BA

Media and Communication Studies

BA Media and Communication Studies Code P300 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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You are viewing this course for September start 2024

Key Facts

P300

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 96

  • Course duration

    3 years

Further details on entry requirements

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If you are interested in who controls and owns our media, how media content is produced, and what impact the media has on us as audiences, then the Media and Communications Studies degree at Aberystwyth University is for you. Join us in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies in Aberystwyth on this exciting course, and we will introduce you to some of the key media and communication theorists and ask you to consider how you can apply their thinking to your own study of media and communications.

Through our interdisciplinary approach to the subject, you will

develop dynamic insights into the nature of interactions between media texts,

media audiences and media producers. The course is designed to allow you to

develop your creative, critical and technical skills through innovative

practical work and challenging scholarly enquiry in areas such as media policy

and history, advertising, youth cultures, media law, gender and media, video

games, and digital culture. Your three years of study will be dynamic,

invigorating and stimulating. Scroll down to find out more!

Course Overview

Why study Media and Communication Studies at Aberystwyth?

  • You will be taught and mentored by staff who are experts in the field of Media and Communication, have excellent connections to the industry, contribute to national debates on the media, and are at the forefront of research in the field.
  • Students on this course will have a deeper understanding of sociology, psychology, cultural studies, history, philosophy, linguistics and marketing.
  • Students will be taught in vibrant, modern and dynamic teaching facilities including a brand new PC lab designed to assimilate the digital media industry, digital production and editing suites.
  • Our industry links are embedded at the heart of the department with the BBC Wales, regional office and broadcast situated by the entrance.
  • Students can exploit full access to the National Sound and Screen Archive of Wales which is a stone’s through away from the Penglais campus.
Our Staff

All academic staff at the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies are research active and/or involved in Knowledge Transfer projects and have either relevant academic qualifications at doctoral level or equivalent professional experience and expertise.

Modules September start - 2024

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Making Short Films 1 FM11420 20
Studying Communication FM10720 20
Studying Media FM10620 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Making Short Films 2 FM11240 40
Movements in Film History FM11120 20
Studying Film FM10120 20
Studying Television FM10220 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Advertising FM21920 20
Digital Culture FM25520 20
LGBT Screens FM20120 20
Media, Politics and Power FM22620 20
Stardom and Celebrity FM21520 20
Television Genre FM20620 20
Youth Cultures FM22320 20
Art Cinema FM24420 20
Creative Documentary FM26520 20
Creative Studio FM25420 20
The Story of Television FM20420 20
Work in the Media Industries FM23820 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Advertising FM31920 20
Contemporary Film and the Break-Up of Britain FM30020 20
Contemporary TV Drama FM30320 20
Cult Cinema: Texts, Histories and Audiences FM38220 20
Experimental Cinema FM34520 20
Gender and the Media FM38320 20
Independent Research Project FM36040 40
Media Law FM36720 20
Media Semiotics FM34120 20
Videogame Theories FM38420 20
Documentary Production FM33740 40
Experimental Media Production FM33540 40
Screening the Brave New World: television in 20th-century Britain FM31020 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

What opportunities are there for me?

Many of our graduates have found career paths which include:

  • broadcasting media
  • floor managers
  • camera operators
  • producers and directors
  • marketing
  • media planning
  • education
  • public relations.

What will I get from my degree?

Employability is at the heart of our teaching. We will be encouraging you to take part in the following:

  • attending events where guest speakers visit our campus
  • activities by BAFTA and other media bodies
  • work experience opportunities with the BBC, Tinopolis and other media organisations.

On completion of this degree, you will be confident in the following areas:

  • effective communication
  • working independently and as part of a team
  • using professional equipment and facilities, including professional cameras and sound equipment, industry-standard software, professional TV studio, editing lab, postproduction suite, cinema, grading and dubbing suite, three rehearsal studios, and costume & wardrobe facilities.

What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying? 

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer. 

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department. 

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn? 

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.

In your first year, you may explore:

  • the relationship between media forms, media institutions and society
  • the links between established media theory and contemporary approaches to new media
  • the links between classic and contemporary debates in communication
  • the research relating to modes of communication between radio, press, advertising, mobile phone technologies and the internet
  • key concepts and techniques of media production, directing, cinematography, editing.

In your second year, you may discover: 

  • specific histories, traditions and roles to each medium
  • television production
  • broadcasting history
  • experimental media production
  • journalism
  • advertising
  • videogames
  • scriptwriting.

In your final year, you can choose to: 

  • undertake independent research resulting in a dissertation 
  • produce experimental or documentary films 
  • study videogames, TV, gender, media law, semiotics or experimental cinema.

How will I be taught?

Our programme is taught by lecture-workshops allowing for the best interaction and active engagement. In addition, we deliver this programme through seminars, group-based project work, screenings and technical demonstrations.

You will be assessed through:

  • individual and group-based film and video projects
  • research projects
  • production diaries, reflective journals and blogs
  • seminar presentations and pitches.

Further information

You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your degree course, who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or personal issues. You should feel free to contact them at any time for help and advice.

You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance, and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.

Student Testimonials

I have chosen this course as I have always been interested in global media and international relations. Studying Media at Aberystwyth University has developed my knowledge of these fascinating areas. Thanks to this complex programme which covers various topics connected with media and the sphere of communication I've improved my skills in the field of journalism and advertising. Long hours spent doing research for essays were not wasted. Modules such as Advertising were purely amazing in terms of broadening my knowledge of this exciting field as well as developing my own creativity in designing advertising campaigns. This course was a pleasure, not a duty for me. It's perfect for those with 100 ideas/min. The approach to students is unconventional here - it's all about clever thinking! Agata Monika Kielek

Communication is a course that it is an interesting one, even though it may sound a bit dull. Through lectures we talk about things that makes you snap your fingers and say: 'That was so obvious, but still no-one was conscious about it'. I love the fact that we are able to analyze the way our eye moves when we were asked a question about a photograph. What does the eye look for when asked the question: 'When was this photo taken?'. Sounds simple, but it's a totally new way of seeing ordinary things. All in all, the course is amazing, the teacher is amazing and makes everything interactive. As an international student I was able to understand him and the message he wanted to transmit to his students every week. I could call this course simple, but complicated; or in one word, lovely. Andrada Florentina Dumitrescu

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 96

A Levels BBB-CCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-26

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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