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Overview
Learn to critically analyse the role of the media in society
Our BA (Hons) Media and Communications degree examines the role, influence, and evolution of the media in our technologically-reliant world, as you consider the development of instant information and emerging distrust in mainstream media sources.
Examine how media shapes our world
This industry-facing course with a mix of theory, history, and practical training opportunities allows you to critically analyse how the media reflects and influences our political, personal, social, and cultural landscapes.
Study areas include:
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Branding
- Advertising
- Film and television
- Popular music
- Web-based technologies
Graduate with skills that employers value
You will develop your critical analysis and employability skills to prepare for work in media and the creative industries, graduating with highly marketable skills and a specific media knowledge.
This degree focuses on developing your self-reflection and practical workplace skills, which you can put into practice on a work placement as part of the course.
Join our collaborative community
Throughout your degree, you will collaborate with students across the Department of Creative Industries to gain an exceptional understanding of production practices and technology application, enhancing your vital employability skills.
As a student within a community of undergraduates you will develop your teamwork skills, take part in multi-camera live-event filming, study trends in contemporary media cultures, and have the opportunity to work within a vibrant cultural hub of actors, dancers, filmmakers, composers, orchestras, scriptwriters and choreographers.
Learn from our expert and award-winning staff
Our team of dedicated, high-qualified professional practitioners and current industry figures, including award-winning directors, producers, actors, writers, editors and composers from across animation, film, TV, and games.
On this course you will:
- Learn to critically analyse the media in terms of the political, personal, social and cultural landscape.
- Study a broad range of topics with the option to focus on specialisms later in your degree.
- Share modules with students from other courses including Digital Film Production, Screenwriting, Sports Media, Esports, 3D Animation and Visual Effects.
- Enhance your transferable skills such as organisation, time management, communication, working in a group, research and IT.
- Learn from experienced staff and creative industry guest speakers - including speakers from film, TV, music and gaming.
Partnerships
As a part of the Department of Creative Industries you will benefit from our industry partnerships with companies including HyperX, DXRacer, Twitch, ARRI, and AVID, and be able to access to industry standard software such as Nuke, Maya and Houdini.
The Course
Examine the modern influence of a range of media forms on the world around us
Year One
In your first year, you will gain a firm understanding of a variety of media forms including film, journalism, mobile communications, and music. You will begin to understand the context of their evolution and how they function within our modern world.
Year Two
Your second year allows you to explore more forms of modern media such as marketing, advertising, global TV, documentaries, and digital photography.
In addition, you will examine the emergence of disinformation, the politics of celebrity, and the longevity and influence of major characters from the small and big screens.
Year Three
In your third year, you will complete a major project dissertation to help hone your employability skills, working closely with staff to refine your work and ensure it represents you effectively while meeting current industry needs.
You will also work on more specific aspects of media and communication, such as campaign writing, representation, and genre within film and TV.
Select a year
Introduction to Film Studies
This module will explore Hollywood films and independent US cinema as textual and cultural products. You will place these in a context that traces their aesthetic and formal development to gain a firm grounding in film studies.
Introduction to Journalism
This module develops your critical understanding of contemporary journalism, from hard news to niche interest writing.
You will explore: different writing styles (news reporting, reviewing, opinion pieces and more) across a range of different media outlets such as:
- newspapers
- review sites
- magazines
- and investigate narrative structure.
In addition, you will explore issues such as the shifting status of journalism and consider the legal and ethical issues around the subject.
Introduction to Media and Communications
This module will support you as you transition into higher education. You will develop your understanding of some of the key concepts, issues, critical perspectives and methodologies that constitute our approach to learning, studying and teaching media. You will develop transferable skills in research and analysis.
Introduction to Mobile Communications
This module offers a critical study of mainstream mobile technologies and digital culture. You will explore how such technologies have transformed the personal and the political communication landscape.
Music, Marketing and Promotion
You will explore the affiliation between music, PR, journalism and the marketplace. More broadly, you will explore the relationship between the entertainment industry and the media. This module aims to develop transferrable skills in marketing, arts management and effectively utilising contemporary media for promotional purposes.
Practice Toolkit
This module is designed to provide a foundation ‘toolkit’ of practical skills to aid understanding of current creative media industries.
You will be introduced to a range of technical and procedural skills including audio, video, photography, web and digital design. These skills will develop your understanding of the processes involved in the manufacture and delivery of audio-visual presentations within the creative industries.
It aims to develop transferable skills in information technology.
Digital Photography
This module serves as foundation for developing a technical understanding of photography.
Documentary
The aim of this module is to consider and critically discuss the important genre of documentary, looking at a range of historical and contemporary examples to gain an understanding of the processes of production. You will be introduced to the basics of documentary through historical, theoretical and technological perspectives before creating your own research portfolio and proposal document. The focus is on research, not on production.
Global TV
This module explores the political economy of the global, national, and local television industries. You will explore aspects of global and local TV formats, transmedia marketing, distribution, consumption, audiences, and cultural and cross-cultural relevance.
