Curriculum Flow and
Areas of interest

Curriculum Flow

The MCD (Master's in Communication) is organized around the offering of 4 mandatory 2-credit courses and 1 mandatory 4-credit course, totaling 12 credits, and 8 elective courses to be chosen by the student, accounting for another 16 credits. There is also a provision for 6 credits for the preparation of the Final Course Project/Dissertation. At the end of the course, the student should have completed 34 credits.

Courses H/A Credits
5 Mandatory 240 12
8 Optional 320 16
1. Dissertation Guidance 120 6
     

MANDATORY DISCIPLINES
The core set of required subjects consists of five disciplines, which have been structured with the following objectives:

i) To provide the master's student with in-depth knowledge of the theory and application of Communication from various perspectives, such as public service, digital marketing, and the political context;

ii) to offer students a solid foundation in research methodologies and techniques fundamental to rigorous study in the Program's area of ​​knowledge.

The required subjects in the Program are:

 

Theories of Communication;

Neuroscience and Digital Communication;

Digital Campaigns: Management, Monitoring and Evaluation;

Research Methodology in Communication;

Research Project in Social Communication.

AREAS OF INTEREST

Additionally, the program offers more than 20 elective courses, organized around 4 areas of interest. This organization aims to provide students with a didactic and intelligible structure that allows them to learn about the diverse perspectives that make up the area's study agenda.

 

Thus, the proposal is not to tie the student to one of the areas of interest, but, on the contrary, to encourage them to move between them, taking diverse subjects, interacting with professors, and getting a sample of the numerous research possibilities that meet their professional realities and academic expectations.

 

It can be said, then, that the areas of interest in the Master's program are complementary and interrelated, allowing professors and students to work in an integrated way on various research projects nuanced by these different thematic areas. This structure enables the formation and consolidation of a diverse internal research network, as well as allowing students to move between areas of interest, enabling, for example, a student who is conducting research on the topic of regulation to perfectly deepen their knowledge and take courses on social development.

The program's four areas of interest are:

 

Neuroscience, Digital Marketing and Behavior

Digital Communication and Marketing in the Public Sector

Political Marketing and Election Campaigns

Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Communication

AREA 01

Neuroscience, Digital Marketing and Behavior

Area I offers an interdisciplinary analysis of the interactions between brain and cognitive processes, digital marketing strategies, and behavior. Combining recent advances in neuroscience with the emerging dynamics of digital marketing, this research line aims to elucidate the brain mechanisms that influence people's behavioral decisions in the physical and digital environment.

Some of the subjects offered in this area:

  • Neuroscience and Digital Communication;
  • Consumer Behavior: Designing Experiences and Journeys;
  • Experiments, Modeling in Marketing and Growth Hacking;
  • Creation and Production in Digital Media.

AREA 02

Digital Communication and Marketing in the Public Sector

Area II focuses on the application of marketing and communication concepts in the public sector. Research is dedicated to studying the use of digital communication strategies and platforms in public organizations, evaluating how they influence public perception of government actions and public policies. This line of research also centers on analyzing how governmental and public institutions adopt digital communication technologies to improve transparency, efficiency, and citizen participation.

 

Examples of subjects in this core area:

 

  • Public Marketing, Politics and Citizen Behavior;
  • Fundamentals of Digital Communication in the Public Sector;
  • State, Media and Society in Contemporary Brazil;

Fact-checking and combating misinformation on social media.

AREA 03

Political Marketing and Election Campaigns

Area III focuses on the analysis and development of marketing strategies applied to political contexts and electoral campaigns. Research in this area ranges from the creation and management of digital campaigns to the study of voter behavior, as well as the impact of political communication on social media. The area also examines the use of data and trend analysis for the formulation of effective electoral strategies. It integrates disciplines such as persuasion techniques in campaigns, political discourse analysis, and ethics in political communication.

Examples of subjects offered by this center:

 

Public Management and Digitalization:

  • Fundamentals of Political and Electoral Marketing;
  • Public Opinion, Political Marketing, and Electoral Behavior;
  • Formulation and Implementation of Election Campaigns;

Special Topics in Elections and Voter Behavior.

AREA 04

Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Communication

Area IV explores the intersection between artificial intelligence, data science, and communication. This research area highlights how advances in AI and Data Science are transforming the way information is collected, analyzed, and communicated. The focus is on the application of these technologies to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and personalization of communication, as well as on analyzing the ethical and practical challenges that arise with the increasing use of AI and big data in media and communication.

 

Examples of subjects offered by this center are as follows:

 

  • Digital Campaigns: Management, Monitoring and Evaluation;
  • Dynamics of Digital Communication: Algorithms, Dataification, and Platforms;
  • Data Protection and Regulation of New Technologies;
  • Artificial Intelligence and Digital Communication.