Media, Culture and Communication BA (Hons)
3-Year Bachelor's Degree
The total service fee for this program:
€ 499
Pre payment for this program:
€ 99
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ABOUT
Gain a unique insight into cultural theory, mass communication, films, TV Genres and more. Get skilled in critical analysis and build your independent judgement. Build a foundation to launch your career in the media.
Overview
This course explores and explains the diverse patterns of media and offers a comprehensive understanding of media power, media use, and the increasing significance of media in contemporary culture and society.
Engage with a mix of critical approaches: cultural studies, communication studies, film studies and media studies. You’ll also study a wide range of related topics including everyday life, popular culture, digital media cultures, cultural representation, gender and ethnic identities and sexualities.
Throughout your studies, you’ll be guided and supported by our experts. You’ll work with academics at the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies and study alongside scriptwriters, film makers, radio producers, and independent film producers. Many of the key books you will learn from have been written by lecturers.
Gain a range of transferable skills including presentation skills, critical analysis, independent thinking, written and research skills, and the ability to work in groups and on your own. In your final year, you’ll put your skills and knowledge into practice in a major independent research project.
Why us?
- This course has 100% Overall Satisfaction according to the National Student Survey 2020
- Our Media & Film Studies courses are ranked 11th in the UK (The Guardian University league tables, 2022)
- Flexibility to choose from a dynamic range of modules covering topics such as science fiction, popular music, internet subcultures, gaming, and sexuality
- Our support for independent learning is praised by our external examiners; you will work towards a major piece of independent research at Stage 3
- With its emphasis on critical thinking, the degree provides an excellent basis for employment in a broad range of careers such as teaching, television, radio, journalism, marketing and new media
- Enrich your studies through activities such as cultural trips, visits and experiences
Join our creative community: @SunderlandCreative #WeAreCreative
Course structure
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, group work and e-learning. We encourage you to develop independent study skills.
As well as assessments that count towards your degree, there are also ongoing assessments for feedback and consolidating your learning.
Assessment methods include essays, reports, written coursework, projects and presentations.
Part-time study
If you study this course on a part-time basis you will typically complete 40-80 credits in a year, rather than the 120 credits of full-time students. All modules are taught during the day time and you will be studying alongside full-time students.
Year 1 (national level 4):
Core modules:
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Introduction to Digital Media Cultures (20 credits)
Trace the evolution of digital media and its associated cultural phenomena by charting the emergence of the personal computer and the nascent internet as crucial forces in shaping contemporary communication practices. Investigate key debates and contribute to analyses of emergent behaviours and practices that take place within and across digital media and social media environments.
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The Making of Popular Culture (20 credits)
Explore the historical development in the nineteenth century of modern urban popular culture, including the development of the culture industries of stage melodrama, Christmas, music hall, the seaside holiday, pastimes and the selling of sensationist crime. Examine the transition from rural to urban culture and the institutionalisation of the distinction between elite and popular culture and the development of popular literature and genres. Engage with a number of relevant case studies, both in class and as part of organised field trips to appropriate venues and locations.
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Understanding Media and Culture (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the role and importance of media and culture in contemporary life. Gain knowledge of the historical development of the modern media landscape and culture industries and develop analytical and evaluative skills through examining media texts and cultural practices. Finish the module with skills of analysis, academic argument and understanding the operations of power.
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Sounds and Visions: Broadcasting Histories, Texts and Contexts (20 credits)
Trace the evolution of broadcasting from its technological beginnings in the nineteenth century through its institutional birth in 1922. Explore significant historical, regulatory and institutional developments in relation to radio and television. Look at various broadcasting contexts, from the creation of public service models of broadcasting through to the arrival of commercial competitors, and at the relationship between various mediums and platforms and their respective audiences.
Optional modules (choose two):
- Single Camera Production (20 credits)
Gain an introduction to the procedures and techniques of single camera video production. Learn the technical practices and creative skills required to produce a video. Originate, develop, script, shoot and edit a production of three minutes in length, working in a production crew.
- Introduction to PR Theory and Practice (20 credits)
Gain an introduction to the theory and practice of public relations, enabling you to position PR within a business context. Trace the emergence and development of PR through analysis of case studies and theoretical models. Develop key skills in planning, strategy, team working, news release writing and communication skills across a range of media.
- Essential Journalism (20 credits)
Learn role of the journalist and the range of practical skills needed to produce news, magazine and sports content, including research, newsgathering, interviewing, copy presentation and writing style.
Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.
Year 2 (national level 5):
Core modules:
- Cultural Theory and Popular Culture 1 (20 credits)
Examine different theoretical approaches and traditions involved in the study of popular culture and the analysis of texts and practices of popular culture. Learn about the most influential approaches to the study of popular culture including Marxism(s), psychoanalysis, postmodernism, and feminism, using relevant examples such as popular music, advertising, film, television, and consumption (shopping, football and fan culture).
