MSc Political Communications and Public Affairs

Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

Communication, media, and culture not only shape people’s lives but are also pivotal to the way in which politics and policymaking work. Companies and brands have recognised this for some time now in their lobbying, advocacy, and social responsibility work. In this age of activism, so have ordinary people when they mobilise to advocate for ways - laws and policies - to change how governments and companies go about their business. There is politics (and policy) in the food we eat, in the education we get, in how we travel, how we build homes, in who makes our clothes and what happens to them when we no longer use them. And this is what this course is about. We recognise the growing importance of specialist skills that combine communication with strategic management and an understanding of public affairs. Many organisations, from huge corporations to grassroots organisations, rely on public affairs specialists to be able to conduct their activities, to look after their reputation and, most importantly, to have a say in how the world is shaped by what governments and legislators do.