media use. How do people use media and communicate with one another? Where do you get your news, and how do you know if it is reliable? You research your own media use and that of your fellow students. In the second semester, you study communication in and by organisations. How do they communicate with their own employees, and how do they convey their message to the outside world? You also pay attention to crisis communication: in the event of a scandal, how can a company reassure its customers and shareholders?

• Mentorship Communication Science year 1
• English Language Test
• Introduction to Communication Science
• News and Journalism
• Project 1 Mediated Reality
• Interpersonal Communication
• Social Research Methodology
• Behaviour and Communication in Organizations
• Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
• Project 2 Strategic Communication
• Project 4 Social Media Analysis
• History of Social Science
• Public Relations and Reputation Management

The second year focuses on two key areas: marketing communication and political communication. How can you persuade others with your message? How do you set up a marketing campaign? Which messages work, which do not, and how can you test this? In the second semester, you investigate the role of communication and social media in society. How do people deal with health-related information? How do they discuss major events on Twitter?

In the first semester of your final year, you shape your own curriculum. You can do an internship, study abroad or follow a minor. In the second semester, you research a relevant issue and write your bachelor’s thesis, making use of all the knowledge and skills you have acquired so far.