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Thinking Outside The Box: TV, Past, Present and Future (20 credits)
Gain an introduction to critical approaches to television studies. Focus on close textual analysis of television fiction and non-fiction programming, alongside discussion of industrial context and key theoretical debates. Study areas such as British and US industrial contexts; concepts of representation, ideology and globalisation; issues of genre (which may include case studies such as sitcom, soap and comedy); convergence; transmedia storytelling, content streaming, the place of the audience and the value of critical models such as authorship and quality, alongside central issues such as flow and public service broadcasting. Consider the cultural impact of television and evolving modes of consumption.
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Interrogating Factual Media (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the role and importance of fact-based media output across multiple platforms, from broadcast content to diverse internet-based publishers. Gain analytical and evaluative skills through analyses of media discourses impacting upon public knowledge and the effective functioning of democracy while exploring a range of relevant contemporary topics and theories. Complete the module with a robust understanding of the interplay between the construction of media messaging, their communicative value and effectiveness, and the public’s response.
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Researching Media in Theory and Practice (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the history and growth of media research and the importance of continuing to examine media use in contemporary life in the midst of rapid technological change. Gain knowledge of media research and ‘hands-on’ research skills through detailed case studies of past research into media use and a practical research project of your own or a placement should you wish to arrange one. Complete the module with a firm grasp of the complex relationships between ordinary media use and the formation of identities, beliefs and practices and gain useful, practical research and problem-solving skills.
Optional modules (choose two):
- Practical Public Relations: Strategy and Theory (20 credits)
Build on the theoretical and practical foundation you developed in your first year to learn the key elements in the process of creating a PR strategy for a real-world client or employing organisation. Engage with a critical review of PR planning models and gain an understanding of the importance of research and the study of a variety of case studies. Learn about the importance of ethical codes that aim to guide practitioners in the minefield of modern-day PR practice.
- Podcasting (20 credits)
Explore the key ideas behind the medium of podcasting and develop the practical and professional skills needed to produce your own podcast series.
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Ready Player One: Operating within the Streaming Industry (20 credits)
Develop both a practical and critical understanding of one of the fastest growing media sectors in the 21st century: the livestreaming economy. Research the live streaming economy and create content for a unique product through a variety of pre-recorded and live stream videos. Complete the module with an understanding of the importance of the relationships between content creator and intended audience, effective branding and planning, as well as a critical awareness of ethical practices and broadcast regulations.
Final year (national level 6):
Core modules:
- Media Research Project (40 credits)
Undertake a piece of independent-led work, the content of which will vary from student to student and will be based on theoretical or empirical approaches, or a combination of these. Complete the module with a specialist understanding of your chosen area of research.
- Media and Society (20 credits)
Develop a critical understanding of the industrial links between Advertising and Branding and Quality Television Drama (and many other types of media) in terms of their historical development and production. Gain analytical and evaluative skills by examining the current issues and debates about the impact of media on society. Finish the module with a robust knowledge of the intertwined concerns of creating content, creating profit and the necessity for analysis of media output and industrial systems to maintain a healthy, democratic society.
- Cultural Theory and Popular Culture 2 (20 credits)
Develop your own research project based on interest of a cultural text, practice or body of theoretical work. Undertake self-directed research, develop, and produce a piece of independent written work.
Optional modules (choose two):
- Advanced Public Relations (20 credits)
Learn about the economic value of corporate reputation and goodwill along with the implications for corporate responsibility and community relations. Continue to develop your practical skills in a wide range of PR techniques, including speechwriting and acting as a spokesperson.
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Film, Horror and the Body (20 credits)
Chart the emergence of body horror cinema in the late 20th century before proceeding to explore different historical and contemporary examples across a range of international contexts. Consider other filmic forms that feature the body undergoing changes that may be horrific or challenging but yet may not be considered to adhere to the horror genre. Employ ideas from both film studies and cultural studies and address questions of bodily fascination, from puberty and issues related to sexual desire through to explorations of bodily disgust and repulsion.
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Popular Music Cultures (20 credits)
Chart the historical evolution of key popular musical genres and the cultures they both reflect and sustain. Focus primarily upon two of the largest markets that produced and shaped mainstream popular music since the 1950s, namely the US and the UK, but the success and impact of musicians from outside of these regions will also form the basis of analysis. Cover topics spanning multiple genres including rock, reggae, punk, rap, and dance music and explore the socio-political dimensions of the music. Produce two feature articles for an online music publication as part of your assessment alongside an end of module essay.
- Loving The Alien: Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Television (20 credits)
Examine the historical roots of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres, from its literary origins, through to its subsequent appearance on radio, film and more specifically television. Explore several key theoretical approaches to the study of the genre, including fan cultures, representation and dystopian/utopian futures. Cover a chronological overview of the genres, from the 1950s to the present day, exploring British and American science fiction and fantasy television.
Facilities
The David Puttnam Media Centre is a thriving place to study and experience media. Rub shoulders with BBC Newcastle and Tyne & Wear TV, who are both based in the building. Volunteer with award-winning Spark Sunderland, write for one of our suite of websites or edit Spark Magazine in our mediaHUB. Get hands on in TV and Radio Studios, Journalism and Digital editing suites. Learn from experts in this centre of excellence for training.
Career ready
This degree provides an excellent foundation for a wide range of careers in the media. Possible sectors include TV, radio, new media, journalism, marketing, PR, organisational communications, and advertising.
