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Media and Communications

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:30

Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject specific modules

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

33

With three Higher Level subjects at 655

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H2

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

DDM

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,B,C

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B,C

T Level

M

Each application will be considered on its individual merits. Where the T Level subject area does not directly match the degree programme being applied for, the personal statement and reference will be particularly important in demonstrating interest, enthusiasm and suitability for the subject.

UCAS Tariff

120-136

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

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Media and communication studies

Bringing together media practice and communications theory, this degree covers a broad spectrum of critical perspectives on the media, and will introduce you to a range of contemporary media practices.

**Why study BA Media & Communications at Goldsmiths**
- You will study in one of the UK's and the world's top media and communications departments.

- You'll be taught by leading names in media, communications and cultural studies.

- We concentrate on high quality lectures and small group work, and all our teaching takes place on one purpose-built site.

- On practice modules you'll be taught by industry professionals engaged in TV, film, journalism, radio, photography, scriptwriting, short fiction, illustration, interactive media and animation.

- You'll have access to industry-standard practice facilities, including TV/film, radio and photography studios, digital video and audio editing suites, and animation software and hardware.

- Our close links to the media industry bring you into regular contact with media professionals. You will have the opportunity to apply for an internship in the media as part of the course.

- We regularly host debates and talks by international figures in media and cultural research and the media industry; recent guests have included Danny Boyle, Gurinder Chadha and Noel Clark.

- You'll be taught alongside students from all over the world and with diverse cultural experiences that enrich the department and the learning experience.

- You'll develop skills that you can use throughout your career whether in the media industries or elsewhere. Our recent graduates are now working as television producers, news readers, editors, journalists etc... Others have gone into a whole range of careers such as research, teaching and law.

- The Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies has been ranked 2nd in the UK for 'world-leading or internationally excellent' research (Research Excellence Framework, 2021) and 12th in the world (2nd in the UK) in the 2022 QS World Rankings for communication and media studies.

Please note the BA Media and Communications only accepts applications for first year entry.

Modules

The degree consists of 50% media theory and 50% media practice. We aim to provide an inspirational learning experience in which theory and practice influence and enrich each other in the production of original creative and intellectual work.

Far more than just a media degree this programme incorporates philosophical perspectives on technology and human life as well as sociological approaches to media production.

We look at issues of identity through critical race studies, queer theory and critiques of post-feminism. We investigate global screen cultures and also the role of news in democracy. All of this, together with critical, creative practice in production equips our students to be the thinking media practitioners of the future.

Year 1 (credit level 4)
Media Theory
In the first year, the theory element introduces you to the study of verbal and visual languages, and encourages you to assess changes in the media. You'll be acquainted with debates surrounding the term 'culture', and will look at how experiences of gender, age and race affect our understanding of the concept. You'll also examine various media texts, and take a module that will address theories of society and approaches to the modern state as they relate to media.

You take the following compulsory modules:
Media History and Politics
Culture and Cultural Studies
Key Debates in Media Studies
Film and the Audiovisual: Theory and Analysis
Media Arts

Media Practice
Media Production – Option 1: Media Campaigning and Social Activism pathway

Year 2 (credit level 5)
Media Theory
In the second year you take theory modules covering a range of approaches to the study of communications and the media. You'll look at theories of postmodernity, identity and globalisation; be introduced to differing psychological perspectives on the analysis of culture and communications; consider cultural theory; and investigate concepts of audience.

You take the following compulsory modules:
Psychology, Subjectivity and Power
Media, Modernity and Social Thought

And a choice of two option modules. Options offered recently have included:
Culture, Society and the Individual
Moving Image Spectatorship
Money, Society, and Culture
Media, Memory and Conflict
Television and After

Media Practice
Practice modules introduce you to media production in a different area to the one you studied in year one. You'll apply production skills in the creation of small-scale projects, and develop critical skills through the analysis of examples and of work produced in each area. You then choose a practice area in which to specialise.

You take: Media Production Option 2

Year 3 (credit level 6)
Media Theory
You can choose any combination of options to the value of 60 credits. Options offered recently have included:
Structure of Contemporary Political Communication
Race, Empire and Nation
The City and Consumer Culture
Music as Communication and Creative Practice
Embodiment and Experience
Strategies of World Cinema
Media Law and Ethics
Media, Ritual and Contemporary Public Cultures
Promotional Culture
Politics of the Audiovisual
Social Media in Everyday Life: A global perspective
Media Geographies
Dissertation

You can also undertake a work placement as one of your option modules.

Media Practice
You undertake the research, planning and production of a major project or a portfolio of work in the practice area in which you specialised in Year 2 (60 credits).

Practice options may include:
Animation
Creative Writing
Illustration
Interactive Media
Journalism
Photography
Radio
Television and Film

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Assessment methods

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework assignments such as extended essays, reports, presentations, practice-based projects or essays/logs, group projects and reflective essays, as well as seen and unseen written examinations.

The Uni


Course location:

Goldsmiths, University of London

Department:

Media, Communications and Cultural Studies

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.

34%
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

73%
Staff make the subject interesting
64%
Staff are good at explaining things
63%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
49%
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

57%
Library resources
77%
IT resources
64%
Course specific equipment and facilities
15%
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?

60%
UK students
40%
International students
26%
Male students
74%
Female students
93%
2:1 or above
14%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
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.

£20,000
high
Average annual salary
87%
low
Employed or in further education
42%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

26%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
17%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
8%
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?

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.

£19k

£19k

£25k

£25k

£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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of East Anglia UEA | Norwich
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BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 128-153
Lower entry requirements
Bangor University | Bangor (Wales)
Modern Languages and Media Studies
BA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-128

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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