Journalism and Media & Culture BA (Hons)

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative. 

Journalism is vocationally focused and aims to support you to acquire the knowledge and skills that will equip you to work in today's multi-platform media environment.

You are taught by experienced, trained and still practising journalists in state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities (including new radio studios linked to a newsroom and newly refurbished TV studios). There are opportunities for work placements with local media organisations (including the BBC) and a host of guest lectures by high-profile visitors to the course. You are able to tailor your studies to focus on particular aspects of journalism (from sports journalism to political journalism) or to branch out into wider areas of media and communications. Your learning is hands-on, with an emphasis on supporting you to seek journalism and communications roles once you have graduated.

Media & Culture involves more traditional academic study that examines how the media, TV and digital communication shape society, its values and politics and, as a result, identity and human experience. Throughout, you will be addressing some of the hottest topics of our times, from Green Media to Democracy and the Media, from War to Gender.

There will be opportunities to explore all forms of media and culture (TV, radio, pop music, sport, social networks) and a multitude of fascinating questions (Why do people the world over listen to rap and hip hop? How does the news report immigration? Why do people reinvent themselves on Facebook and in Second Life?). You will hone your critical and intellectual faculties in a variety of dynamic and engrossing teaching and learning contexts in which the media that you use may well be those that you are also studying. Media & Culture also provides you with opportunities for work placements and volunteering; these are designed to highlight how your learning is supporting your employability and to introduce you to some of the professional and employment possibilities that you could pursue once you have graduated.

For more information about teaching, learning and assessment on this course, please see the single honours course pages for Journalism and Media & Culture.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification documents for Journalism BA (Hons) and Media & Culture BA (Hons).

Employability

The Journalism aspect of this course will provide you with practical skills to work as a journalist or researcher, or in related communications jobs such as those in public relations. You will be well placed to progress to postgraduate study in journalism or in a wide range of other areas, and in a wide range of careers to which communication skills are central, including marketing and public relations, publishing, media and journalism, business and industry, charities and public administration.

Students have found employment in the following areas: radio presenting, both local and national, media research, journalism, event organising, media planning, television, theatre, marketing, public relations, campaigns, teaching and further study.

Furthermore, in a 'media society', where an understanding of how to communicate is all-important, graduates of this course now work in a wide range of other industries, and are involved in designing websites, writing publicity and press material, and running media training.

With employment sectors including marketing, public relations, event management, teaching, business, and the public sector, it is perhaps unsurprising that Media Studies is now identified as one of the top ten degree subjects for producing employable graduates.

Part-time applications

If you would like to apply to study this course part time, please complete our online application form.