Media & Film Studies BA (Hons)

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of interactive lectures, seminars and workshops. You will also have the opportunity to develop your understanding by taking part in class trips such as being able to experience immersion for yourself at a virtual reality gaming arcade and going behind the scenes at a local festival. You will also be invited to our course events which include exclusive film screenings and guest speakers.

You will be expected to share your opinions and experiences in our seminars. You will develop your understanding of key concepts and theoretical ideas through discussion and debate with our lecturers and your peers. We do not shy away from controversial topics, especially as they are often (mis)represented in the media and films, but we pride ourselves on creating a safe, inclusive and respectful space where our students feel supported and confident to share their thoughts.

Some modules will be delivered through workshops which are designed to help you develop transferable skills, digital literacy and strategic career plans. This might include working on professional social networking through LinkedIn, industry-standard blogging platforms such as WordPress or creating content for TikTok.

You will always be expected to engage in critical analysis: of the media, of films and the industry and yourself. On our course we seek to understand how and why the media functions as it does and what effects this has on its users and audiences. We also want you to think critically and reflectively about your own culture and experiences, as this will affect how you respond. We will teach you critical concepts and ideas from a variety of theoretical frameworks including black histories, intersectional feminisms and queer approaches, which will enable you to decode the media. We will utilise the research methods of the field including semiotic and discourse analysis.

All of our modules will examine at least one of the following:

• Texts and representations (e.g. critical analysis of specific media or film examples such as Roblox, YouTube content, I May Destroy You or Hereditary; asking who is represented and who is not?)
• Audiences and consumption (e.g. asking who the intended user or audience is and, examining their engagement or reactions.)
• Production and institutions (e.g. asking who owns and controls our data on social media platforms? Or, how has the film industry changed since the development of streaming platforms and online subscriptions?)

Skills

You will explore how types, forms and applications of the media and the film industry operates and, its impact on culture, society and our identities. You will develop the following academic skills:

• critical analysis
• research
• creative problem solving (e.g. devising a mixed reality app to help with mental health)
• synthesis
• essay writing
• presentation communication
• creative application (e.g. devising a social media marketing campaign)

Contact time

In a typical week, students will have around 12 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected and in the final year the amount of teaching hours will change to account for the Dissertation module, which includes seven 2-hour taught sessions and 4 hours of supervision across the academic year (alongside the normal weekly 9 contact hours of teaching available in other selected modules).

Typically, weekly module contact time will be structured around 4 hours of lectures and 8 hours of seminars/workshops. Timetabled class contact time will typically be structured as:

• 1 hour interactive lecture followed by 2 hour seminar OR
• 1.5 hour lecture followed by 1.5 hour seminar OR
• 3 hour workshop

Independent study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 25 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve engaging with readings, media/film texts/artefacts and/or activities/tasks set via the VLE. Students will work on independent and group projects and research in the Hive Library and/or online as typical behaviours associated with preparing for assignment completion.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including Library Services, the VLE, and IT. 

Duration

• 3 years full-time
• 4-6 years part-time

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade.

Assessment methods include essays, reports, portfolios, textual analysis, and presentations, etc.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1

• Analysis of a case study x 4
• Essay x 7
• Presentation x 1
• Critical Reflection x 2
• Project x 1

Year 2

• Portfolio x 2
• Presentation x 2
• Essay x 7
• Critical Reflection x 7
• Creative project x 5
• Analysis of a case study x 2

Year 3

• Portfolio x 5
• Dissertation x 1
• Presentation x 3
• Essay x 6
• Creative project x 1
• Critical Reflection x 1

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and how these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.