Georgetown and Northwestern Announce Joint Program in Media and Politics

In a signing ceremony with Dean Everette Dennis of Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) and Dean Gerd Nonneman of Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), the two deans inaugurated a new joint program in Media and Politics. The program will allow enrolled students to specialize in the study of journalism and communication in the political, diplomatic, and policy-making processes, as well as the role of politics in the shaping of mass media products and policies. It will enable students to better understand how politicians, governments, and citizens influence, and are themselves influenced by, the media in its myriad forms and formats.

Everette Dennis, Dean and CEO of NU-Q, noted that “media are a crucial link between citizens and governments of all kinds. This program will enable future leaders to develop a deeper understanding of the subtleties of this powerful dynamic as they prepare to become practitioners in media, public affairs, or other fields. We are proud to partner with Georgetown to create this unique opportunity for students studying in Qatar.”

For Georgetown students, this is an 18 credit hour certificate program; for Northwestern students, this is an 18 credit hour minor program; while classification is in-line with each university’s tradition, the content is identical. The courses are offered equally by Georgetown and Northwestern campuses in Education City, and most courses will be completed during the junior and senior year. Completion of the sequence requires a student to take six courses.

Georgetown assumes responsibility for ensuring that the certificate is accurately reflected on the transcripts of its students completing the program, and Northwestern assumes responsibility for ensuring that the minor is accurately reflected on the transcripts of their students completing the program. 

“The program will provide a purposeful curricular grouping for students interested in the intersection of these two fields, and should prove quite popular at both institutions. We think these are exactly the kind of collaborative opportunities our joint presence in Qatar enables. The Education City environment acts as a catalyst for creating world class joint programs that would not be possible anywhere else. We are thrilled to partner with Northwestern in this endeavor,” noted Dr. Gerd Nonneman, dean of Georgetown University in Qatar.”

Access to the program will be by application in the second semester of the second year of university study. Students will be required to write a brief essay explaining why they are interested in the Media and Politics program and how it relates to their studies and to their ambitions after graduation.

In addition to completing the required courses, all students in the Media and Politics program will be required to give a formal presentation of an original project that focuses on the intersection of, or interaction between, media and politics. Both campuses will take turns hosting these presentations in alternate years and the presentations will be open to the public.

Georgetown University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000) The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Middle States region includes the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The University successfully completed its reaccreditation review in Spring of 2012. This process takes place every 10 years, and applies to the entire university. 

About Northwestern University in Qatar Northwestern University in Qatar, founded in 2008, offers top-ranked programs in journalism and communication. Graduates of NU-Q earn either a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism or a Bachelor of Science degree in communication with all the technical skills required to launch rewarding professional careers. NU-Q also offers students the opportunity to complete a certificate in Middle East studies. The vision and ambition of NU-Q is that the journalists and media professionals who have studied at the university will help bring the story of the Middle East to the wider world and will influence the political, cultural and social life of the countries in which they practice their profession.

About Georgetown University in Qatar Founded in 1789 in the United States, Georgetown University is a student-centered international research university offering highly ranked undergraduate, graduate and professional programs preparing the next generation of global citizens to lead and make a positive impact in the world. The outstanding students, faculty, alumni and professionals of Georgetown are dedicated to real-world applications of research, scholarship, faith and service. The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) is a premier school of international affairs. At Georgetown’s Washington, D.C. campus since 1919 and at the Doha, Qatar campus since 2005, a rigorous liberal arts education is provided combining theory and practice while instilling the values of “men and women in the service of others”. At Georgetown’s Qatar campus students have the opportunity to major in Culture and Politics, International History, International Economics, and International Politics, with the same curriculum as that available to students in Washington: students are ranked as part of the same cohort. Students enrolled in majors may also complete additional requirements to complete certificates in Arab and Regional Studies, American Studies or the newly offered joint certificate in Media and Politics.