Master’s Degree Course in Digital Communication – Cultural and Social Media curriculum (LM-19)

Master’s Degree Course in Digital Communication Cultural and Social Media Curriculum – the Course in brief

The Cultural and Social Media Curriculum offers advanced professional skills adapted to the current technological and communication scenarios in order to train competent figures capable of operating in the various working fields directly related to the digital sphere.

Topics covered in the first year include digital marketing, the world of social networks, semiotic analysis of cultural products, and much more.

In the second year, on the other hand, a series of optional subjects are planned in order to be able to customise the curriculum. The only exception is the non-optional teaching on the legislative and regulatory dimension of digital communication.

Completing the didactic pathway of the Master’s Degree Course in Digital Communication will be the business English workshop, the student’s choice activities and the final exam.

Master’s Degree in Digital Communication Online

The Niccolò Cusano University provides students of the online Master’s degree course in Digital Communication with its 24/7 e-learning platform. Students can follow the lectures and consult the teaching material at any time and wherever they are, structuring the time they dedicate to study according to their needs. Studying from the comfort of home and then taking exams at one of the many Unicusano locations throughout Italy.

The Cultural and social Media curriculum delves into digital art and the neuro-semiotics of cultural and media products, and proposes the teaching of journalism and information disorders in the digital world as well as a series of optional groups aimed at enabling the customisation of the curriculum, aimed at deepening the study of social and media networks, production dynamics in the most relevant sectors of the cultural industries, information processes, data and algorithms.

Both curricula envisage other educational activities, together with the student’s choice activities and the final exam to complete the course of study.

Graduates, through the study and in-depth study, both theoretical and applied, of all the processes, phenomena and dynamics related to the world of digital and communication technologies in the field of “Cultural and social media” or in the field of “Games Industry Management and Creative Direction”, develop autonomy of judgement, critical capacity and fundamental skills to integrate into the professional world.

Professional profile and expected occupational and professional outlets for Digital Communication graduates

Experts in the field of communication and digital media

Function in a working context:

Graduates in the Master’s degree in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) can carry out functions of high responsibility in the field of media enterprises, with specific reference to the area of conception, production, dissemination and management of content and services intended for both off-line and on-line, covering both organisational and management and creative and design roles.

Competences associated with the function

The skills associated with the function to be carried out in a work context derive from what has been learnt, both from a theoretical and practical point of view, as part of the course in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) in terms of strategic planning, content management, event and communication campaign design, web and social media marketing, analysis of networks, consumption and fruition dynamics.

Occupational outlets:

For graduates in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) the reference professional outlets concern the various fields of digital communication, web and social media, but also information, publishing and journalism, production of content and services for the television, radio and entertainment industries, advertising, in its different declinations.

The Master’s course in Digital Communication prepares for the profession of (ISTAT coding)

• Specialists in marketing in the information and communication technology sector – (2.5.1.5.3)
• Specialists in public relations, image and related professions – (2.5.1.6.0)
• Dialogue and speechwriters – (2.5.4.1.2)
• Advertising copywriters – (2.5.4.1.3)
• Proofreaders of texts – (2.5.4.2)

Knowledge required for admission

To be admitted to the Master’s Degree Course in Digital Communication it is necessary to hold a university degree, a three-year university diploma, a qualification recognised as suitable by special laws or another qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable.

Admission to the Master’s Degree Course requires a three-year degree in the L-20 Communication Sciences class. However, the Course of Study of LM in Digital Communication aims to intercept students also from the area of modern literature, political-economic-social sciences, historical and anthropological studies, arts and entertainment and cooperative sciences.

Access to the LM degree course may also include those who hold a three-year degree in other classes, or another qualification obtained abroad that is recognised as suitable, or a degree relating to the previous four-year system, provided that they have acquired, according to a specific breakdown, at least 72 CREDITS in the following scientific and disciplinary sectors defined in Article 2 of the Degree Course Regulations

• at least 27 credits in SSD SPS/08
• at least 18 credits in SSD SECS-P/01 and/or SSD SECS-P/02 and/or SSD SECS-P/07 and/or SSD SECS-P/08
• at least 9 credits in SSD M-FIL/05
• at least 9 credits in SSD SPS/07
• at least 9 credits in the SSD SECS-S/01
• Any gaps in training, with respect to the prescribed curricular requirements, must be made up prior to the start of the course of study and the verification of individual preparation, in order to be able to follow the courses with profit.

A check on the adequacy of the student’s personal preparation is envisaged, with procedures that will be defined in the study course’s didactic regulations. For admission to the Master’s Degree Course, a test of knowledge of the English language is envisaged, which must be at least level B1; for courses taught in English, knowledge of the language must be at least level B2.

Specific educational objectives of the Master’s Degree Course in Digital Communication and description of the educational pathway

The Master’s Degree Course in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) offers advanced professional skills, both of a creative and design nature, adapted to the current technological and communication scenarios in order to conceive, produce, disseminate and manage digital content and services for both offline and online. The course aims to provide the skills to approach communication both as a process and as a resource.

The Master’s degree course in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) is conducted in telematic mode, students will be able to gain direct experience of the different registers and communication channels of the digital environment in a learning context that is set up as a teaching laboratory space.

