Political Strategy and Communication

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

• provide you with a research-active teaching environment which provides a good grounding in the study of  social science in general, in political strategy, and in the communication of political positions in particular
• offer you a critical perspective of the interplay between international relations and European politics as they relate to the process of creating a strategy for dealing with political issues, and communicating effectively the issues and positions on the basis of that strategy, in order to influence outcomes at the European and national levels
• ensure that you acquire a solid understanding of methodologies for the study of social science in general, and in the application of those understandings to the study of political strategy in particular
• ensure that you acquire a solid understanding of major theoretical approaches to policymaking and policy analysis, the historical development of the contemporary European policy landscape, and the application of theoretical and historical knowledge to the analysis and understanding of contemporary issues and cases in the field, with particular emphasis on the manner in which policies, positions, perspectives, and attitudes are communicated
• ensure that you acquire the necessary skills for an advanced assessment of contemporary problems in European politics, society, and economy, and their solutions
• develop your general research skills and personal skills (transferable skills).

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• the main legal, economic, and political parameters of communication and advocacy in the EU and in global politics
• key historical and theoretical issues in the development of European policy, together with familiarity with appropriate bibliographical sources
• how to apply general theoretical and conceptual frameworks to the analysis of specific issues and problems in domestic, regional, and international settings
• how to utilise qualitative and quantitative research methods and evaluate critically their application in the scholarly literature and in policy papers
• how to design and conduct a research project demonstrating awareness of epistemological and methodological principles appropriate to the subject of that research project
• how to design and write a substantial scholarly paper demonstrating familiarity with academic and professional conventions.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in:

• general research skills, especially bibliographic and computing skills
• the ability to gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources
• the ability to identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems
• the ability to develop reasoned arguments, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement
• the ability to reflect on, and manage, your own learning and seek to make use of constructive feedback from your peers and staff to enhance your performance and personal skills
• managing your own learning self-critically.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

• an advanced understanding of the different theoretical perspectives on the formulation and implementation of political and communication strategies
• an advanced understanding of the varied nature of communications and the context-dependent nature of strategic choices for communicating political and social issues
• an advanced understanding of  the rhetorical constructions of issues as they relate to the analysis and practice of advocacy and lobbying
• the ability to apply concepts, theories and methods used in the policy arena to contemporary issues and problems
• the ability to evaluate the inter-relationships between the literatures and methodologies of public policy, politics, and international relations and related disciplines, such as law, political theory, economics, sociology and history as they relate to political communication and lobbying
• the ability to describe, evaluate and apply different approaches to collecting, analysing and presenting social and technical information.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

• communication: the ability to communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing (including, where appropriate, the use of IT), organise information clearly and coherently, use communication and information technology for the retrieval and presentation of information, including, where appropriate, statistical or numerical information
• information technology: produce written documents, undertake online research, communicate using email, process information using databases
• working with others: define and review the work of others, work co-operatively on group tasks, understand how groups function, collaborate with others and contribute effectively to the achievement of common goals
• improving your own learning: explore your strengths and weaknesses, time-management skills, review your working environment (especially the student-staff relationship), develop autonomy in learning, work independently, demonstrate initiative and self-organisation
• important research management skills include the setting of appropriate timescales for different stages of the research, with clear starting and finishing dates (through a dissertation), presentation of a clear statement of the purposes and expected results of the research, and developing appropriate means of estimating and monitoring resources and use of time
• problem-solving: identify and define problems, explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them
• personal career development:  you are encouraged to manage your own career progression and development proactively and are supported in developing skills in researching and retrieving information on opportunities for employment and continuing personal and career development.

Study support

Postgraduate resources

Students have access to excellent e-library facilities online via the Templeman library in Canterbury; inter-library loans within Belgium; 50,000 online journals are also available off-campus. Students also have outstanding access to libraries in Brussels, such as at our partner universities Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Université Libre de Bruxelles, the Royal Library of Belgium, among others. The School’s resources include a dedicated selection of more than 1,000 key texbooks on the subject of international affairs and law. In addition, postgraduate research students have their own designated room with computer terminals and access to wi-fi in all areas at the Brussels centre.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. The Brussels School produces its own journal, The Brussels Journal of International Studies, which was founded in 2003. Details of recently published books can be found within the staff research interests section.

Global Skills Award

All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.