Media and Communications
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
UCAS Code: PP24 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
English or Media Studies are preferred at A-Level or equivalent. Maths and English at GCSE level are preferred at grade C or 4.
Various Access Courses are accepted: Access to University Study Access to Community, Education & Humanities Access to Arts, Social Sciences & Primary Teaching Access to Languages, Arts and Social Sciences Access to Languages with Business Access to Humanities/Primary Education Access to Degree Studies Access to Arts & Social Science Access to Humanities Access to Social Sciences Access to Teaching
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Maths and English at Ordinary level grade O4.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish HNC
Successful completion of your HNC in any subject with a C in the graded unit
Scottish Higher
English or Media Studies are preferred at Higher or equivalent. Maths and English at National 5 is preferred at grade C.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Our Media and Communications course will engage you in creative, collaborative and professional ways of thinking, researching and working. The degree emphasises studying the media and understanding the importance of creative communication skills in this exciting and dynamic sector.
We live in a world where everyone joins in media debates and many people are content creators, but how do you differentiate yourself, and your professional skills, in this field? On this new course you’ll study media theory while gaining the creative, practical and collaborative skills you’ll need to establish a career in tomorrow’s global, digitally networked world.
What media and communications knowledge and skills will you need for the many roles which require them in the fast-moving world of work? You will study theories of media and communications and debate the role of media in economics, politics and society. You will look at the role of publicity, propaganda and social campaigning, and you will learn about the artistic and creative digital work which shapes the societies we live in.
You’ll also put this theoretical understanding into action – although this is not a dedicated production course, it does have a production strand that focuses on video, audio and online content creation. You will develop your writing, management and team skills needed to produce imaginative and creative work of a high standard. During your degree you will be meeting and learning from media professionals in the fields of media and communication. In addition, you will be working with carefully selected external clients on media and communication projects.
The course is designed to build your creative, critical and research skills year on year, as well as your ability to put ideas into writing and practice.
Creative Entrepreneurship is a vital part of Years Three and Four. You’ll learn skills and approaches that will enhance your business-sense and employability. Many of our students have gone on to create their own successful companies and we have an in-house Business Innovation Zone (BIZ) to help you get your enterprise up and running.
Modules
Year One
Media Industries 1
Studying Media and Communications
Media Analysis
Digital Content Creation
Media Production: Skills and Techniques
Media Production: Video Project
Year Two
Media Industries 2
Popular Media Cultures
Media Client Project
Media Campaigning
Media Production: Digital Storytelling
Media Production: Online Journalism
Year Three
Media, Politics & Society
Independent Research Project
Persuasive Communication
Creative Entrepreneurship: Media and Film
plus two options
Year Four
Modernity on Screen
Industry-based Learning
Dissertation
Plus two options
Year Three and Four options may include:
Video Production
Screenwriting
Playwriting
Playwriting 2
Photography and Visual Culture
Television Drama
Storytelling in Convergent Media
The American West in Popular Culture
Video Essay
Scotland on Screen
Film Festivals
Problematic: Criticism, Culture and Social Justice
The Only Way is Ethics: Art, Participation and Ethics
Communication, Arts and Activism
Journalism and Global Change
Food, Film and Media
The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2020) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2021. Please check back here for any updates.
Assessment methods
You’ll learn through lectures, seminars, individual work and group work. The assessment strategy uses a range of methods to support your academic and professional development. These include: essays, reports, presentations, online discussions/postings, exams, reflective diaries, e-portfolios, and content production for different media such as video, photography, website, blogs, posts and tweets
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Queen Margaret University
School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management
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.
How do students rate their degree experience?
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Media studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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, journalism and communications
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£17k
£19k
£20k
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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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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