Media Studies (Joint Honours)

When can you start this course? | UCAS code | Fees | Course length | Entry requirements

What is joint honours?

With joint honours, you can study for an honours degree in two or even three subjects. Find out more about joint honours, including what subjects you can combine with this one.

Why choose this course?

You can take work based learning modules, gaining work experience in the media industry, so you'll have experience on your CV and you'll earn credits towards your degree.
Develop skills which could take you into careers in areas like TV researching, TV production, radio production or teaching.
Combine this subject with one or two others to get a Joint Honours Degree - how about Popular Music Production, Film and Television Studies, English or Media Writing?

About the course

A joint honours degree is perfect for you if you want to study more than one subject. You can combine Media Studies with one or two other joint honours courses that are offered at our Derby Campus to create your own joint honours degree. You will be taught with students studying BA (Hons) Media Studies, but the modules you'll study will depend on how you decide to combine the subjects you choose.

You'll develop a high level of media literacy and an understanding of forms of media power and manipulation.

During stage one you will be introduced to a range of theoretical and methodological approaches in the study of the media, including theories of language and meaning, audience based research and the historical contextualisation of media forms and institutions.

At stage two you will study modules covering cultural studies approaches to the media and have the option to take modules in American cinema and television, as well as media ethics and media law. You will also be able to carry out a guided research project in an area of your choice in which students have studied topics such as sport and the media, television and representation and video games.

In stage three you will have the option to take an Independent Study where you will have the chance to study a research topic of your choice. There will also be the opportunity to take work experience based study.

Find out more about what subjects and modules you'll be studying...

Your career

You will have the opportunity to gain work experience during stage two and three of the course. We have established contacts with a number of independent film companies, local radio stations and newspapers and could help you gain work experience and help further your media career.

Careers talks are arranged each year and former students have gone on to work in TV researching, film and TV production, public relations, marketing, film archiving, radio presenting or production and newspapers. Others used their degree for higher level entry into, for example, the civil Service, public relations, charity management, customer services, further education or teaching.

How you'll learn

You will normally attend 12 hours, ie four modules of three hours length, per week. Theory modules include formal lectures, seminars, tutorials, group exercises, debates, screenings. Production modules (three hours per week) include hands-on practice with audio and video equipment, research, editing, etc.

How you're assessed

No exams. All theory assignments are assessed in terms of written coursework, and/or presentations. All production assignments are assessed in terms of radio/video product (40%), production file and evaluation (60%).

Fieldtrips

Trips have been arranged to the London Film Festival; the National Museum for Photography, Film and Television, Bradford; the Alexandra Palace Television Society.

Students have also been taken to The Tate Britain and The Southbank Centre as part of a module titled Art and Artists on Screen. In the module they study media representations of art and artists and the two case studies included Francis Bacon and Andy Warhol to coincide with current exhibitions in London.

Work placements

In Years 2 and 3 you will have opportunities to take modules relating to work based learning in the creative and cultural industries. Lucy Clark went on a six-week film making course in America for example - see her video diary and the films she made.

You'll find the work experience yourself, and negotiate with your tutoran academic piece of work related to it. As well as giving you work experience and academic credits, it shows future employers that you have motivation.

Start dates

If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in:

September 2012

If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in:

September 2012

UCAS code

Popular courses that can be combined with Media Studies include:

Film and Television Studies
Creative Writing
Popular Culture and Media
American Studies
Law
English

Fees

This is a classroom based subject.

UK/EU students

Full time:

If you combine this subject with another classroom based subject or a resource intensive subject it will cost £6,995 per year.
If you combine this subject with a specialist subject it will cost £7,495 per year.

Part time:

You usually take 18 of these modules in total for your course

Modules from classroom based subjects will cost £875 per module.
Modules from resource intensive subjects will cost £935 per module.
Modules from specialist subjects will cost £1,000 per module.

International students

Full time:

If you combine this subject with another classroom based subject or a resource intensive subject it will cost £9,700 per year.
If you combine this subject with a specialist subject it will cost £9,975 per year.

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2012 and August 2013. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.

More information about our fees for September 2012 and the support available