Iconic Screen Characters
You will examine a range of iconic screen characters from film, television and gaming such as:
- Batman
- The Joker
- Dorothy Gale
- Ripley
- Sherlock Holmes
- Mary Poppins
- Super Mario
- Dracula
- Lara Croft
- James Bond
- Spider-Man
- Harry Potter
- Bugs Bunny
- Superman
- Wonder Woman.
You will consider these characters in dialogue with critical and theoretical perspectives on adaptation.
Information and Disinformation
This module explores the development and influence of fake news, propaganda and conspiracy theories.
Journalism and Content
The aim of this module is to examine the nature of contemporary media, how it operates and how it differs from traditional journalism.
You will examine what constitutes effective information dissemination in the online age and the technologies involved, including how they may be manipulated.
It aims to develop transferable skills in design, online presentation, writing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Marketing and Advertising
This module covers the essential principles of marketing and enables you to analyse and deconstruct advertising. You will develop transferable skills in the presentation and promotion of ideas and explore how the consumer marketplace works.
Politics of Celebrity
you will explore celebrity politics in contemporary Western democracies. This module focuses on two kinds of celebrities: first, celebrities who use their celebrity status to engage in philanthropy and political activism, and second, politicians who undergo the processes of mediatised celebritisation in order to become campaign stars.
Advanced Digital Photography
This module is an opportunity to investigate and develop a range of professional creative techniques in the field of digital photography. You will draw from a broad range of production and post production practices to develop a deeper understanding of the processes involved in image capture construction and manipulation.
Dissertation or Individual Practice
The aim of the dissertation and individual practice is to produce a substantial piece of work sustained over two semesters. It aims to develop transferable skills in undertaking large scale independent projects and critical reflection on the outcomes of such projects.
Documentary Project
During this module, you will be given the opportunity to create a short documentary from concept to completion.
Guidance on pre-production will include advice on narrative structure, ethical consideration, risk assessment, research techniques and scheduling.
This will be followed by training in practical production and camera skills for documenting reality and the experiences of real people.
Post-production will navigate editing disciplines including modifying and refining narrative structure in the light of coverage acquired in the production phase and awareness of technical processes and standards.
Global Television and Cinema
This module will explore the political economy of the global, national and local film and television industries. Issues of transmedia marketing, distribution, consumption, audiences and cultural and cross-cultural relevance will also be explored.
Horror
This module examines the history and development of the horror genre and explores examples from cinema, television and gaming. You will use a cross-disciplinary approach by drawing upon historical approaches and theoretical frameworks that have dominated critical responses to the genre.
American TV Dramas
The module examines contemporary American television drama, focusing primarily (though not exclusively) on HBO as a network with a distinct visual, thematic and narrative style that clearly demonstrates noteworthy developments within the television industry.
The module will consider HBO and other series in relation to a variety of issues, such as a serial television, developments in television production, and shifts in reception.
The module aims to critically examine and analyse the aesthetic and ideological content of some of these texts, focusing on a selection of series.
Teaching and Assessment
Feel the support of our experienced and expert staff
Teaching
Your teaching will take the form of scheduled classes such as workshops, lecture, and seminars, as well as spend some time studying independently outside.
As well as working independently, you will have some projects and seminars in groups where you will develop your communication and teamwork skills and create work with other students.
Smaller class sizes to help your development
Our commitment to smaller class sizes allows you to feel more confident to discuss your ideas in a supportive environment and allows your tutors get to know you and how best to aid your development.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a range of assignments that could include:
- Essays
- Video essays, short films, and podcasts
- Group and individual
- Presentations
- Creative pitch
- Research workbook
- Report
Experience
Learn in our state-of-the-art Tech Park building
Discover our £35 million Tech Park
Our Bognor Regis Campus boasts the £35m Tech Park and brings together science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics courses on one state-of-the-art site.
Expert staff
Our industry-experienced staff get to know you and your learning needs to help you thrive.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms, and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Study Abroad
Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad
As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies as you enrich and broaden your educational experiences.
Students who have undertaken this in the past have found it to be an amazing experience to broaden their horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and to immerse themselves within a new culture.
You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to help ensure that you can get the best out of your time studying abroad.
Careers
Where you could go after your studies
This BA (Hons) Media and Communications degree prepares you for a range of careers with a focus on working in film production companies, TV production studios, radio outlets, newspapers, PR firms and advertising agencies.
You could peruse a career in:
- Public relations
- Journalism
- Marketing and advertising
- Television/film as a producer
- Publishing
- Programme research
- Teaching
Further study
You may choose to continue your studies at postgraduate level.
Postgraduate study options available at Chichester include PGCE and Masters:
- MA Screen Acting
- MA Composition for Film
- MA Composition for Film, TV and Games
- PGCE
- PhD Research
University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2024/25
UK fee
International fee
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
Entry Requirements
Typical offers (individual offers may vary):
UCAS
A Levels
BTEC/Cambridge Technical
Access to HE Diploma
IB
IELTS
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
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Head to the UCAS Tariff Points web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.
