COURSE CURRICULUM

In Year 1 of the BA Media degree, you’ll gain a solid foundation in media studies by engaging with key debates, concepts, and thinkers that shape the discipline. You'll explore the structures of media industries, examine how media is produced, regulated, and consumed, and consider the impact of digital technologies on communication and culture. Through core modules such as Media Industries, Media Representation in a Global Context, and Making Media History, you’ll learn to critically assess the political, economic, and social forces shaping media. You'll also be introduced to influential media theories and research methods, and gain analytical skills through modules like Analysing Television and Digital Media: Concepts, Technologies & Cultures. This year is all about developing your critical voice and becoming confident in media analysis, setting the stage for more focused study in later years.In Year 2, you’ll deepen your understanding of media theory and begin to specialise in the areas that interest you most. Whether you're drawn to the cultural impact of digital media, the transformation of television, or grassroots and community media, you'll be encouraged to explore both theoretical and practical perspectives. Modules like Digital Mediascapes and Theorising Television: From Broadcasting to Streaming provide insight into how media is shaped by geography, policy, and technology, and allow for deeper critical engagement. This year also offers the exciting opportunity to gain industry experience through internships, helping you apply academic knowledge in real-world media contexts.In your final year, you’ll bring together your accumulated skills and knowledge to focus on specialised topics and independent research. Through the core module Researching Contemporary Media Cultures, you'll develop the tools to design and execute your own research project, which could take the form of a traditional dissertation or a practice-based investigation. With the freedom to choose from a range of optional modules—potentially covering topics like gender in media, science fiction, adaptation, or digital culture—you’ll have the flexibility to explore your individual academic passions while preparing for professional or postgraduate pathways.