Admission to the Master’s Programme in ‘Communication, Culture & Participation’ requires the completion of a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies or a degree of at least the same higher education level at a recognized domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution.

The decisive factor is a comparability of 75% with the Curriculum of the Bachelor’s degree programme ‘Communication Studies’ at the Paris Lodron University Salzburg (PLUS) regarding foundations, theories, methods, specialization, research fields as well as practical courses.

If the completed degree programme has 75% comparable teaching content to the corresponding Bachelor’s degree programme at the PLUS, an assessment can be carried out.

In the event of significant subject-related differences, additional courses of up to 45 ECTS credits may be prescribed to compensate for these differences and must be completed by the end of the second semester of the Master’s degree programme. The Rectorate or a person appointed by the Rectorate of the PLUS is responsible for determining whether there are significant subject-related differences. In the course of this, language and study knowledge skills can be verified in an online interview.

If you have completed your Bachelor’s degree in “Communication Studies” at the PLUS and would like to register for the continuing Master’s programme “Communication, Culture & Participation”, simply send a message to the Office of Admissions from your student account, stating your matriculation number, your date of birth and the Master’s programme you wish to pursue.

It is not a problem if you do not yet have all the final documents. After the Bachelor’s thesis has been graded, you can submit the examination pass to the Examinations Office at the end of you degree programme. You can then write an informal email to the Office of Admissions, in which you express your interest in continuing your Master’s programme in Salzburg. This simplifies and speeds up the enrolment process.

If you have completed another Bachelor’s degree than “Communication Studies” at the PLUS but would like to take up our Master’s programme “Communication, Culture & Participation”, a message to the Office of Admissions from your student account stating your matriculation number, date of birth and Desired Master’s programme is sufficient. 

Please also send the completed Application for Admission to the Master’s programme and, if applicable, proof of English to the Office of Admissions. It is not a problem if you do not yet have all your degree documents, but the degree must be registered in PLUSonline.

In the case of significant subject-related differences in the scope of your Bachelor’s degree, additional credits of up to 45 ECTS credits can be required to compensate for these differences and must be completed by the end of the second semester of the Master’s programme. The Rectorate or a person appointed by the Rectorate of the PLUS is responsible for determining whether there are significant subject-related differences.

If you are new to the PLUS, please complete the following four steps:

1. Application for Admission

Before you can enrol at the PLUS, you must first contact the Office of Admissions by submitting the form of submission. The Office will clarify whether your completed Bachelor’s/Diploma degree at a domestic or foreign university or university of applied sciences is eligible for admission. Only continue with step 2 once you have received a positive letter of admission.

2. Make an appointment for personal enrolment

This self-registration, during which your data will be recorded, takes place exclusively online.

3. Personal enrolment

You must take the following original documents with you to enrol in person:

• Valid travel document (e.g. passport or identity card)

• Final documents from the previous degree programme

• Certificate of additional examinations (if required for the chosen degree programme)

• Letter of admission (if received)

• Certificate of name change (if the name is not the same on all documents, e.g., marriage certificate)

• Departure certificate if transferring from another Austrian university

• Proof of national insurance number, if insured in Austria (e-card)

When you enrol in person, you will receive the PIN code to activate access to the PLUS systems and your student ID card.

4. Redeem PIN and pay tuition fees

If you are an non-EU/EEA citizen wishing to start a the Master’s programme “Communication, Culture & Participation” at PLUS, you must first apply for admission. The processing of the application for admission can take several months, so we recommend that you submit your application well ahead. The exact admission procedure differs depending on your nationality and previous education and whether all documents are accredited and available.

Enrolment for the coming semester begins in July 2024. Non-EU/EEA citizens have to consider that the complete application for admission must be submitted by August 10th, 2024. It is important that all required documents are submitted by this date.

The general admission deadline for this Master’s programme is October 31st, 2024. To ensure successful admission, you should carefully review the specific deadlines and requirements. If you have any questions about making an appointment or submitting documents, please do not hesitate to contact us.

A B2 level of German or a C1 level of English is required for the Master’s degree programme in “Communication, Culture & Participation”. 

Persons whose first language is not the language in which the degree programme is taught must provide proof of the knowledge of this language required for the successful continuation of the degree programme in accordance with § 63 para. 10 UG. To this end, they can either submit a school-leaving, Bachelor’s or diploma certificate confirming instruction in this language, or one of the following documents: Language proficiency

As an EU/EEA/CH citizen, you are exempt from tuition fees for the minimum duration of study plus two tolerance semesters and only pay the ÖH fee (currently EUR 22.70). After that, you must pay the tuition fee of EUR 363.36 euros (EUR 384.06 in total) in addition to the ÖH fee. 

