BA (Hons)
Media Studies
Blending creative and technical ability in media production
Course Overview
Why take this course?
The TV we watch, the magazines we read and the web pages we browse all act as a window to the world around us. On this course you will explore the media as a source of information, entertainment and identity, as well as examine how a variety of different national media systems still manage to survive in an age of global media companies.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Get training from our team of specialist media staff whose research interests encompass television and the internet to magazines and journalism
- Learn by doing – access media production in various forms including video production and media writing
- Create your own film script or write a TV drama
What opportunities might it lead to?
The blend of creative and technical ability that you will build on this course will be extremely valuable to employers within in the media sector. The range of transferable and creative skills you’ll develop and practical experiences you’ll encounter during your time with us will be highly regarded in the jobs market.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- media research
- film or television production
- theatre
- publishing
- new media
- web design
I love how varied my course is. We study anything from politics to popular culture. Having such a wide range of subjects to study in media makes sure things never get boring.
Sophie Kinerman, BA (Hons) Media Studies student 2013
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- P300
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
240-300 points from 3 A Levels or equivalent.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
International full-time students: £10,500 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- create.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 2421 - Department
- School of Creative Arts, Film and Media
Subject:
English, Film, Journalism and Media
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Getting the chance to develop practical skills alongside learning the theory
- The high-quality teaching and flexibility of options that enables you to tailor your course to your own interests
- The passion and knowledge of the lecturers that makes studying so enjoyable
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
The first year covers several central topics and begins your training in the skills and techniques you’ll be using throughout your course. You will be taught by specialist staff with strong research interests across a range of media.
Core units in this year include:
- Advanced Media Research
- Audio Vision
- Contemporary Media Events
- Introduction to Media Studies
- Media Study Skills
- Media Writing: Critical Reviews and Features
Year two
This year allows you to start to specialise in the areas that interest you most. Choose to focus on specific media forms, practise your production skills and spotlight on certain topics.
Core units in this year include:
- Print Media
- Screen Media
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Analysing Comic Books
- Approaches to Popular Culture
- Media Networks: Exploring Digital Culture
- Media Writing for Public Relations
- Media Writing for the Press
- Media Writing for the Screen and Radio
- Media, Culture and National Identity
- Music: Practice, Performance and Research
- Production Introduction - Script and Shooting
- Professional Experience
- Researching Genre
- Social Issues in the Media
- Sport and the Media
- Student Enterprise
- The Media and Propaganda
Year three
In the final year you will have the freedom to tailor your studies to your particular areas of interest. You will choose from a selection of optional topics ranging from comedy to British drama and you’ll have the choice between a dissertation or production/writing project to round off the course.
Options to choose from in this year include:
- British TV Drama and Society
- Comedy Culture and Form
- Cultures of Consumption
- Film Stardom and Celebrity Culture
- Marketing Movies
- Media Fan Cultures
- News, War and Peace
- Practical Video Project
- Representing Science in the Media
- Researching Animation
- TV Talk Shows
Teaching and Assessment
The greatest feature of our course is that it allows for your intellectual freedom and choice. By attending workshops, seminars, lectures, practical performance sessions and simulations, you’ll approach the exciting discipline of media studies in innovative ways using a range of texts and current media artefacts.
How are you assessed?
Assessment takes many forms enabling you to demonstrate the variety of your skills and talents, including through:
- essays
- presentations
- scripts
- video productions
- programme proposal/pitch
- reports/magazine features
- examinations
- dissertation/project
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
The Study Centre
A suite of rooms with group working spaces, printers, Mac workstations and more
Specialist Software and Equipment
You’ll have access to a range of current creative industry-standard software
The Newsroom
Experience the excitement and pressure of an actual newsroom
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books
The Study Centre
A suite of rooms with a comfy seating area, desks where you can work, a printer, Mac workstations and access to the wireless network so you can log in using your own laptop. There are also several study rooms where you can rehearse or work on group projects.
Specialist Software and Equipment
You’ll have access to a range of current creative industry-standard software to put the skills you’ll be learning into practice. We have our own TV channel and radio station both with production studios kitted out with the latest equipment including Wacom drawing touch screens, a large 3D screen, video recording gear and a Virtual Reality (VR) room.
The Newsroom
Experience the excitement and pressure of an actual newsroom. Designed to industry-standard, we have Macs and specialist software, including QuarkXPress, InDesign and pre-press quality scanners. This facility provides first-hand journalism experience, as well as being a lively and engaging teaching environment.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
There are plenty of media resources available and the staff are always on hand to help.
Heemali Patel, BA (Hons) Media Studies student
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
This course is a great springboard to an array of creative and professional industries. On graduating you’ll possess sharp communication and research skills, as well as excellent writing and critical thinking abilities, alongside a good understanding of the contemporary media landscape.
Opportunities exist in organisations ranging from small, independent production companies to major studios. Some of our alumni have gone on to work for big names such as the BBC, Warner Bros and Universal Pictures International. Some also go on to do postgraduate research or short skills-based courses in various aspects of media production. Whatever your career plans, this course will ensure you have the versatility and employability to take on a range of job opportunities.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- production manager
- sound and vision engineer
- film/video producer
- advertising journalist
- assistant publicist
- PR and communications officer
Work experience
This course allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option, which lets you earn credits toward your degree for work/research placements, volunteer roles or internships undertaken alongside your studies. The option gives you the opportunity to enhance your employability skills, to reflect on the ways in which you've done so, and to learn to express this to potential employers.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more