Career destinations
Our students have gained placements or graduate roles with employers such as BBC Radio 1, Capital FM, Channel 4, Heart FM, Metro Radio, Sky TV, BBC Sport, MTV, ITV Studios (Coronation Street), Talk Sport, The Guardian, Jamie Oliver Productions, Lime Pictures, Absolute Radio, BBC Radio 6 Music, I Daniel Blake, BBC World Service, regional newspapers and PR companies.
You could choose to continue your studies on one of our Masters degrees such as MA Radio, Audio and Podcasting or MA Public Relations.
Work placements
We actively encourage students to gain relevant work experience while at university. In every year of your course, you will be guided and encouraged to gain meaningful experience that will fit around your studies.
In Year 2, there is a work placement opportunity with a media organisation such as the BBC, Tyne Tees Television or one of the region’s production companies. You can also choose to undertake a number of practice modules that involve practical projects.
All students studying on-campus undergraduate media courses can take up a CV-enhancing work placement, a University-led industry initiative, or a professional and business development boot camp. By the term placement, we mean we are offering you a taste of the industry which might last anything from two days to four weeks on a part-time basis.
Practical experience
Many students get involved in Spark Sunderland, a community radio station based at the University. Students are responsible for all news-gathering, programme production and advertising. Spark has won many awards including four golds at the Student Radio Awards 2012, and holds the Nations and Regions Award for Best Radio Station in the North East.
Work alongside BBC Newcastle Journalists in our mediaHUB, home to student-run websites covering sport, news, entertainment, fashion and Spark online magazine.
Sunderland’s daily newspaper, The Sunderland Echo, has a weekly page called ‘On Campus’ that is written entirely by students at the University. It’s an opportunity to find and research your own stories, take photographs, meet deadlines and see your name in print.
Throughout the course, we invite guest speakers to run workshops and master classes that allow you to relate your learning to real-life opportunities.
If English is not your first language you should have at least one of the following qualifications (or equivalent) as a minimum.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
You need an overall score of 6.0, with at least 5.5 or higher in each component: reading, writing, listening and speaking. An alternative approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) will also be accepted if the applicant’s element scores are equivalent to those required for IELTS. After 6 April 2015, you must take your IELTS exams at one of the test centres listed on the UKVI website.
Pearson Test of English Academic
You need an overall score of 59 with no less than 59 in each skill.
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
You need grade C or above.
Cambridge Certification in Advanced English (CAE)
You need grade C or above.
Deadlines
26 January 2022 – UCAS deadline
Applications for all UCAS Undergraduate courses, except those with a 15 October deadline, should arrive at UCAS by 6pm on 26 January 2022. This is the ‘equal consideration’ deadline, which means course providers must consider all applications received by this time equally.
25 February 2022 – UCAS Extra opens
If you’ve used all five choices, and you’re not holding any offers, you can add another choice using Extra.
19 May 2022 – University decision deadline
If you applied by 26 January and you’re still awaiting a decision from one of your choices, we have until today to decide whether we’re making you an offer. Any choices that are still outstanding after this will be made unsuccessful.
9 June 2022 – Deadline to reply to offers
If you receive all your university decisions by 19 May, you must reply to any offers by today (except if you are using Extra to find a place), otherwise they’ll be declined.
30 June 2022 – Final day to make an application to five universities
You can still apply with up to five choices until 6pm today. After this, your application will automatically be entered into Clearing.
4 July 2022 – Final day to apply for a course in Extra
This is the last day to add an Extra option to your 2022 application. If you don’t hold any offers after this, you will be able to add an additional choice using Clearing.
FREE VISA SERVICE
One of our very suitable solutions for applicants is to provide free visa services to study in this field from a pleasant country. If you need to receive free visa services, let us know your request
Expenses (GBP)
13000
Application Fee
0
Program expenses
University & General Expenses
accommodation
The university offers three different student residential buildings, all of which are within walking distance from the university campuses. All students that are residing in these buildings can take advantage of the free transport that the university offers. What is more, all the dorms are equipped with facilities like fridge, Shower, toilet facilities, Wi-Fi, bed Wardrobe, Washbasin and mirror, as well as car parking and bicycle storage.
The first student residence of the university is called Scotia Quay that costs up to £95.50 per week. Each room is suitable for up to 5 students. the second one is named Panns Bank costs about £77.79 a week and is also suitable for families of four. Lastly, Clanny House also costs around £77.79 per week and is suitable for couples as well as single students.
After Graduation
All the students have the opportunity to seek help from The Careers and Employability Service, a team dedicated to helping students find proper and suitable employment either during or after their education.
Students are encouraged to take on part-time vocational roles in order to gain perspective on the reality of the labor market and also earn extra cash. As a matter of fact, the university helps and guides them during this process. It helps students find part-time jobs that do not impact their studies or temporary jobs that can be done during vacations and breaks. Students also have the chance to take part in paid or unpaid internships and job placements that are related to their field of study.
The Careers and Employability Service also helps students with finding employment after graduation. They help students with the resumes, CVs, job applications and job interviews.