BSc (Hons) Television and Broadcasting
- UCAS code: P30C
- Mode of study: Full time or sandwich with work placement
- Duration: 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry requirements 2013: 240-300 points to include a minimum of 240 points from A levels or equivalent.
- Please see details of the range of other qualifications that will also be considered on the 'Entry Requirements' tab below. Please do contact us for advice on other qualifications that aren't listed here.
Find out more:
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 2421
Email: create.admissions@port.ac.uk
Department: School of Creative Technologies (CT)
Course overview
This degree course is ideal if you are looking for a career in television and radio broadcasting. It offers teaching in two purpose-made TV studios, a radio broadcast studio, and key focus areas of the course are based upon professional video production skills, writing, presenting, graphics and the actual live transmission of sound and digital video.
This is an exciting area of study that is moving fast and changing every day, and the course is somewhat unique in that it specialises in producing weekly live TV programme content for a television channel that is nationally broadcast as part of the taught curriculum. It is very hands on, with 70 per cent of it being practical learning and 30 per cent theory. It is therefore ideal for those who are creative, technically minded and interested in designing, directing, presenting, editing and producing audience friendly television and radio programmes.
You will use industry-standard hardware and software to gain a hands-on appreciation of many key skill areas, with a focus on current and future industry practice including:
- managing a television channel
- curriculum-centred tv production
- video filmmaking skills
- factual television production
- documentary
- a multi-skilled approach to industry practice
- post-production editing and effects (Avid/After Effects)
- commercial and corporate video projects
- graphics and animation
- presenting skills
- commissioning/producing and writing for TV
- radio broadcasting
- student-initiated projects
These unique assets will enable you to pursue an innovative curriculum, which in turn will allow you to be creative and gain the all important technical understanding required to achieve employment in the digital video and television broadcast industry.
Industry led
The course team are all from industry and they work closely with the BBC, industry specialists and independent video production companies. Our prime objective is to produce the future workforce of this vital industry.
The course promotes multi-disciplined study with a good mix of multimedia production knowledge and technical skills. We are very proud of our close association with industry leaders such as the BBC, BSkyB and AVID Technology, and we are accredited with Avid to offer certification in Avid Media Composer 6.0.
Work placement opportunities
The course offers opportunities to pursue either a placement year in industry or study abroad via the ERAMUS programme, although it must be stated that neither is compulsory.
Course content
Year one
There is a common core curriculum covering:
- video production
- editing
- video and television studies
- graphics
- TV programme making
- writing and presenting for TV
- basic web design
- video encoding
We take opportunities of employment very seriously even in Year one and we offer a particular unit that will help develop your CV and future contacts in the TV industry. You will also be introduced to video production hardware:
- Dreamweaver
- Photoshop
- After Effects
- Corel Draw
- Flash
- the industry-standard video editing software package - Avid Media Composer 6.0
Units
Film and Video Editing (20 credits) is a basic but comprehensive unit specialising in postproduction video editing. You will receive first-hand teaching and training using the industry-standard Avid Media Composer.
Introduction to Graphics (20 credits) introduces you to computer graphics and the hardware and software involved in the storage, representation and manipulation of digital images.
Production Practices (20 credits) enables you to learn video terminology, hands-on video production skills and video for the web at a basic level.
Presenting and Writing for Television (20 credits) specialises in presentation skills and writing for TV.
E-portfolio (20 credits) will help you to start thinking about future career possibilities. You will write a CV, research the TV jobs market and prepare to look for a job. This could contribute to your placement year should you choose to pursue the option.
Television Skills (20 credits) considers past, present and possible future trends in TV broadcasting, and begins to develop your skills in making TV productions.
Year two
During your second year you will focus on more advanced, professional video production, business issues and post-production editing techniques. Options cover a range of subjects including:
- practical introductions to radio
- video compositing
- digital photography
There is also an opportunity to extend your skills through a multimedia project or by becoming more enterprising.
Units
Advanced Editing and Encoding Workflow (20 credits) covers advanced video editing skills, encoding techniques and project management. It explores the technical, practical, creative and theoretical issues involved in video editing/encoding/workflow using Avid Media Composer – basically everything you need to know about the current post-production industry.
