

Target group / Profile
The dual bachelor degree program allows students to combine their study of communication with another major. Combining majors is ideal for careers in media that are focused on specific branches, such as political communication or business journalism. The dual bachelor degree program allows students to implement the thematic applications of communication studies in other interests and inclinations. The module structure’s theoretical and empirically-orientated research focus and media-practical elements inform students of the necessary perspectives for the successful completion of jobs and tasks related to the media.
Standard period of study and Workload
The dual bachelor degree program is comprised of 180 ECTS credits, which are divided among six semesters and amount to a complete workload of 5400 hours. ECTS credits are a quantitative measurement of the student’s workload. They comprise the time necessary for attending lectures and seminars; for preparation and follow-up work, for the exam phases and exam preparation, and for the mandatory internship.
In the dual bachelor degree program, the student must attain 75 credits from each major (for a total of 150 credits, or 4500 hours). An additional 20 credits need to be attained from General Studies (each major has a General Studies module that is worth 5 credits). The Department of Communication has established a specific module to complete this requisite: The General Studies Module, which supports and supplements a major in communication studies. The final 10 credits are allocated to the bachelor’s thesis, which can be written on a subject of either major.
Module structure
Module Definition | ECTS / SWS | Influence on final grade | Attendance/ Self-study | Status |
Introductory Module I: Foundations of ComStud I | 8 / 4 | 10% | 60h / 180h | Mandatory |
Introductory Module II: Foundations of Comstud II | 8 / 4 | 10% | 60h / 180h | Mandatory |
Methods Module I: Data Collection | 8 / 4 | 10% | 60h / 180h | Mandatory |
Methods Module II: Data Analysis | 7 / 4 | 10% | 60h / 150h | Mandatory |
Communication - and Media Practice I | 12 / 4 | 10% | 60h / 300h | Mandatory |
Thematic Module 1: Module 8 ("Society, The Public, Culture") or Module 9 ("PR- and Advertising Research ") or Module 10 ("Journalism Research ") or Module 11 ("Media- and Reception Research ") | 12 / 4 | 20% | 60h / 300h | Elictive |
Thematic Module 2: Module 8 ("Society, The Public, Culture ") or Module 9 ("PR- and Advertising Research ") or Module 10 ("Journalism Research ") or Module 11 ("Media- and Reception Research ") | 12 / 4 | 20% | 60h / 300h | Elictive |
Practical Research | 8 / 2 | 10% | 30h / 210h | Mandatory |
General Studies: Introduction into scientific work | 5 / 2 | According to Double Bachelor conditions [1] | 30h / 120h | Mandatory |
Exam Module: Bachelor's Thesis | 10 / - | According to Double Bachelor conditions [2] | - / 300h | Elictive |
[1] Of the 20 credits in the General Studies module, 5 are allocated to communication studies (Module 13). The overall grade received for the completion of the General Studies module is the grade point average of the courses within the module. How the grade of the General Studies module is weighted, as well as how it is determined, are subject to §13 for the conditions of Bachelor examinations of the WWU within the Dual Bachelor-Model from January 22, 2004 in the version from February 6, 2008.
[2] The bachelor’s thesis must be written in one of the two majors in which 75 academic performance credits need to be attained. Students who decide to write their thesis in communication studies are subject to the subject-specific regulations of the Communication Studies Dual Bachelor (Section 4.1 §2 and §4), as well as the conditions for the bachelor examinations at the WWU within the Dual Bachelor Model from January 22, 2004 in the version from February 6, 2008.
Overview of the internal structure of the bachelor modules and QISPOS examination-numbers
Module | Name / Kind of course | ECTS | Influence on Module grade | QISPOS examination-number |
Introductory Module I | Introduction to ComStud I | 8 | / | 11001 |
Module Final Exam I | 0 | 100% | 11010 | |
Introductory Module II | Introduction to ComStud II | 8 | / | 12001 |
Module Final Exam II | 0 | 100% | 12010 | |
Methods Module I | Lecture "Data Collection" | 5 | / | 13001 |
Seminar "Data Collection" | 3 | / | 13002 | |
Module Final Exam | 0 | 100% | 13010 | |
Methods Module II | Lecture "Data Analysis" | 5 | / | 14001 |
Seminar "Data Analysis" | 2 | / | 14002 | |
Module Final Exam | 0 | 100% | 14010 | |
Communication and Media Practice I | Seminar | 6 | 50% | 15001 |
Seminar | 6 | 50% | 15002 | |
Thematic Module "Society, The Public, Culture" | Lecture | 5 | 40% | 18001 |
Seminar | 7 | 60% | 18002 | |
Thematic Module "PR- and Advertising Research " | Lecture | 5 | 40% | 19001 |
Seminar | 7 | 60% | 19002 | |
Thematic Module "Journalism Research" | Lecture | 5 | 40% | 20001 |
Seminar | 7 | 60% | 20002 | |
Thematic Module “Reception Research" | Lecture | 5 | 40% | 21001 |
Seminar | 7 | 60% | 21002 | |
Practical Research | Seminar | 8 | / | 22001 |
Module Final Exam | 0 | 100% | 22002 |
Modules M1, M2, M3, M4, and M13 should be completed in the first two semesters. At this time, students are provided with a broad foundation of the theoretical, methodical, and career-oriented basics of communication studies. This foundation is especially important later, when subjects are discussed in more detail and as students begin to develop interest in specific career paths, for instance in Thematic Modules I and II or in Communication and Media Practice I. The Practical Research Module combines the accumulated methodological knowledge acquired in the first two semesters with the expertise of the Introductory or Thematic Module. It retraces the research process, so that students who decide to complete the Exam Module at the Department of Communication can complete research on their bachelor’s thesis more or less independently.
Additional information about the bachelor in communication studies can be found on the German IfK homepage and at WWU academic advising.