University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: P300 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
112-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels.
112-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma.
Cambridge Pre-U score of 46-50.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
2 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above to include English.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
25 points from the IB Diploma, to include 3 Higher Level subjects.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H3
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
112-120 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Advanced Highers.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
T Level
UCAS Tariff
112-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent.
112-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**This is a Connected Degree**
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.
**Overview**
Are you curious about how the media influences the world we live in? Our BA (Hons) Media Studies course is distinguished by its innovative mix of options and will give you a fascinating way to gain a deeper academic understanding of this prime form of communication.
You'll learn how global media reflects, shapes and affects societies and cultures, from news and television, to social networks. You’ll also consider how identity is formed through the media, and its representations in contemporary formats and genres, such as TV talk shows, the comic book industries, and science. As you progress in your degree, you can create your own learning plan by choosing optional modules, including film production.
You’ll graduate ready to begin your media career in many communicational fields, but you’ll also have creative and transferable skills you can use in any sector.
**Course highlights**
- Gain expert insight into popular culture, fan communities, and the latest media tech developments by attending the annual Portsmouth Comic Con – where course lecturers and previous students have been panellists
- Enhance your studies by learning from a teaching team of widely published media experts and research-active academics
- Cultivate a well-rounded, futuristic understanding of media from staff expertise in contemporary popular culture genres (including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and animation)
- Tailor your degree by choosing modules to suit your specialisation
- Develop filmmaking skills with optional practical film modules from second year
- Build valuable professional experience and knowledge by taking an optional placement year – either with a company or self-employed
- Broaden your expertise with the chance to gain industry-recognised accreditations such as ScreenSkills safety training and Adobe Certified Associate (ACA)
**Careers and opportunities**
The communication, research, writing and critical thinking skills you learn on this media studies degree will be essential for employers within and outside the media industry.
You can also continue your studies at postgraduate level. Many of our graduates pursue Master's and Doctorates, with a number of them taking further teacher training to work in education.
Graduate areas
Previous media studies graduates have gone on to work in areas such as:
- media research
- digital specialisms (e.g. website design and creation)
- public relations and marketing
- journalism
- publishing
- new media development
- film production
- film and TV companies
Graduate roles
Job roles our graduates have taken on include:
- teacher
- media research assistant
- marketing assistant
- production manager
- sound and vision engineer
- film/video producer
- advertising journalist
- assistant publicist
- PR and communications officer
Graduate destinations
Some of our alumni have gone on to work for big names such as:
- BBC
- Warner Bros
- Universal Pictures International
- Mitchells & Butlers
- Lush Cosmetics
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the industry. After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Global Screens (20 credits)
- Introduction to Media Studies (20 credits)
- Screen Debates (20 credits)
- Screen Research (20 credits)
- Understanding Film Production (20 credits)
- Writing for the Film and Tv Industries (20 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Propaganda (20 credits)
- Transmedia Narratives and Strategies (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Broadcast Radio and Podcasting (20 credits)
- Comic Book Industries (20 credits)
- Engaged Citizenship Through Interdisciplinary Practice (20 credits)
- Film and Ethics (20 credits)
- Media Networks: Exploring Digital Culture (20 credits)
- Media, Culture and National Identity (20 credits)
- Production: Camera and Editing (20 credits)
- Production: Short Film-Making (20 credits)
- Professional Experience (20 credits)
- Screen Media (20 credits)
- Social Issues in the Media (20 credits)
- Student Enterprise (20 credits)
- World and Transnational Cinema (20 credits)
Year 3
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Celebrity and Society (20 credits)
- Cultures of Consumption (20 credits)
- Film and Media Dissertation (40 credits)
- Media Fan Cultures (20 credits)
- News, War and Peace (20 credits)
- Practical Video Project (40 credits)
- Representing Science in the Media (20 credits)
- Researching Animation (20 credits)
- Self Promotion (20 credits)
- Studying Comedy (20 credits)
Placement year (optional)
On this course, you can do an optional work placement year after your 2nd or 3rd year to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through:
- essays
- presentations
- scripts
- video productions
- programme proposal/pitch
- reviews and features
- reports/magazine features
- examinations
- dissertation/project
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 20% by practical exams and 80% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 12% by practical exams and 88% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 13% by practical exams and 87% by coursework
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
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?
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
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 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
£23k
£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...
This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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