WISH TO FOLLOW THE MASTER'S IN communication science? FIND OUT IF YOU NEED TO FOLLOW A PRE-MASTER'S FIRST.
After you have sent in your application for the Master's in Communication Science, a committee will check your eligibility. An outcome of this assessment may be that you first have to complete a pre-master's before being admitted.
Start date
There are two terms of enrolment in the pre-master's programme. You can start in the first semester of the academic year, in September or in the second semester, in February, with this pre-master's programme. After finishing you can directly enter the master's programme also with starting dates in September and February. Students doing their pre-master’s as a part of their University of Applied Sciences degree (transfer minor/'Kies op maat') can enter the master’s programme also in February or September, after finishing their University of Applied Sciences bachelor's programme.
Whether you're a University of Applied Sciences student or a University student, you can start the pre-master's programme during your bachelor's programme as a minor or after obtaining your bachelor’s degree.
Programme
The half-year English taught pre-master’s programme can only be followed on a full-time basis. For the full-time pre-master’s programme, you will have lectures and classes on three or four (parts of) days per week on average.
Each semester is divided into two blocks. Each block consists of seven lecture weeks and subsequently a week in which as few as possible lectures are planned. Each block ends with two weeks in which the examinations are planned. The full pre-master’s programme consists of 30 EC (European Credits, 1 EC corresponds with 28 hours of study load). A nominal study load is 15 EC in a block.
The programme comprises of four compulsory courses, two generic academic courses (10 EC) and two domain-specific courses (20 EC). The generic academic courses are: Research methodology and descriptive statistics and Inferential statistics. These courses will be offered simultaneously to students from the other pre-master’s programmes Educational Science and Technology, Business Administration, Public Administration, European Studies and Psychology. The domain specific courses are Communication science premaster COM and Academic research project premaster COM.
Table: Premaster COM programme
Semester 1 (Sept-Jan) | Semester 2 (Feb-July) | ||
Block 1A | Block 1B | Block 2A | Block 2B |
Research methodology and descriptive statistics (202001402 – 5EC) | Inferential statistics (202001403 – 5EC) | Research methodology and descriptive statistics (202001402 – 5EC) | Inferential statistics (202001403 – 5EC) |
Communication science premaster COM (202100146 – 4EC) | Academic research project premaster COM (202100148 – 16EC) | Communication science premaster COM (202100146 – 4EC) | Academic research project premaster COM (202100148 – 16EC) |
Language
The (pre)-master's programme is in English as is the required literature.
Admission
The pre-master’s programme is designed for students who have the motivation and capacities to obtain an academic degree from an English-taught Master’s programme in Communication Science. Your eligibility for admission to the pre-master's programme in Communication Science depends on your previous education. Check the transfer matrix to see which master’s programmes are accessible with your bachelor’s programme or contact the pre-master’s coordinator. Transfer minor students also must have been obtained all study credits from the first and second year of the (hbo) programme.
Rules of the pre-master
The pre-master’s programme is designed not only to address any deficiencies in your prior knowledge, but it is also an efficient way to find out whether studying at a research university in the field of Communication Science is right for you. To this end, two rules apply:
- To remain eligible for the master's programme, candidates must fulfil the requirements of the pre-master’s programme within the maximum registration period of one year. Since 30 credits is equivalent to half a year of full-time study, this should not pose a problem. (Also part-time students, who study in the pre-master for a full year, must complete the pre-master's programme within this one year).
- You must also earn sufficient marks with a maximum of one re-sit per course. This means you need to take the pre-master’s seriously. You cannot expect to be successful in the pre-master’s if you approach it half-heartedly: it is meant as a half-year, full-time programme of study. That said, in practice most motivated and dedicated students complete the programme within max. two attempts per exam and the allotted time.
Pre-master Application route
The application process for the pre-master's programme depends on your personal situation (application during or after your bachelor's programme) and your background (e.g. university of applied sciences, university background, Dutch, European or Non-EU (visa)).
For direct application to the (pre-) master's programme after completion of your bachelor's programme, keep an eye on the application deadlines that apply for your background, and check them prior to your application.
For students who want to do the pre-master's programme during their Dutch hbo bachelor's programme – the so-called transfer minor – the application deadline in Kies Op Maat is earlier.
For more information about the application route check: https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/master/continue-studying-hbo/pre-master/admissionrequirements/
Contact
For general information please contact our Study Information Desk.
For questions regarding the pre-Master's programme contact the study adviser (pre)master:
