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    Make sense of your world.

    Communication Studies focuses on the social, technological, political and cultural implications of current and changing communicative practices and networks.

    With an emphasis on social and media-based communication, courses initiate a critical and creative understanding of digital, broadcast, print and mobile communication, and develop written and screens-based skills. These are central to comprehending the role of media and communication industries and practices in the wider context of society and culture.

    Challenge your mind and broaden your views in a diverse, stimulating learning environment that demands you be critical, creative and innovative.

    Why study Communication Studies?

    Our courses will challenge your mind, broaden your views, and help you develop an increased awareness of transformations in society and culture.

    Our goal is to prepare students to take their place as responsible and engaged citizens, who are critical, creative and innovative, equipped to connect with a diverse and fast-changing media world and to productively contribute to their communities and chosen professions. To serve this goal, our scholarship and teaching is interdisciplinary, inventive, and practical.

    But that is not all that we do. Almost all employers look for fundamental life-long skills – literacy, numeracy, communication skills, the ability to lead and contribute to teams, as well as the ability to solve problems through dependable research. All of these skills are taught in our programme; they underlie most of what we do. We also value and develop an understanding of cultural diversity and differing perspectives, so it is not surprising that our graduates are to be found in many walks of life.

    We have a well-established record of teaching and research, and staff who are internationally recognised in their disciplines.


    Are you just starting uni?

    Learn about studying Communication Studies as an undergraduate at Otago.

    Choose a study option

    Whether you are advancing your career with our specialised graduate qualifications or pursuing in-depth research and expertise through our postgraduate programmes, Otago is here to support your aspirations.

    Postgraduate qualifications

    Honours, masters’, PhDs, and other advanced degrees for graduates. Just one additional year of study will earn you a valuable postgraduate degree. Or perhaps you want the depth of a full year of research-only time during a master’s or to step up to a PhD.

    Graduate qualifications

    Our graduate qualifications are crafted to transition students from foundational studies to advanced, specialised knowledge.

    Ready to apply?

    Take your expertise to the next level with advanced study.

    Programme details

    Compare programmes for this subject.

    Papers
    MFCO 490 Dissertation
    MFCO 401 Advanced Media, Film and Communication Theory
    One further 400-level MFCO papers or other approved papers

    The Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) programme in Communication Studies is the same as the programme for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)).

    Dissertation / Studio Project Requirements
    MFCO 590 Research Dissertation
    MFCO 401 Advanced Media, Film and Communication Theory
    Two of:
    HUMS 501 Writing and Revision for Graduate Research
    HUMS 502 Research Methods in the Humanities
    HUMS 503 Key Debates in the Humanities
    And further:
    400-level MFCO papers worth 30 points
    GEND 401 may be substituted for one 400-level MFCO paper
     
    Papers-Only  Requirements
    MFCO 401 Advanced Media, Film and Communication Theory
    At least two of:
    HUMS 501 Writing and Revision for Graduate Research
    HUMS 502 Research Methods in the Humanities
    HUMS 503 Key Debates in the Humanities
    And further:
    400-level MFCO papers worth 90 points
    GEND 401 may be substituted for one 400-level MFCO paper
    Note: Students are able to take one of HUMS 501-503 not already taken as an optional paper in this pathway.

    Thesis
    • Thesis: COMS 5

    Note: Students who have not completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA(Hons)) in Communication Studies or a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) in Communication Studies must complete the required papers for the BA(Hons) in Communication Studies prior to undertaking the thesis.

    Papers

    View a list of all related papers below.

    MFCO papers

    Paper Code Year Title Points Teaching period
    MFCO101 2026 Screen Form and Culture 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO102 2026 Media, Power, Society 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO103 2026 Introduction to Communication Studies 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO202 2026 Theory of Communication Studies 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO203 2026 Media History 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO205 2026 Communication Research Methods 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO210 2026 Theory of Film and Media 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO212 2026 Global Media and Communication 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO213 2026 Media Genres 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO216 2026 Cinema of Aotearoa New Zealand 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO217 2026 Television Studies 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO220 2026 Writing for the Media 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO222 2026 Science, Technology, and Society 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO223 2026 Documentary and Reality Media 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO224 2026 Studying Selfies: Celebrity, Surveillance and Cyberspace 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO225 2026 Crime and the Media 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO242 2026 Special Topic 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO250 2026 Celebrity 18 points Not offered in 2026, expected to be offered in 2027
    MFCO251 2026 Television Studio Production 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO301 2026 Critical Problems in Film and Media 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO303 2026 Critical Problems in Communication Studies 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO305 2026 Communication Research Methods 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO306 2026 Cinema of Aotearoa New Zealand 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO307 2026 Political Economy of Communication 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO312 2026 Communication and the City 18 points Semester 2
    MFCO313 2026 Culture, Politics and Media 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO315 2026 Digital Media and Society 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO318 2026 Indigenous Media 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO319 2026 Contemporary American Cinema 18 points Semester 1
    MFCO323 2026 Documentary and Reality Media 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO330 2026 Special Topic 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO333 2026 Film Festivals 18 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO350 2026 Celebrity 18 points Not offered in 2026, expected to be offered in 2027
    MFCO401 2026 Advanced Media, Film and Communication Theory 30 points Semester 1
    MFCO406 2026 Audience Studies 30 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO408 2026 Screening Gender 30 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO411 2026 Independent Study in Media, Film and Communication 30 points Semester 1
    MFCO412 2026 Communicating the Self 30 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO414 2026 Discourse Theory and Practice 30 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO416 2026 Communication Policy: Issues and Approaches 30 points Semester 2
    MFCO417 2026 Postcolonial Media and Communication 30 points Semester 1
    MFCO441 2026 Special Topic 30 points Not offered in 2026
    MFCO490 2026 Dissertation 60 points Full Year, 1st Non standard period (13 July 2026 - 11 June 2027)
    MFCO590 2026 Research Dissertation 60 points 1st Non standard period (27 February 2026 - 19 February 2027), 2nd Non standard period (17 July 2026 - 9 July 2027)

    Contacts

    Media, Film and Communication Programme
    School of Social Sciences
    Web  otago.ac.nz/mfco


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    Regulations on this page are taken from the 2026 Calendar and supplementary material.

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