Ciara Varley, Resource Mobilisation and Communications Officer at The Ryan Institute.
MA Global Media and Communication – 2023/24 Student Perspective
Working in science communication was a strong ambition of mine and I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to realise this by studying media and communication at the University of Galway. The MA in Global Media and Communication gave me insight into both the practical and theoretical basis for communication, alongside the opportunity to specialise in my area of interest: climate action, sustainability and science communication.
Global Media and Communication blends theory and practice
I enjoyed the blend of theory and practice throughout the course and gained skills in video editing, motion graphics, podcasting, media writing, data journalism and social media management. The MA in Global Media and Communication places an emphasis on practical outputs and I completed several portfolio places during my time on the course, including the creation of websites, strategic communication plans, podcasts, videos and articles. The combination of theory and practice meant I was well-equipped to communicate on complex climate and science topics while creating my portfolio pieces.
One of the pieces I wrote during my MA was published to Earth.Org, a leading environmental news site.
Internships at the University of Galway
Alongside my studies, I was lucky enough to secure two internships during my MA. From semester one onwards, I completed an internship as a science communication officer with the University of Galway’s sustainability-focused research centre the Ryan Institute. This internship not only gave me experience communicating on cutting-edge scientific research, but also provided me with the opportunity to get hands-on practice with social media management, web-editing, podcasting and strategic communication.
Over the summer months, I received the opportunity to intern with the University of Galway’s sustainability working group through the Student Sustainability Leadership Award. Working on the SDG communication and engagement project allowed me to. Through several sustainability-focused communication projects, I was able to hone my media writing skills and put my content creation and web-design skills to use. These internships were invaluable for my career development, and I would not have been able to avail of them had I not been a student at the University of Galway.
June 2024 – Galway, Ireland – University of Galway’s 2024 student sustainability leaders with the university’s sustainability officer and members of the Student’s Union. I carried out climate communication projects during this internship.
Launching my career right after graduation
I was fortunate enough to be offered a full-time position following my internship with the Ryan Institute. As a resource mobilisation and communications officer, I put the skills I gained during my MA to use every day. The soft skills I gained through class projects and internships like teamwork, communication, creativity and problem-solving, serve me well working in an interdisciplinary team driving large EU-funded research projects. My hard skills in audio and video editing, media writing and social media content creation allow me to communicate on our research projects in a diverse range of formats. Getting to communicate across different research projects in multimedia formats, means every day at the office is different. I find my work very fulfilling and really enjoy the opportunity to communicate on cutting-edge sustainability research projects.
Recent work trips to Hanoi, Vietnam, a role as outreach manager for Ireland’s largest science communication festival Pint of Science, and an upcoming training session in Austria have been highlights of my career in the few months following my graduation. Coming from a hard science background, a career in communication seemed a far way off. Whether you are coming in with little experience in media like me or you’re a comms aficionado, studying the MA in Global Media and Communication will ensure you leave a competent and creative media professional.
December 2023 – Hanoi, Vietnam – A food market selling different vegetables. I enjoyed visiting this food market and others on a recent work trip to Hanoi.
Your Postgraduate Studies at University of Galway 