BA

Writing for Broadcasting, Media and Performance

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You are viewing this course for September start 2024

Whether you’re interested in writing for television, radio or live theatre, the Writing for Broadcasting, Media and Performance degree at Aberystwyth University is designed to develop your practical writing skills in a vibrant and conducive environment.

Join us in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies and you will gain a firm grounding in how to write across platforms and for different audiences, developing your understanding of fundamental techniques and growing in confidence. Our team of experts will fire your imagination, enhance your critical thinking and prepare you for a career as a professional writer. 

Course Overview

Why study BA Writing for Broadcasting, Media and Performance at Aberystwyth University?

  • You will join a vibrant and creative department where theatre, film, television, media and drama collide.
  • You will be taught by our internationally recognised staff with strong professional reputations for writing for continuing television drama (eg Doctors and Hollyoaks), radio drama, adaptations and plays, along with expertise in British and Irish drama.
  • You will be taught through our unique combination of creative and critical approaches.
  • We have excellent connections with key industry partners such as the BBC, S4C, the Edinburgh Film Festival, Lurking Truth Theatre Company, Fresh Film Festival, BAFTA, Avid, Fiction Factory, Arad Goch, and National Theatre Wales.
  • The University has close links with Aberystwyth Arts Centre, one of the largest arts centres in Wales, which regularly presents national and international theatre and dance work. 
  • We are situated near the National Library of Wales which houses the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales.
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
Studying Film FM10120 20
Studying Television FM10220 20
Theatre in Context 1 TP11020 20
Theatre in Context 2 TP11320 20
Writing Continuing TV Drama FM17320 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Making Short Films 1 FM11520 20
Movements in Film History FM11120 20
Site-Specific Performance Project TP11420 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Writing Audio Drama FM27120 20
Writing for Film and Television FM21620 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Art Cinema FM24420 20
Creative Documentary FM26520 20
Creative Fiction: Horror FM20920 20
Digital Culture FM25520 20
Directors' Theatre TP21820 20
LGBT Screens FM20120 20
New Media Performance TP23820 20
Shakespeare in Performance TP23220 20
Stardom and Celebrity FM21520 20
Television Genre FM20620 20
Theatre and Contemporary Society TP20820 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Playwriting TP33340 40
Scriptwriting 1 FM37020 20
Scriptwriting 2 FM37120 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Contemporary Drama TP30020 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
Musical Theatre Dramaturgies TP39020 20
Performance and Architecture TP33420 20
Performance and Disability TP30320 20
Videogame Theories FM38420 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Many of our graduates from the department have discovered career paths which include:

  • broadcast media
  • producing and directing
  • scriptwriting
  • marketing and public relations
  • media planning
  • education.

What skills do I gain from this degree?

Employability is embedded in all of our activities.

Students on this course gain the following valuable skills that are sought after by employers. These include the ability to:

  • work effectively in group settings to develop, rehearse and produce live events
  • apply creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a variety of situations
  • research, evaluate and organise information
  • structure and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations and using a variety of means
  • work independently and with others
  • effectively organise your time and deploy your skills
  • listen to and make use of critical advice
  • be self-motivated and self-disciplined
  • use a range of information technology skills and resources
  • be entrepreneurial in developing cultural projects.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn? 

Below is a list of the modules that you may study during this three-year degree scheme.

First year:

  • Theatre in context
  • Studying Film
  • Writing for television Drama
  • Studying Television. 

Second year: 

  • Writing for both Film and Television 
  • Acting: the process and performance
  • Shakespeare in Performance
  • Media Industries: History and Policy
  • Contemporary Television Drama
  • Theatre and Contemporary Society. 

Third year: 

  • Scriptwriting
  • Contemporary British and Irish Drama 
  • Place, Space and Landscape 
  • Children and the Media
  • Stardom and Celebrity
  • Media in Wales.

How will I be taught?

You will be taught through a range of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. You may also be required to undertake practicals.

How will I be assessed?

Students on this course may be assessed through course work, practicals, examination. 

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 96

A Levels BBB-CCC

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

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-MMM

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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