Students from non-EU/EEA countries pay EUR 726.72 per semester plus the ÖH fee, unless they can apply for and achieve an equal status.

There are both internal scholarships and grants, which are coordinated at the PLUS, as well as external ones. These can be accessed via the following link: Grants & Scholarships

Courses are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to accommodate commuters and part-time employees. Exceptions can be block courses with experienced practitioners. The recommended semester schedule is 2 years (4 semesters), in which the courses offered, including the Master’s thesis, can be completed.

In the first semester, the programmes provide an overview in order to guarantee an informed decision on your further area of specialisation. 

Then, you can choose between the following areas of specialisation: ‘Professional Communication’, ‘Media & Culture’, and ‘Democracy & Participation’. 

However, you do not have to choose an area of specialisation, but you are free to take courses from all areas of specialisation. 

This allows you to choose between a broad-based programme in communication studies or profile development in a specialised area of expertise. 

A specialisation is considered successfully completed and is shown as such on the degree certificate if a total of at least 42 ECTS credits are completed in the area of this specialisation, in modules 4 to 6, the Master’s Thesis and Master’s Examination.

You do not have to decide for one language of study in advance. Module are provided in German and English. Hence, you can either complete the entire Master’s programme in English, or you can switch between courses in English and German language. Exceptions are the two courses UV ‘Theories and Models’ in Module 1 and UV ‘Empirical Research Designs’ in Module 2, which are only offered in English, but can also be submitted in German.

The degree certificate can be issued in German and English language, the respective language of the courses is shown individually on the transcript of records.

No, the Master’s programme “Communication, Culture & Participation” takes place exclusively in presence. This is not a distance learning course.

The Master’s degree programme “Communication, Culture & Participation” comprises six modules, for which 108 ECTS credits are allocated. In addition, 6 ECTS credits must be selected from the cross-sectional module on socio-ecological crises. A further 6 ECTS credits are allocated to the free electives. The Master’s thesis is worth 20 ECTS credits and 4 ECTS credits are allocated for the final Master’s examination.

The programme consists of the following course types. They are all small formats (UE, EX, SE and PR max. 20 persons, UV max. 40 persons):

• Exercises (UE): Courses of this type aim to convey, test and perfect practical skills and knowledge in the field of study or its subfields. Performance is continuously assessed and attendance is mandatory.
• Exercises combined with lecture (UV): Courses of this type link the theoretical introduction of a subarea with the teaching of practical skills, whereby the exercise of practical skills dominates. Performance is continuously assessed and attendance is mandatory.
• Excursion (EX): A course of this type is used to convey and illustrate specialist knowledge outside the location of the university. Performance is continuously assessed and attendance is mandatory.
• Seminar (SE): Courses of this type are in-depth investigations of a specific subject matter. They serve the acquisition of a deeper specialized knowledge and a capacity for discussion and reflection on scientific themes. Collaboration between students may be involved. Attendance in seminars is mandatory. 
• Practical Course (PR): Courses of this type allow the application and consolidation of acquired expertise and methods and serve the acquisition of practical skills. Performance is continuously assessed and attendance is mandatory.

Free electives offer the opportunity to take courses and lectures from other subjects and integrate them into the curriculum.  

Yes, professional experience can be gained both during the summer months when there are no courses and alongside your studies.

All PLUS faculties have non-consumption areas for students. In addition to the ten libraries, there are so-called study spaces that offer a quiet atmosphere for joint or individual study. At the Department of Communication Studies, students can also borrow equipment such as microphones and cameras for projects. Further, computer rooms, editing rooms and podcast studios are available.

As a PLUS student, you can attend all publicly held courses and guest lectures. In addition, the Department of Communication Studies offers several Lunch Talks, and lectures by guest researchers and affiliated staff during the semester, which you are open to attended.

At the Disability & Diversity Office, students with disabilities or chronic illnesses can expect counselling on the topic of “barrier-free studying”. Further, the ÖH Salzburg offers free psychological student counselling. 

There are three housing options for students in Salzburg: a room in a student hall of residence, a place in a shared flat or your own flat. You can find adverts for vacant rooms in shared flats and small flats in the ÖH housing exchange. 

The Language Centre offers students at the PLUS a wide range of language courses. Courses are offered in a total of twelve languages. In addition to general courses, the Language Centre also offers various special courses – including courses in scientific language in German and English.

The Buddy Network is a programme offered by the International Office of the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH) in Salzburg. The Buddy Network is a programme designed to help you get started at the PLUS. The International Office of the University of Salzburg is also always on hand to help.

Students of the Master’s programme “Communication, Culture & Participation” have the opportunity to gain international experience and expand their professional, linguistic and intercultural skills through one stay abroad, numerous mobility programmes and the worldwide university partnership network. Here you have an insight into the various international partner universities.