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Film and Screen Studies and Media Communications (Professional Placement Year)

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,C,C

Grades BBB-BCC preferred.

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

A minimum of 32 points are required.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM-DMM

BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.

T Level

M

Grade Merit is preferred.

UCAS Tariff

104-120

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Film studies

Media and communication studies

**This combined degree encourages film lovers to combine their passion with the media skills that will allow them to communicate ideas in new and innovative ways.**

- Work in a professional environment with industry-level equipment.

- Collaborate with professionals and microbusinesses on real-life projects.

- Our award-winning staff champion inclusivity and accessibility to prepare you for life as a forward-thinking professional.

Combine a more traditional programme of film studies with innovative media studies modules to expand your understanding of new media and visual communication. Look at all things "screen" – from social media bites to feature-length productions, digital billboards and film theory.

Throughout your time at Bath Spa, you’ll have the support and guidance of our course leaders, who are award-winning experts and innovators in their fields. You’ll get the chance to use our state-of the-art film facilities in our studios, with cameras, mixing desks and editing suites. You’ll have the opportunity to work in the University’s new city-centre innovation hub for creative media technology.

On this degree you’ll develop and challenge your thinking about film and media. An emphasis on diversity, inclusion and accessibility allows you to explore pertinent topics such as decolonisation, building inclusive audiences and think about sustainability. By studying international and transnational film and de-centred audiences, as well as exploring new and innovative media and communications strategies, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running as a confident professional in the ever-evolving world of work.

**Why choose this combination?**
Students on this course will benefit from the core skills of both degrees. You’ll learn film theory and practical techniques, and explore the industry. You’ll also use your media skills to communicate your ideas in engaging and creative ways. Film underpins this degree, while the media modules give you greater flexibility in career options and develop your professional skills in communication.

**More about the Professional Placement Year**
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where a student undertakes a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between the students' second and third years of undergraduate study. Students can engage in up to 3 placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) themselves with support from the Careers & Employability Team.

Modules

Year one
You’ll investigate film as a specific academic discipline, and be introduced to analytical tools to critique contemporary media. You’ll explore how meaning is conveyed in visual media and analyse how films are constructed. You’ll also learn project management skills and begin to look into the key theoretical and methodological issues involved in the study of cinema, and explore film as a commercial, cultural and aesthetic institution.

Year two
Understand the communications and film industries in greater depth. You’ll learn marketing practices, identifying opportunities to revolutionise how media creators communicate with audiences. You’ll learn web design skills, explore grassroots community media, practice cross-platform communication strategies, and increase your awareness of media ethics. You’ll also get the chance to work on film projects, both practical and theoretical.

Year three is your Professional Placement Year

Final year
Take your knowledge into the real world. Look at how you can shape the future of visual communication, through film and media, and develop new ways to communicate your passion for film, criticism and journalism.

Assessment methods

Assessment includes essays, research reports, journals, group presentations and portfolios. Your assessments are designed to help you build a portfolio that you can take into your career. On some modules you’ll produce digital media campaigns, podcasts and social media content, while elsewhere you’ll deliver presentations and work on group projects, computer-based simulations and business strategy reports.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,675
per year
International
£16,675
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:

Bath Spa University

Department:

Bath School of Art, Film and Media

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.

88%
Film studies
88%
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

91%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
93%
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

70%
Library resources
74%
IT resources
90%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
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?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
58%
Male students
42%
Female students
97%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

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.

£17,971
med
Average annual salary
99%
high
Employed or in further education
35%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

23%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
18%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
17%
Other elementary services occupations

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.

£16k

£16k

£21k

£21k

£24k

£24k

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:

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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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