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M. A. Communication Studies
(With Special emphasis on Development Support Communication)

Vision: Improvement in the quality of life and economic growth is not a choice for us.
It is inevitable, a compulsion and need of the time. While living in the neighbourhood of
super powers like China, India, Russia, and facing undue pressures from the western
powers, we cannot survive as a third rate nation.
Mission: By making the use of communication expertise an essential component of
development planning, making our society information rich and giving right direction to
our media we can accelerate the pace of our development; achieve the targets of national
solidarity and real benefits of democracy.
Objectives: This master’s programme will prepare such trained persons who will:
1. Create an intellectual environment in the society congenial for social and
economic development.
2. Prepare communication strategies for development programmes, projects,
government departments and private organizations.
3. Assess communication needs of different organizations/programmes and analyze
different audience segments.
4. Produce high fidelity tailor made, receiver oriented messages for the specific
needs of particular groups of audiences of different development programmes or
organizations.
5. Pre-test the messages.
6. Include participatory approach and use local wisdom in development planning
and implementation.
7. Devise proper communication channels for different audiences of development
programmes/projects.
8. Monitor and evaluate the communication fidelity of development programmes.
9. Produce all sort of audio visual and print materials for the needs of different
organizations/programmes.
10. Train the field workers in communication skills.
11. Produce content, design and edit news bulletins and periodicals etc.
12. Evaluate and write critique on the media content and demonstrate their ability to
work with any media, public relations, welfare, development project or
advertising agency.
Statute: The name of this academic programme will be Communication Studies. It will
be four semesters two years M. A. Course. The basic qualification for admission will be
B. A. / B. Sc. /B. Com. Semester rules of HEC will be followed.
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Course Outline
Semester – 1
CS- 101: Communication 3 Credit Hours

Communication as a process – Communication barriers: physical, psychological and

semantic – Communication models – Principles of effective communication - Levels of
communication: intrapersonal, interpersonal, group communication, organizational
communication, mass communication and international communication – Listening skills
– Speaking skills- Presentations.

CS – 102: Language and Communication 3 Credit Hours

Language as a symbolic process – Different uses of language: Daily life language,

Literary Language, Academic language, Scientific language, Journalistic language –
Meaning of the meaning and dictionary compiling – Communicative importance of
language – Social importance of language – Language and culture- Non verbal
communication – Writing practice –

CS – 103: Computer Skills 4 Credit Hours

Composing and editing with MS word and In-page (Urdu) - Page designing through
Coral Draw - Use of Internet –

CS – 104: English 5 Credit Hours

Students will practice English grammar, writing, speaking, listening and reading:
Grammar: tenses, punctuation, spellings, simple, compound and complex sentence
structures, connectives, passive voice, reported speech, prepositions, vocabulary, idioms.
Reading: skimming, scanning and guessing main ideas and supporting details,
Writing Skills: Outline, paragraph and headline writing, report, short articles and précis
writing, organizing ideas, sequencing, classifications, comparison and contrast, cause and
effect, description and narration.
Speaking Skills: Discussions, interviews and speeches.
Listening:Listening skills and practice of speech and press conference reporting.

CS – 105: Development 3 Credit Hours

Definitions and different approaches to Development: Growth vs Equality, Socialism vs

Capitalism, Economic vs Social, Westernization vs Local Cultures, Basic Needs
approach, Economic Problems of Pakistan with special reference to The Northern Areas,
Social Problems of Pakistan with special reference to The Northern Areas, Rural
Sociology of Northern Areas, Five Stages of Growth, Development Planning and
Implementation in Pakistan.
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Semester – II

CS – 106: English Writing & Speaking 4 Credit Hours

This seminar course is for English writing and speaking practice. Students will write
articles on major national issues including media’s role, development planning,
development problems and their solutions. They will give presentations in the class and
will be graded for their performance in writing and presentations.

CS - 107: Social Change and Development 3 Credit Hours

Change and Control - General systems theory - Need of behavioural change –

Participatory approach - Use of local wisdom - Two -step flow of communication and
role of the opinion leaders – Diffusion of innovations: definition of diffusion and
innovation, different steps of diffusion process, categories of adopters – Role of
international donor agencies in development of the Third World – Persuasion, motivation
and social mobilization - Advocacy – Socialization and Acculturation – Religion and
development – Culture and development, General Systems Theory.

