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Media and Communication [with Placement year]

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above. If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.0 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University. You may also be accepted to this course with an IELTS 5.5 (Academic level- with no individual score being lower than 5.5) or equivalent English Language qualification as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University, but will then be required to undertake additional compulsory free English language modules in your first year.

UCAS Tariff

96

from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent).

About this course


Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Media and communication studies

**Explore media theory and practice from broadcast media to digital publishing, and graduate ready to work in today’s fast-moving industry with our BA (Hons) Media and Communication degree in Cambridge.**

On our Media and Communication degree you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of our data-driven society and contemporary media environment. You’ll explore issues such as digital media theory, identity and representation, politics and popular culture. You’ll learn to analyse and debate the latest theories and discover the impact of media on all our lives such as the role of ‘Fake News’ and the ethical responsibility of journalism in a 'post-truth' age.

Working in our specialist facilities, you’ll also get hands-on and engage with media production including documentary filmmaking, photography, and digital publishing; creating apps, podcasts or new online platforms.

Choose to study abroad for one semester and get funding to cover the cost, and hone your skills through work placements.

As a BA (Hons) Media and Communication student at ARU, you’ll be able to focus on particular areas of interest, such as social media, TV, music, journalism, popular or subculture. You’ll also have the opportunity to carry out a work placement, or produce a commissioned product, in the area of your choice as you prepare for a career in media-related roles, including film, TV, photography and social media, broadcasting, production, post-production, digital content creation and journalism.

On all of our modules, you will work with industry-standard equipment and software, including Adobe Premiere, Photoshop and After Effects.

The impact of our Communication, Cultural & Media Studies research achieved 'world-leading' in the Research Excellence Framework 2021.

**Industry-standard facilities**

As part of your studies at ARU, you’ll have access to all of our creative industries facilities including:
- Film studio with overhead lighting, tracks, dollies and green screen

- Multi-camera television studio with modular set panels and modern set dressing

- Full range of location kit from 4K digital cameras, professional lighting, to Steadicam

- Sound-recording equipment for location filming

- Editing suites with Da Vinci Resolve and the full Adobe Creative Cloud software suite

- Finishing suite with audio monitoring and grading panels

- Aaton Cameras and Steenbeck editors for 16mm film production

- Motion capture equipment

**Careers**

You’ll graduate from our BA (Hons) Media and Communication ready for many media-related roles, including broadcasting, film, photography or television production, media consultancy, journalism, public relations and advertising. You’ll also pick up skills for other professions that require an understanding of the media, including web design and publishing.

Our links with local and national organisations will help you make contacts and find work placements in the industry. These placements could form part of your assessed work and, for many previous students, have led directly to employment.

We also offer dedicated employability support throughout your time here.

Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters degree, such as MA Film and Television Production. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

**Employability and personal career development**

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. These all provide you with experience you can evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Modules

Year 1 core modules: Media, Culture and Power; Creative Moving Image; Sound, Text, Image; Theorising Popular Culture. Year 1 Optional modules: Introduction to Television Studies; Anglia Language Programme. Year 2 core modules: Digital Media Theory: Social Media, AI, and the Cultures of the Internet; Online Journalism; Teenage Kicks: Youth Culture and Media; Television Genres; Ruskin Module. Year 2 optional modules: Documentary Film Theory; Non-Fiction Filmmaking; Photography; Anglia Language Programme. Year 3: Work placement. Year 4 core modules: 'Fake News', Media Law and Social Conflict; Sound and Vision: Music and Media; Major Project in Creative Media. Year 3 optional modules: Contemporary Television; Critical Approaches to Video Games; Cultural Politics of Celebrity; Digital Publishing; Experiments in Film and Moving Image; Gender and Popular Cinema; Anglia Language Programme. Modules are subject to change and availability.

Assessment methods

You’ll show your progress through many different methods that reflect the range of skills required by creative industry employers, including case studies, critical essays, screenplays, journals, film reviews and analyses, presentations, and a portfolio of practical work, as well as ‘hands on’ assignments such as internet, print and video production/commissions.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Cambridge Campus

Department:

Cambridge School of Creative Industries

Read full university profile

What students say


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.

73%
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
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
67%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
76%
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

67%
Library resources
81%
IT resources
76%
Course specific equipment and facilities
56%
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?

70%
UK students
30%
International students
50%
Male students
50%
Female students
81%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
E

After graduation


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.

£17,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education
19%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Other elementary services occupations
9%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

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?

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.

£13k

£13k

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

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.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here