Media Studies, Bachelor 2 subject

  • In what way do media influence how meaning is generated?
  • How can the historical, aesthetic und technical dimensions of media be addressed?
  • Which part do media play in the history and formation of the social and cultural sphere and of knowledge?
  • How can the interrelationship between aesthetic and socio-political functions of media be described?
  • What is the function of media with regard to representation and formation of cultural identities?
Maria Steinmetz

Those seminars that focus on practical application and on film critique and analysis are what I like best.

– Maria Steinmetz, Bachelor's degree

Steckbrief

Abschluss
Bachelor of Arts
Beginn
Wintersemester
Dauer
6 Semester
Unterrichtssprache
German
Admission
Restricted

2-Fächer-Bachelor

Dieser Studiengang erfordert ein zweites Fach.
Information on enrollment/application for German applicants

Information on enrollment/application for German applicants

Application information for international applicants

Application information for international applicants

Worum geht's?
Dieser Studiengang ist einzigartig, weil ...
it promotes multi-faceted methods of approaching media phenomena, taking historical, theoretical and aesthetic dimensions into account. Furthermore, it is possible to combine the B.A. Medienwissenschaft at the RUB with the B.A. "Musikwissenschaft" at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen across locations.

Er bietet eine Vertiefung in den Bereichen ...
  • Film and television studies
  • Media psychology, media pedagogy
  • Media economics
  • Applied cultural science
  • Communication science/journalism
  • Game studies/digital media
  • Gender and media
Zu wem passt's?
Wer diesen Studiengang studieren möchte,
have:
  • an interest in investigating issues and research methods pertaining to media culture

enjoy:

  • developing subjective perspectives and theses whilst maintaining a dialogue with discipline-related theories

struggle through:

  • comprehensive, frequently English-language texts and complex theories
Wer einen Abschluss in diesem Studiengang hat, arbeitet häufig
  • as festival organisers, in cinema programme scheduling
  • in film/TV/media production
  • in the media business (PR, marketing, distribution etc.)
  • in journalism
  • in academia
Und sonst?
Ein Praktikum ...

is recommended. It is done during the degree course.

Ein Auslandsaufenthalt ... is recommended. It is done from the 3rd semester.
Wer hilft?
Studienfachberatung

Dr. Hilde Hoffmann
Gebäude, Raum: GB 1/40
Tel.: +49 (0)234 / 32-+49 (0) 234 / 32 – 27812
E-Mail:
Webseite Studienfachberatung

Kontakt zu Studierenden

Fachschaft Medienwissenschaft
Gebäude, Raum: GA 2/39
Tel.: +49 (0)234 / 32-24719
E-Mail:
Webseite Fachschaft

Serafima Sobinina

You learn a lot about the nature of media, their structure, and about media and especially film history. All this was great, seeing as I’m a film enthusiast.

– Serafima Sobinina, Master's degree

Andere Studiengänge in diesem Fach

Maria Steinmetz
Maria Steinmetz is a third-year student of Media Studies. She is pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree, 2-subject programme. Maria’s other discipline is German Studies.

Wieso haben Sie sich damals für Ihr Studienfach entschieden?

In order to work in the media industry in future.

An welchen Stellen haben sich die Erwartungen an Ihr Studienfach erfüllt, an welchen nicht?

The programme provides a good insight into the highly diverse media world – unfortunately, in a manner that is very abstract and removed from reality.

Was macht Ihnen in Ihrem Fach am meisten Spaß?

Seminars that focus on practical application and on film critique and analysis

Was war bisher die größte Herausforderung?

Creating a schedule that combines courses from both my degree programmes in a manner that makes sense – a logistical tour de force!

Was wollen Sie einmal damit werden?

I would love to work in the PR industry. However, I have not committed myself yet, seeing as this degree programme provides a plethora of opportunities.

Welche Tipps geben Sie den Leuten, die auch überlegen, Ihr Fach zu studieren?

You should be aware that the basic classes are very much theoretical in nature. The fun doesn’t start until after you’ve completed the first two semesters.

Serafima Sobinina
Serafima Sobinina studied Media Studies and English/American Studies in the Bachelor of Arts, 2-subject programme. This was followed by her Master of Arts degree Media Studies, 1 subject.

Wieso haben Sie sich damals für Ihr Studienfach entschieden?

I chose my degree course more or less on the spur of the moment. My original plan was to pursue English studies. But because this degree course has to be studied in combinations with another other subject at RUB, I had to come up with a second option. I liked the description of the degree course, and I have been interested in films and series since I was a teenager; I even did some filming myself every now and then. I felt that media studies made a good combination with English studies. And now I am more than happy about my choice.

An welchen Stellen haben sich die Erwartungen an Ihr Studienfach erfüllt, an welchen nicht?

You learn a lot about the nature of media, their structure, and about media and especially film history. All this was great, seeing as I’m a film enthusiast. My understanding of films and other media products has improved.

Unfortunately, the degree course didn’t offer much in terms of practice. My expectations in that regard had been quite different. But after all: it’s all about media STUDIES, not about the creation of media. It’s important to be aware of this fact before opting to study this degree course. You will study a lot of theory; and there are a few practical seminars, but on the whole it’s up to you to find ways of getting hands-on experience.

Was macht Ihnen in Ihrem Fach am meisten Spaß?

As part of media studies, the field of game studies has been booming. And could there be anything better than combining your hobby with university?! Studying video games from the academic perspective has been a fascinating experience.

Another great aspect was: the almost entirely free choice of topics for term papers (which had to comply with the overall theme of the seminar, of course). For example, I had the opportunity to write a paper on one of my favourite games, namely Skyrim, for a gaming seminar, and another paper on the anime “Serial Experiments Lain” in the “Bewusstseinsräume und Seelenlandschaften im Film” (“spaces of consciousness and soul landscapes in film”) seminar . I had a lot of fun delving into these subjects.

Was war bisher die größte Herausforderung?

The seminar on film theory according to Gilles Deleuze. It was incredibly demanding. Highly philosophical, very complicated texts – a whole book in fact – authored by the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, which we studied in its entirety in the seminar. I had to make a presentation on the subject of self-reflection in film, and after reading the text for three hours, I had no idea what it said. Fortunately, I was able to ask my lecturer for advice and she helped me understand it. But it was very difficult, especially since I had to make a presentation about something that I did not at first understand.

Was wollen Sie einmal damit werden?

I've been polishing my practical skills handling the camera and editing software through internships and I’m planning to pursue a career in this area. The future will show if I’ll end up working with an advertising agency, producing image films for clients and being involved in marketing campaigns, or if I’ll be working as a freelance contractor with a broadcasting company.

Welche Tipps geben Sie den Leuten, die auch überlegen, Ihr Fach zu studieren?

As member of the departmental student committee, one of my duties is to advise prospective students. The first thing I tell them is: you won’t be studying journalism, marketing, or media management. Reading and discussing texts makes up 70% of the degree course. It’s very important to consider all this before making the choice. First-year students often have unrealistic expectations of a degree course, and at the departmental student committee, we try to clear up the misunderstandings at the outset.