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Promotional Media: PR, Advertising and Branding

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

**Examine the rise of the promotional industries, and their relationship with media, both in the past and in contemporary society.**

Today, native advertising, advertorials, and new online practices have blurred the boundary between promotional content, and factual or fictional content. This programme allows you to study developments from a uniquely theoretical and practical perspective, integrating creative and critical analytic thinking.

By bringing together theory and practice, this degree covers a broad spectrum of critical perspectives on promotional media and introduces a range of contemporary promotional media practices. It offers a solid basis of practical experience in promotions-based media production, and a critical understanding of the complex relationship between the media and promotional industries.

We provide an experience in which theory and practice elements inform each other to produce original and critical work, and teach independent learning skills for use in a rapidly changing industry.

**Why study BA Promotional Media: PR, Advertising and Branding at Goldsmiths**
- Explore a range of promotional media practices, from planning and launching media campaigns, to web design, writing for the media, pitching and presentation, research skills, and learn about key aspects of digital and visual culture.

- Come into regular contact with people who work in this sector, including on practice modules taught by industry professionals, thanks to the department’s close links with the media world.

- You'll be able to take a compulsory work placement in your final year, allowing you to gain valuable experience in a professional setting.

- Study a variety of critical approaches to advertising, branding, public relations and marketing, including their increasing convergence, and learn about global and transnational approaches.

- Study and evaluate the cultural, sociological, economic, and political impact of promotional activity, and explore the growth of the promotional industry both historically and in a contemporary context.

- Gain a critical perspective on the promotional industries and their relationships with media industries, and learn about a range of promotional media practices and key roles in promotional organisations.

- Evaluate the impact of promotional activity on culture, society, the economies, and politics.

- 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.

Modules

In your first year, you will be taken on industry visits, learn web design and presentation skills, as well as how to develop pitches. In year two, you will be set ‘live’ briefs, and learn visual storytelling through moving images and photography. In year three, students will undertake work experience and will develop their professional portfolio.

This programme will help you develop your knowledge and understanding of:
The key approaches to advertising, branding, public relations, and marketing
The relationship between promotional practices and wider activities of the media
The relationship between different media (art, photography, video, storytelling, digital life), and promotional media
The relationship between the development of new technology and the growth of the promotional industries
The relationship between social, cultural, and economic processes and the development of the promotional industries
Changes in the practices of the promotional industries and their interrelationships
The growth of promotional media and the development of the self

Year 1
Introduction to Promotional Media: Histories, Contexts, Theories
Introduction to Marketing
Writing For The Media
Media Arts
Culture and Cultural Studies
Web Design

Year 2
The Promotional Industries: Convergence and The Digital
Visual Storytelling
Understanding Advertising
Creative Collaborations

You will also take 30 credits worth (1 or 2) of option modules offered by the Department of Media Communications and Cultural Studies.

Year 3 Compulsory Modules:
Visualising and Analysing Data
Work Placement (Media)
Final Project

You will also take 60 credits worth (2 to 4) of option modules offered by the Media, Communications and Cultural Studies department.

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...

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Lower entry requirements
Bangor University | Bangor (Wales)
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UCAS Points: 96-128

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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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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?

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