Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Media and Communications (with Foundation Year)

This course is offered as a degree with foundation year - a four-year programme which provides an additional foundation year at the beginning of the degree, that will give students academic and practical experience, as well as the skills they need to ensure they are equipped to successfully complete their chosen degree. During the foundation year: • Students take modules in English and Maths which will develop their core academic and study skills. • Students study a year-long module relevant to their chosen degree subject, such as Communication and Representation Essentials, providing them with a subject specific knowledge in Media Communications.

This professionally-oriented BA Media and Communications is designed to provide students with the creative and critical thinking, executive skills and business awareness to succeed in the creative industries. Students will learn about the key media functions that define consumer culture, including marketing, branding PR, advertising, data and audience engagement. This degree will provide students with a deep insight into a rapidly-evolving industry, and give them broad based skills ranging from media production to data analytics. Students will not only develop journalistic skills such as research, identifying and interviewing credible sources, editing texts and selecting stories for publication, but also learn about the business of media, preparing them for the more detailed exploration of different aspects of the media environment in the following years. Working with practitioners and experts, students will develop practical skills in digital media production, project management, and creative skills in diverse formats including radio and podcasting, photography and feature writing. Students will develop the ability to devise marketing and digital communications strategies, target messages to a wide range of audiences, and understand storytelling and media language. Students will have the opportunity to conduct research on key topics relating to media communications and will be encouraged to reflect on their own role as a consumer and creator of media content. Students will gain important insights into how audiences engage with brands and companies using audio-visual experiences. This will enable them to offer a valuable and informed contribution, particularly to those industries seeking to understand new trends and engage with youth markets. Students can tailor their degree by choosing modules that fit with their interests, whether its developing their research skills, learning how to create effective multiplatform and mobile campaigns, or practicing journalism skills and radio and podcast production. This practice-based, industry-facing programme is designed to give students real world experience. Students will be taught by industry practitioners and will have the opportunity to do a year-long work placement as part of their degree. Students will be assessed in a variety of methods, including oral presentations, ‘real world’ case study projects and portfolio work. When students graduate, they will be well-placed to go into a number of industries that require multi-skilled communications professionals who are aware of the wider social and commercial importance of media.