M.A. Communication for Social and Behaviour Change

The Masters programme in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change provides students with a solid foundation in theory, research methods and practice. Participants are prepared to conceptualise, design, manage and evaluate evidence-based strategic programmes for social and behaviour change. A range of challenges and opportunities will be addressed, including the environment, climate change and disaster preparedness, responses to the crisis of HIV and AIDS, as well as other social and developmental issues.  Preparation in strategic communication and intervention design will include individual, community, national, Caribbean regional and global strategies and cover a range of communication strategies.  The programme is innovative, timely and relevant to the needs of the Caribbean serving participants from the entire region. 

The programme, unique in the Caribbean, addresses the challenges of social and human development from the perspective of enlarging choices and capacities of the people through participatory communication in social change and development.

The programme is designed to produce specialists in the role of communication in social and behaviour change programme design with special skills in social change communication strategies especially applicable to the Caribbean and other developing countries. Courses are taught and examined by an expert team including well-known regional and international scholars in their fields.

About CARIMAC 

The Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) is the premier School of Media and Communication in the English speaking Caribbean. It is the only one offering courses in communication from the certificate to graduate level as well as short summer courses in this field. The Institute trains students for professional work in print, radio, video, multimedia, public relations and social marketing and offers graduate degrees in Communication Studies, Social and Behaviour Change, as well as a Masters and a Doctorate in Communication. 

CARIMAC was established by the Government of Jamaica in 1974 and is a department of the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the University of the West Indies. The execution of the Masters in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change will be in collaboration with other faculties at the UWI, including the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work, and the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences   

Social and Behaviour Change Communication is an essential part of a comprehensive programme to develop an understanding of the factors associated with behaviour change. The Master of Arts in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change recognizes that behaviours are learned within cultural, socio-economic and individual contexts and that successful strategies to sustainably modify or change behaviours need to take these contexts into account.

Programme Organization 

The Master of Arts in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change programme is a Part Time Programme.   The programme runs for 2 calendar years, starting in January of Year 1 to December of Year 2. 

There is a summer component of 6 weeks between June and July. The summer is counted as a semester and students are required to register for the courses offered for two summers. 

The student registers for 10 courses for a total of 38 credits for this programme, as summarised below.

The schedule sets out the courses per semester for the programme.

Students will attend at least two courses per semester. Classes are in the evenings between 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm., Monday through Thursdays. Some special sessions may be scheduled on a weekend.   

Required Core Courses