On behalf of the department staff (academic and administrative), I gladly welcome you to the Department of Communication Innovation and Technology of the Faculty of Communication and Cultural Studies, University for Development Studies (UDS). As Ghana's maiden social change communication programme, we highlight critical development and social issues using communication. Generally, our Social Change Communication programme aims to develop a critical understanding of communication theories and the practical application of communication in development contexts. The programme attempts to strengthen the professional competence in the design, planning and management of information and knowledge interventions and as well develop skills in designing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating communication strategies that accompany development policy interventions.

The Department of Communication and Information Technology (CIT) was established and accredited in 2012 to offer BSc and Diploma in Social Change Communication. It has since been producing graduates “with social and behavioural change communication skill-set that contributes to the development of Ghana. The Department is positioned to train communication graduates with a strong background in social and behaviour change issues to address real-life and complex challenges. Given the cosmopolitan character of careers in the communication industries, most of Ghana’s communication workers who do not have academic and professional training can enrol on our programmes. Since its inception in 2012, the Department has produced 6 cycles of cohorts (over 2000 BSc and Diploma) of communicators sensitive to society's behavioural and social change tenets as their core value driving their communicative practice in various sectors of the economy. The programme inclusively focuses on concepts of communication studies, media, public relations, advertising, digitisation and social media, critical theories, communication skills and rhetoric, critical thinking, community engagements and cultural issues, social change and many other human development-related courses.

Aside from the:

• Diploma in Social Change Communication (Fulltime and Distance Learning mode)
• BSc in Social Change Communication (Full time)

The Department has secured accreditation to run its postgraduate programmes from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), which include: 

• MA in Social Change Communication (Full time/Sandwich and Weekend)
• MPhil in Social Change Communication (Full time and Sandwich)
• PhD in Social Change Communication (Full time)

The primary goal of these postgraduate programmes is to produce graduates equipped with the proper theoretical and conceptual knowledge, research, and practical skills to take on the challenges of social change communication practice, research, and teaching in development and academia.

The MA programme aims to produce social change communication practitioners to satisfy the growing need for such experts by civil society organizations, local and international non-governmental organizations, international development agencies, and local government and intergovernmental organizations and agencies. This practitioner-based academic training will address the challenges of problem-solving skills, weaker communication, and inadequate analytical capacity of most students from tertiary institutions, which has implications for industry fit and public service efforts (International Growth Centre, 2013). Our MA programme also aims to help address the challenges of communication of convergence on education, politics, health, climate change issues, and the misinformation that comes with communication practitioners' inability to understand and communicate these real-life social and development issues.

The MPhil and PhD programmes aim to produce theoretically grounded experts who will contribute to intellectual development through critical examination, testing, and refining theories and concepts in social change communication. These high-level intellectuals will take up careers in research and teaching in academic institutions, think tanks, or consultancy organizations. The PhD programme will open additional avenues for most of these MPhil holders who desire to gain PhD training within Ghana to upgrade themselves to compete effectively in the global competitive academy. 

Given the cosmopolitan character of the vocations in the communication industries, the majority of Ghana’s communication workers with high skill sets are in the major cities of southern Ghana. These programmes seek to fill the skill-set gap between the north and the south by offering communication for development training at the Nyankpala campus of UDS with stress on innovations in information technology and how they relate to agricultural, health, economic, cultural and community development needs.

Graduates have the opportunity to specialise in one or two of the following streams for their majors.

Upon successful completion of our Social Change Programmes, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate superior understanding of the intersection of communication, culture, technology, and human development
• Demonstrate a mature knowledge of communication and social science theories and research processes.
• Be competent in research methodologies in communication and social sciences
• Be capable of designing and implementing a communication and social change program

Minimum Requirements for the MA/MPhil programmes:

• Applicants must possess a good bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited University or Tertiary Institution.
• Applicants with at least a Second Class (Lower Division) are eligible to apply.
• Applicants must have at least two years of industry work experience, especially those whose degrees are below the Second-Class Upper Division.
• Candidates with Third Class or Pass may be considered for admission based on extensive industry work experience and other qualifications.

Minimum Requirements for the PhD programme:

• An MA/MPhil/degree in communication-related studies from an accredited university or a tertiary institution or related social science field of study.
• A good research proposal demonstrates articulation and the applicant’s capacity to undertake PhD level research.
• Candidates must show depth and strong potential to complete a PhD programme successfully.

Programmes Target Groups

• Teachers/Lecturers in Communication, Journalism, Media, Social Change, etc.
• Journalists and Media practitioners
• Communications specialists
• Researchers and Consultants
• Development Communication specialists
• Knowledge Management Specialists
• Community and Events managers
• Digital Content Production and Media Managers
• Communication and Marketing Managers
• Participatory Media Producers 
• Measurement, Evaluation and Learning Specialists
• Community Program Managers and external affairs
• Public Relations and Corporate Affairs Practitioners
• Communication, Advocacy and Fundraising Specialists
• Community Informatics and Social Change Specialists
• Social Media Managers and Content Creators
• Programme and Project Officers

We gladly welcome you as part of the social change communication team. We are always ready to assist you with your needs.
You are most welcome.