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Image from Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad)
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Image from Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad)
Image from Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad)
Image from Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad)

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad)

University of Essex

(4.1)
53 reviews

Entry requirements

Here's what you will need to get a place on the Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) course at University of Essex.

We're still busy gathering entry requirements for Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) at University of Essex. Look out for more info soon.

Most popular A-levels studied

The Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) course at University of Essex features content from more than one subject area. Choose an option below to find out about the students taking courses in each of those subject areas at this uni.

Media and communication studies
Sociology
SubjectGrade
English LanguageB
Business StudiesB
SociologyC
Media StudiesA
Art and DesignB
SubjectGrade
SociologyC
PsychologyD
Media StudiesC
HistoryD
Business StudiesB
Source: HESA

Course summary

What this course is about

UCAS code: PL33

Here's what University of Essex says about its Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) course.

How does the media shape social and cultural life? How have digital and internet cultures transformed personal and networked interactions? What is the relationship between the media, mass politics, and governance? What is media power, and who wields it? Whatever the questions that interest you, at Essex you can develop the skills to go beyond simply arguing about them, and instead find the evidence needed to answer them.

At Essex we investigate what connects people with each other, as well as what divides them. We consider every aspect of our daily lives, from how we relate to politicians, celebrities and friends, to how we define ourselves, our families, and others.

You experience a lively, informal environment with many possibilities to pursue a variety of topics including:

  • The impact of computer games on crime

  • Mass media and modern life

  • The art, film and personal testimony of war

  • Practical research methods, including designing interview schedules and surveys and handling cultural data

The Department of Sociology also offers expertise in many areas that complement the study of communications and digital culture, including criminology, social history, visual sociology, anthropology, economic sociology, US and European studies and cultural rights.

Source: University of Essex

Course details

Qualification

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Department

Sociology and Criminology

Location

Colchester Campus | Colchester

Duration

4 Years

Study mode

Full-time

Subjects

• Media and communication studies

• Sociology

Start date

October 2026

Application deadline

14 January 2026

Tuition fees

LocationFees
England£9,535 per year
Scotland£9,535 per year
Wales£9,535 per year
Northern Ireland£9,535 per year
Channel Islands£9,535 per year
Republic of Ireland£9,535 per year
EU£21,500 per year
International£21,500 per year

The modules you will study

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.

University of Essex student reviews

(4.1)
Based on 53 reviews from University of Essex's students and alumni
5 star
47%
4 star
31%
3 star
11%
2 star
11%
1 star
0%
All reviews

Showing 45 reviews

2nd year student

3 years ago

The SU tries their best with the budget they have. They are probably one of the only departments who try their hardest at Essex. Societies and sports clubs are great with lots of socials and a great way and the best way to make new friends at Essex. The 2 bars and nightclub on campus are ok although...

(4)
Student Union

2nd year student

3 years ago

I live near Colchester so I haven’t moved far to go to Essex University so I knew what the area would be like. It isn’t the most busiest area and you can pretty much find every and do everything tourist-wise in a couple of days. Nightlife is ok with the club on campus and a couple in the town, all o...

(4)
University life

2nd year student

3 years ago

With the cost of living so high in the UK, the University has only raised their rent slightly and when you take into account that bills are included, the cheaper accommodation options are quite good deals. I notice that financial support is offered to those in more difficult circumstances due to the...

(4)
Finance

2nd year student

3 years ago

There is more that could be done in this area and I imagine those who are new to this sort of environment (living on your own, needing to self motivate to study etc) would struggle as there is a lack of communication from all aspects of the University. A simple email explaining how a specific examin...

(3)
Support

2nd year student

3 years ago

The facilities on campus for education (library, labs etc) I cannot fault and they all work effectively. However, the accommodation is quite poor. In my 1st year in halls, I moved into a dirty room which smelt like a toilet. Clearly it hadn’t been cleaned since the last tenant which meant I had to c...

(2)
Facilities

2nd year student

3 years ago

The course content is good however the delivery is lacking. It seems pointless going to lectures face to face as a lot of lecturers just read off the slides and add nothing on top. Sometimes the lecturers themselves seem puzzled at some of the content on the slides and they often just quickly move o...

(2)
Course

National Student Survey (NSS) scores at University of Essex

The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.

The Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) course at University of Essex features content from more than one subject area. Using the options below, you can see ratings from students who took courses in each of these subject areas at this uni

Sociology
Media studies

Select an option to see a detailed breakdown

How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?

84%

med

How good are teaching staff at explaining things?

94%

med

How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?

86%

med

How often is the course intellectually stimulating?

87%

med

To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?

83%

med

How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?

88%

med

How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?

80%

med

To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?

82%

low

To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?

82%

med

How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?

94%

high

How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?

89%

med

How often does feedback help you to improve your work?

69%

med

How often have you received assessment feedback on time?

81%

med

How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?

80%

med

How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?

93%

high

How well have teaching staff supported your learning?

96%

high

How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?

79%

med

How well organised is your course?

88%

high

How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?

88%

med

How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?

94%

med

How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?

86%

med

How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?

68%

med

To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?

70%

low

To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?

75%

low

How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?

78%

med

During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?

86%

med

How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?

74%

med

Select an option to see a detailed breakdown

How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?

76%

low

How good are teaching staff at explaining things?

98%

high

How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?

89%

med

How often is the course intellectually stimulating?

73%

low

To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?

72%

low

How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?

72%

low

How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?

71%

low

To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?

71%

low

To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?

76%

med

How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?

84%

low

How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?

83%

med

How often does feedback help you to improve your work?

74%

med

How often have you received assessment feedback on time?

91%

high

How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?

81%

med

How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?

91%

med

How well have teaching staff supported your learning?

86%

low

How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?

87%

high

How well organised is your course?

75%

med

How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?

68%

low

How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?

89%

med

How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?

88%

med

How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?

56%

low

To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?

79%

med

To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?

68%

low

How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?

73%

med

During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?

84%

low

How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?

60%

low

Student information

The Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) course at University of Essex features content from more than one subject area. Choose an option below to find out about the students taking courses in each of those subject areas at this uni.

Media and communication studies
Sociology
Mode of study
Full-time97%Part-time3%
Gender ratio
Female60%Male40%
Where students come from
International33%UK67%
Number of students30
Mode of study
Full-time97%Part-time3%
Gender ratio
Female73%Male27%
Where students come from
International14%UK86%
Student performance
2:1 or above85%
Number of students390
Source: HESA

Graduate prospects

What graduates do next

Facts and figures about University of Essex graduates who took Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) - or another course in the same subject area.

Media, journalism and communications

Graduate statistics

80%

In a job where degree was essential or beneficial

85%

In work, study or other activity

80%

Say it fits with future plans

70%

Are utilising studies

Top job areas

35%

Media Professionals

30%

Business and public service associate professionals

15%

Artistic, literary and media occupations

5%

Administrative occupations

Graduate statistics percentages are determined 15 months after a student graduates

Earnings after graduation

The Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad) course includes content from more than one subject area. Choose an option below for University of Essex graduate earnings across each of those subject areas.

Sociology, social policy and anthropology
Media, journalism and communications

Earnings

£23k

First year after graduation

£26.6k

Third year after graduation

£30.7k

Fifth year after graduation

Earnings

£22.6k

First year after graduation

Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Media and Digital Culture (Including Year Abroad).

Source: LEO

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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Universities will list upcoming open days on their websites. Most will also have virtual open days; these are a great alternative if you really can't get there in person. For tips on preparing for open days, check the advice section here on The Uni Guide.

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