Live Television (20 credits) gives you the opportunity to extend your TV programme making skills by producing an actual live broadcast quality television programme.
Video for Web (20 credits) explores and advances how and why video media is encoded for broadcast and the internet. This is the perfect place to begin designing your own video webpage.
Television Client (20 credits) allows you to work with real clients on real video projects. This will enhance your skills, individual CV and professionalism.
Preparatory Project and Careers for Creative Technologies (20 credits) is a unit that advises you on how to prepare for the final-year project.
Optional units
Introduction to Radio Production and Presentation (20 credits) covers the basic principles of live radio production, leading to the production of a radio programme.
Student-Initiated Project (20 credits) gives you an opportunity to gain academic credit for a project initiated by you.
Digital Photography (20 credits) covers the fundamental principles, technical resources and creative potential of digital photography.
Student Enterprise (20 credits) helps to develop entrepreneurial skills and provide guidance on creating your own company.
Year three/final year
Year three is made up of compulsory units and includes the production of weekly live television content, documentary production, the running of the TV channel and your final-year project.
Units
Television Broadcast (40 credits) covers studies into broadcast programming, management, commissioning and various transmission technologies. This is the first of two units exploring the use and application of a broadcast television channel. This unit also offers an opportunity to produce real live TV productions such as the weekly CCI Live show.
Documentary Filmmaking (20 credits) covers key practices, histories and concepts, plus requires you to produce a broadcast quality documentary.
Television Transmission (20 credits) is designed to enhance studies in broadcast transmission technology and offer additional opportunities to create TV content. This may include outside broadcasts, radio programmes, etc.
Final-Year Project (40 credits) lasts the full year. In this unit you will initiate and manage a research project that is appropriate to your studies. This project should be focused on some aspect of the television industry and it is a significant project to help complete your degree.
Teaching and assessment
You will have at least 12 hours of contact time a week with staff through lectures, seminars and hands-on workshops. Lecture notes are made available in advance through the University's virtual learning environment, enabling you to prepare and make the most of this time.
Independent study and self-motivation is an essential part of your studies and primarily consists of reading and learning around the subject from published sources such as books, articles, official documents and websites. You will also be encouraged to take out university kit or use computer workstations in your own time to enhance your studies.
The coursework required for assessment is varied and a full range of academic requirements will be asked of you throughout the degree. We favour essay and report writing, sound and video artefacts, blogging and journals, and some exams. The exams we offer are mostly practical, and are designed to place you in an environment that closely emulates real-world practice.
Career prospects
Our course specialises in a multi-skilling approach, much favoured by the TV and video industry itself. You will therefore get a comprehensive understanding of the many roles required to maintain a broadcast television channel, and there are opportunities to operate and explore many of the roles required for TV production.
Previous course alumnus have gone to work for BSkyB, BBC, Avid Technology, Channel 4, Envy, Dow Jones and many other independent production companies. Some individuals have set up their own companies or have successful freelance careers.
You will also have every opportunity to become a Certified Avid User by taking both the Avid MC101, and Avid MC110 exams. The course team features key Certified Avid Instructors.
Facilities and features
We have purpose-built TV studios that allows the production of all types of television work. We offer professional level cameras (Sony EX1 and EX3), sound mixing kit, the Newtek Tricaster system and a TV Broadcast Server (Capital Networks - Audience.TV)
The course has recently hit the news with an impressive achievement – students broke new ground by being the first undergraduates in the country to produce and air four hours of live television coverage.
We favour Avid Media Composer as the industry standard in video editing systems and we currently run 125 up-to-date licences of Avid Media Composer 6.0. These editing computers are connected to a high speed SAN that is the exact model used in the TV industry (Avid Unity ISIS). The latter piece of hardware allows collaborative workflow editing (emulating industry) and allows you to move your work seamlessly between computers.
A key part of this course is the production of actual broadcast quality TV on our very own channel – CCI TV. The exhibition potential of broadcast TV has no boundaries and you will be able to easily promote yourself via the work you are producing. View one of many programmes students on this course have made.