CS – 108: News Techniques 4 Credit Hours

Definition and structure – News sources of a reporter and newspaper – Interviewing –

Investigative reporting – Interpretative reporting – Beat reporting – 5 Ws – Dos and
Don’ts – News Feature – Collection and Selection of news - Editing and designing news
pages – Headline writing – Intro writing - Translation from English to Urdu and Urdu to
English – Selection and editing of news photographs – Responsibilities and qualities of
good reporter and sub-editor.

CS – 109: Research Methods 3 Credit Hours

- Importance of research in social sciences – Types of research – Research proposal

- Topic – Synopsis – Hypothesis – Literature review – Research design –
Variables and types of variables - Universe – Sample – Questionnaire – Data
Collection- Data analysis- Conclusion- Summary – Recommendations.

CS – 110: Feature and Documentary 3 Credit Hours

Definition and types of features – Collection of information and visuals for features –
Definition and structure of a documentary – Techniques used in the documentaries - The
use of features and documentaries in development communication – Producing features
and documentaries: from selection of topic to the final design – Critique on the present
trends of features and documentaries in Pakistan.
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Semester – III

CS – 111: Advertising 3 Credit Hours

- Definition and types of advertising – Merits and demerits of advertising – Types of

advertising agencies – Departments of an advertising agency – Advertising appeals -
Preparing advertising copy: from research to conceptualization, theme building, slogan
writing and designing – Preparing a campaign – Advertising business in Pakistan.

CS – 112: Electronic Media 4 Credit Hours

- Basic terminology of radio and TV – TV script writing – News writing for radio
and TV- Camera techniques and shooting – Nonlinear Editing – Sound faxes and
visual faxes – Comparing and news casting for radio and TV.

CS – 113: Selection and Use of Communication Channels 3 Credit Hours

- Non projected media: Interpersonal communication – Group communication –

Speeches - White//black board, real things, models, charts, still photograph, maps,
multi-purpose board
- Projectors: multi media, slide projector, tape recorder, overhead projector, opaque
projector, VCR.
- Mass Media: radio, television, internet, newspapers and magazines, handbills,
posters, banners, advertisements, CDs, computers and cell phones.

CS – 114: Message Construction 3 Credit Hours

- Different formats of messages – Purpose – Information – Audience’s needs –

Benefits - Special benefits - Trial ability – Observe ability - Complexity level –
Homoglous/Heterogenous audience – conceptualization – Theme building –
Slogan/text writing – Design – Conspiracy of courtesy – Pre-testing – Final
message.

CS – 115: Communication Support Project 3 Credit Hours

With the consent of teacher students will opt for any community or rural service project.
They can start a small project of their own or can offer their communication services to
any NGO already working in any development area. A project could be like
immunization of children, free eye/medical camp, cleanliness campaign, or any other
cooperative/self help project and provide it full communication support. For record they
will make a video recording of different steps of it or at least snap still photographs.
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Semester – IV

CS – 116: Public Relations 3 Credit Hours

- Definitions of public relations – Difference of PR from publicity, advertising and

propaganda – Tools of Public Relations: press release, press conference,
advertising, print and audio visual materials, conferences, research, advisory
committees, visits, exhibitions, doing good – Publics of public relations – Media
relations - Long term and short term PR plans. Duties of a public relations officer.

CS – 117: Social Psychology 3 Credit Hours

Society- Self – Attitudes – Behaviour – Social Behaviour – Behavioural change – Group

Pressures – Community - Mob psychology – Crowd – Masses – Values - Culture and
Mass Culture – Opinion making – Rumors -

CS – 118: Communication Strategies 4 Credit Hours

- Need and importance of communication planning -

- Introduction of the organization/project
- Audience segmentation and analysis
- Assessment of communication needs
- Communication audit/critical review of the present communication of the organization.
- Communication strategy- Message construction.
Teams of the students will select any organization for them and prepare a communication
strategy and some messages for its needs.

CS – 119: Research Report 4 Credit Hours

For their research, students will select a topic related to communication, development or
development communication, conduct research and write a report under the supervision
of a teacher.

Total Credit Hours: 66