Course summary

This professionally-oriented BA Media Communications is designed to provide you with the creative and critical thinking, executive skills and business awareness to succeed in the creative industries. The option includes a foundation year, which will provide you with a sound introduction to key elements needed for studying Media Communications at degree level. The foundation year is carefully designed to build confidence in your abilities, develop essential academic and study skills, and provide you with the subject specific knowledge essential for success. You will learn about the key media functions that define consumer culture, including marketing, branding PR, advertising, data, media convergence and audience engagement. This degree will provide you with a deep insight into a rapidly-evolving industry, and give you broad based skills ranging from media production to data analytics. You’ll learn project management, PR, and practical creative skills such as radio and podcasting, photography and feature writing. You will develop the ability to devise and target messages for a wide range of audiences, and understand storytelling and media language. You will have the opportunity to conduct research on key topics relating to media communications and will be encouraged to reflect on your own role as a consumer and creator of media content You’ll gain important insights into how audiences engage with brands and companies using audio-visual experiences, which will allow you to offer a valuable and informed contribution, particularly to those industries seeking to understand new trends and engage with youth markets. This practice-based, industry-facing programme is designed to give you real world experience. You will be taught by industry practitioners and will have the opportunity to do a year-long work placement as part of your degree. You will be assessed in a variety of methods, including oral presentations, ‘real world’ case study projects and portfolio work. When you graduate you’ll be well-placed to go into a number of industries that require multi-skilled media professionals who are aware of the wider importance of media within society and its impact on society. Taught on our south-west London campus, on this degree you will have access to many opportunities for work experience through our Careers Team, and access to face-to-face and 24/7 online careers support, whether you choose to live on campus or commute to us. During your studies you will have full access to our digital media centre, one of the newest buildings on campus which is home to state-of-the-art industry-level studio, editing and digital resources. The 2000 metre-square modern building offering excellent facilities, including two newsrooms that replicate real working environments, a film studio with state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and extensive resources for sound editing and production, including radio and podcasting. The new facilities were developed in conjunction with leading specialists to ensure that students will receive industry-standard experiences. The building includes spaces for individual and group work, interactive and collaborative projects, as well as quiet study spaces for students. This course offers all students the option of a one-year paid work placement, to boost your employability even further. If you choose this route, you will take the placement following year two of your main degree, and then return to complete your degree. A placement year is the perfect opportunity to gain valuable work experience, to build on the career skills we will teach you on this degree. The connections you make on the placement will improve your career prospects further, and equip you with the skills you need to secure graduate-level employment.