The first and third semesters will be spent studying at Saint Petersburg State University, with the second semester at Freie Universität Berlin. Fourth-semester students can study either in Berlin or in Saint Petersburg, depending on the institutional affiliation of their thesis supervisor. The master’s program in Global Communication and International Journalism attracts graduates with a BA level or higher academic degree in social sciences or the humanities. The application and admissions processes are being organized in Saint Petersburg via the web portal of SPbU. The program at Freie Universität is directed by Prof. Dr. Margreth Lünenborg, who is the director of Journalism Studies at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies.

Students in this master’s degree program will receive an academic education that is also geared toward real-world practice. They will gain a thorough understanding of communication theories and acquire comprehensive knowledge about international media and communications. There is a particular focus on international comparative theories and empirical approaches for considering structural changes in the media and society. This program is the only one of its kind in both Germany and Russia, and it attracts international students. During the first year there were students from every continent.

The costs vary, depending on the location. For the semester(s) at Freie Universität, students only need to pay the regular student fees. Fifteen of the twenty available spaces are tuition-free places at Saint Petersburg State University, for which no fees are required. For the remaining five spaces at St. Petersburg, the students will need to pay about 90,000 rubles (currently about 1,500 euros) per semester.