112-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
About this course
Source: UCAS
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Course option
3years
Full-time | 2024
Other options
4 years | Sandwich | 2024
Subject
Media and communication studies
**Overview** Are you curious about how the media influences the world we live in? Our BA [Hons] Media Studies course is distinguished by its innovative mix of options and will give you a fascinating way to gain a deeper academic understanding of this prime form of communication.
You'll learn how global media reflects, shapes and affects societies and cultures, from news and television, to social networks. You’ll also consider how identity is formed through the media, and its representations in contemporary formats and genres, such as TV talk shows, the comic book industries, and science. As you progress in your degree, you can create your own learning plan by choosing optional modules, including film production.
You’ll graduate ready to begin your media career in many communicational fields, but you’ll also have creative and transferable skills you can use in any sector.
**Course highlights** - Gain expert insight into popular culture, fan communities, and the latest media tech developments by attending the annual Portsmouth Comic Con – where course lecturers and previous students have been panellists
- Enhance your studies by learning from a teaching team of widely published media experts and research-active academics
- Cultivate a well-rounded, futuristic understanding of media from staff expertise in contemporary popular culture genres [including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and animation]
- Tailor your degree by choosing modules to suit your specialisation
- Develop filmmaking skills with optional practical film modules from second year
- Build valuable professional experience and knowledge by taking an optional placement year – either with a company or self-employed
- Broaden your expertise with the chance to gain industry-recognised accreditations such as ScreenSkills safety training and Adobe Certified Associate [ACA]
**Careers and opportunities** The communication, research, writing and critical thinking skills you learn on this media studies degree will be essential for employers within and outside the media industry.
You can also continue your studies at postgraduate level. Many of our graduates pursue Master's and Doctorates, with a number of them taking further teacher training to work in education.
Graduate areas
Previous media studies graduates have gone on to work in areas such as:
- media research
- digital specialisms [e.g. website design and creation]
- public relations and marketing
- journalism
- publishing
- new media development
- film production
- film and TV companies
Graduate roles
Job roles our graduates have taken on include:
- teacher
- media research assistant
- marketing assistant
- production manager
- sound and vision engineer
- film/video producer
- advertising journalist
- assistant publicist
- PR and communications officer
Graduate destinations
Some of our alumni have gone on to work for big names such as:
- BBC
- Warner Bros
- Universal Pictures International
- Mitchells & Butlers
- Lush Cosmetics
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the industry. After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.
Modules
Year 1 Core modules in this year include: - Introduction to Media Studies - Media and the Image - Researching the Media - Screen Debates - Social Media and Culture - Understanding Film Production
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2 Core modules in this year include: - Propaganda - Screen Media - Transmedia Narratives and Strategies
Optional modules in this year currently include: - CCI Placement Plus - CCI Self Employed Placement - Full Year - CCI Work Placement - Full Year - Engaged Citizenship through Interdisciplinary Practice - Film, Media and Communication Study Abroad - Full Year - Film, Media and Communication Study Abroad - Half Year - Broadcast Radio and Podcasting - Comic Book Industries - Film and Ethics - Gender and the Media - Media Networks: Exploring Digital Culture - Media, Culture and National Identity - Modern Foreign Language - Production: Camera and Editing - Production: Short Film-Making - Professional Experience - Researching Genre - Social Issues in the Media - Student Enterprise
Placement year [optional]
On this course, you can do an optional work placement year between your 2nd and 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Year 3 Optional modules in this year currently include: - Celebrity and Society - Cultures of Consumption - Film and Media Dissertation - Media Fan Cultures - News, War and Peace - Practical Video Project - Representing Science in the Media - Researching Animation - Studying Comedy
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through:
- essays - presentations - scripts - video productions - programme proposal/pitch - reviews and features - reports/magazine features - examinations - dissertation/project
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 20% by practical exams and 80% by coursework - Year 2 students: 12% by practical exams and 88% by coursework - Year 3 students: 13% by practical exams and 87% by coursework
Source: UCAS I DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
Course location:
University of Portsmouth
Department:
Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
Read full university profile
What students say
Source: NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject[s] at other universities.
Media and communication studies
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Media studies
Teaching and learning
80%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
75%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
67%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned
Assessment and feedback
Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices
Resources and organisation
73%
Course specific equipment and facilities
71%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly
Student voice
Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Source: HESA
18%
International students
13%
First year drop out rate
Most popular A-Levels studied [and grade achieved]
Media Studies
C
Sociology
C
Film Studies
B
After graduation
Source: DHLE and HECSU
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Media studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing [and earning], shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Employed or in further education
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial
Top job areas of graduates
24%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
17%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
Only a small number of students study courses within this catch-all subject area, so there isn't a lot of information available on what graduates do when they finish - bear that in mind when you look at any stats. Marketing and PR were the most likely jobs for graduates from these courses, but it's sensible to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course, and what previous graduates did.
What about your long term prospects?
Source: LEO
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Media studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
Note: this data only looks at employees [and not those who are self-employed or also studying] and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
- What's it like studying a degree in Media studies
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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
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Teaching Excellence Framework [TEF]:We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are [not the individual course].
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency [HESA], for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible [or not] a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Is Media Studies good for journalism?
Media studies is a broad subject, and journalism is one of many modules on offer throughout the course. If you want to be a journalist, then that's your best degree choice.
Is Portsmouth University any good?
We've been awarded an overall rating of Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework [TEF 2023], which reviews the teaching quality across higher education providers in England.
Is Media Studies A
An A-Level in Media Studies can lead you to study a variety of degree courses. Taken alongside traditional subjects such as English or History, an A-Level in Media Studies can help you gain a place at any university in the country.
Is journalism a good major in college?
A degree in journalism not only prepares you to become a journalist but also arms you with transferable skills applicable to many other career routes. Journalism degrees are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels and often offer a variety of concentrations, making this major customizable and versatile.