About us
Communication Science at VU University Amsterdam is situated in a society of rapid changes as a result of new media and new technologies. The department develops and disseminates knowledge about how these developments affect the forms, functions and effects of communication, with a strong emphasis on communication through new media, on the psychology of the media user, and advanced methods for mapping and analyzing media content. Such knowledge of communication processes is especially developed in the field of public and political communication, marketing and corporate communication, health communication and communication for private purposes (social media, gaming).
Research within the department is creative and innovative. Within the Center for Advanced Media Research Amsterdam (CAMeRA@VU) and the Network Institute researchers from the department work together with other disciplines to analyze communication processes from different perspectives. The research is published in leading international journals, both within the discipline (e.g., Journal of Communication, Human Communication Research, Media Psychology) and also in adjacent fields (e.g., Academy of Management Review, Political Analysis, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology). Researchers from the department regularly act as experts in the national press and give talks to numerous companies and agencies.
The education of the department of Communication Studies prepares students at different levels (bachelor, master) for working in organizations and professions in which the rapid emergence of new media change in character. Students learn the VU academic skills necessary to critically analyze these developments. They learn to conduct research that contributes to knowledge of how communication between people, organizations and institutions affected by the opportunities of, for example, social media. Graduates of the Bachelor's and Master Communication Science find themselves in jobs in media, business and government where they are daily confronted with the realities of the new media.
History
Communication Science at the VU University Amsterdam has just begun as a separate department. On September 1, 2002, the education Communication science started, and on January 1, 2003, the department started off on its own. This does not mean that Communication science was unknown to the VU University Amsterdam before. Prof. dr. Jan Kleinnijenhuis has conducted research into the media representations of the Dutch elections for many years. As a part of BCO (Policy, Communication and Organisation), Communication Science developed into a department with its strength in research on mass communication and communication of organisations. Although they won their spurs, the department is occupied by young and ambitious teachers.
In the Communication department of the VU University Amsterdam, research into free and paid publicity is pivotal. Teachers take a theoretical perspective in learning students how to perform research into communication within organisations and between organisations and the public. It is not just the application of knowledge, but instead the enhancement of insight that is emphasized.
In the coming years, Communication Science will be focusing on Media Psychology, media entertainment, use and effects of video gaming and new technology. This new direction will be shaped in international and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Amsterdam
The city of Amsterdam offers our students enough opportunities to participate in college life and a range of activities, events and organizations outside of the formal program. Amsterdam is the media and communication metropole in the Netherlands: top media institutions, large international corporations, communication, advertising and online agencies are settled here.
Furthermore, the VU University Amsterdam is located in the heart of the city's business and financial district, known as "Amsterdam Zuidas". The university is a valuable partner for businesses when it comes to exchanging knowledge, developing talent and encouraging innovation. With its diverse selection of arts, including music, theatre, photography, film, art and museums, Amsterdam is one of the most popular and inspiring European cities - vibrant and full of students.