Within the first year of the LM in Digital Communication there are characterising lectures in the field of Digital Studies, methods for social and media research (SPS/07), digital marketing (SECS-P/08), social media and social network sites (SPS/08) and semiotic analysis of cultural and media products (M-FIL/05). In the second year, on the other hand, with the exception of the only non-choice teaching on the legislative and regulatory dimension of digital communication (IUS 01), a series of optional groups are envisaged, aimed at enabling the development of a personalised training offer and relating to the in-depth study of social and media networks, production dynamics in the most relevant sectors of the cultural industries, information processes, data and algorithms.

The Business English laboratory and the performance of other educational activities, including participation/organisation of workshops/conferences, together with the activities chosen by the student and the final exam, complete the educational path of the Master’s Degree in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum).

Expected learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

Graduates in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) acquire in-depth knowledge and the ability to understand the current digital and communicative scenario, through the study, in-depth study and research in the field of methodological, IT and language disciplines and in the socio-historical, legal-economic, political and international relations disciplines.

The aforementioned knowledge and skills will be acquired through the teaching courses envisaged in the training programme, such as in particular those related to the field of media and digital studies, semiotics, research methods, marketing and law.

The aforementioned knowledge is acquired through

• training activities in virtual classrooms
• seminar activities and workshops enabling direct connection with the world of work,
• exercises through the tools of the telematics platform that allows lecturer-student and inter-group interactions (so-called e-activities).

The correct application of knowledge is made possible by individual and group study, accompanied by adequate critical reflection. The verification of the achievement of learning outcomes is mainly through oral and/or written examinations as well as through the administration of tests prepared by the teacher of each discipline in order to induce the student to a guided verification of his/her learning ability.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

The ability to apply the knowledge acquired is developed by graduates in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) through the learning and verification processes relating to the teachings attributable to the scope of the technical disciplines of information and communication and related and supplementary activities. In this regard, the teaching courses related to the analysis of networks, to the understanding of production, consumption and fruition strategies, to information dynamics and to the different sectors of the creative industries allow to implement an integration between the theoretical and practical dimensions, to develop critical skills and to enhance a systemic approach.

These skills are developed through:

• training in virtual classrooms
• seminar activities,
• exercises and projects carried out through the telematics platform that allows teacher-student and inter-group interactions (e-activities) to foster the development of shared critical reflection.

The correct application of knowledge and skills is made possible by individual and group study, accompanied by critical reflection. The verification of the achievement of learning outcomes is mainly through oral and/or written examinations and in itinere (or through specific seminar moments with guided group discussion that the lecturers may activate) as well as through the administration of tests drawn up by the lecturer of each discipline in order to induce the student to a guided verification of his/her learning ability.

Making judgement

Graduates in the Master’s Degree in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) acquire full autonomy of judgement as a function of their in-depth knowledge of the communication dynamics developed since the advent of digital technology and their consequent impacts on the social, cultural, technological and economic levels.

The understanding of these characteristics, obtained both through the dimension of historical and procedural reconstruction and in-depth theoretical investigation, and through the declination on the practical side of the various aspects and phenomena relating to the field of digital communication, enables graduates of this Master’s degree to develop critical skills that are indispensable for the development of a consequent autonomy of judgement.

These skills will be acquired through practical, individual and group activities, either supplementary to the lecture courses or autonomously designed in accordance with the teaching regulations.

The testing methods considered appropriate for these skills consist of personal papers – in particular the one envisaged for the final examination -, examination tests, practical exercises, seminars with guided group discussion (e-activities).

Verification of the acquisition of these skills, which will take place constantly over the three years, will also be based on the student’s participation in the activities planned by the University, on the choice of topic for the final examination, and on the resulting assessment.

Communication skills

Master’s degree graduates in Digital Communication develop transversal and specific communication skills, depending on the specific subject of their course of study. In particular, the multidisciplinary, but also applied, approach offered by the various teaching modules, constantly declined on a communicative level, allows students to learn and apply the different communication techniques that are fundamental for developing skills in public speaking, ideation and, above all, the presentation of project ideas, but also teamwork.

These skills will be acquired through all the types of activities envisaged in the training course, both theoretical and practical-applicative. They will be tested, in particular, through personal papers, group reports, laboratory activities/exercises, e-activities, seminars with guided discussions, activities and papers related to the examinations and in particular to the final examination.

Learning capacity

Graduates in the Digital Communication specialisation (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) develop the capacity for autonomous learning of knowledge precisely because of the procedural and dynamic nature of their specific subject of study. The need to develop a propensity for updating, critical reflection and in-depth study, which are crucial for the study of digital communication, are revealed as fundamental factors for the development of high learning capacities.

Learning skills are stimulated throughout the entire training course, with particular emphasis on individually developed study through the development of individual and group projects.

These processes will be verified in the forms most appropriate to each type of activity, without prejudice to the final verification inherent in the conduct of the final examination.

Final Examination

The final examination for the award of the Master’s degree in Digital Communication (Cultural and Social Media curriculum) consists of the drafting and discussion of a written paper, relating to a topic included in a discipline included in the course of study; this paper must be prepared under the supervision of the supervisor, chosen on the basis of the discipline that is of particular interest to the student.

The paper may consist of the presentation of various communication products (websites, audio-visual products, projects, communication and marketing plans, formats, advertising or social communication campaigns, communication services and products, etc.), which may be realised in full or in part by means of multimedia formats envisaged for the final examination.

Further specifications are deferred to the didactic regulations of the degree course.