How to apply Book an open day

BA (Hons) Media

How to apply Book an open day

Key information

Typical offer:
Entry requirements
Fees:
Full details
UCAS code: P700
Institute code: H36
Study abroad option
Work placement option
Find out more

Entry requirements

UCAS points A Level BTEC IB requirement
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM 112-120 points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
Access Course Tariff: An overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3.
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.
The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis
Professional accreditations

This course is partnered with the prestigious Public Relations and Communications Association, giving students the benefit of accreditation, networking and tailored speaker sessions.
Sign up for alerts
Get access to personalised content, tailored towards your interests:
- Information on your favourite courses
- Tips to help you through the application process
- Blogs, vlogs and advice from current students
Form successfully completed. Thank you.
Please check, and fix the following possible errors:
Full name*

Email address*

Year of Entry: *

By submitting your details you consent to the University contacting you about our courses, facilities and the University itself. Please be assured that we will treat your information with the utmost care in accordance with relevant data protection legislation and the University's policy on data protection, which is available to view on the University's website. We will only pass your details onto relevant third parties in relation to your potential application to the University of Hertfordshire. Your data will be stored in our CRM systems which will be used to support you in your application and keep you informed about the University.

UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	IB requirement
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	112-120 points

Why choose this course?

Accredited by PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association)
Work with a client to showcase your skills to employers
Study the media internationally & locally, alongside vocational skills

In today’s fast-paced media world, people with the ability to write, design, understand imagery and harness new technologies are in high demand. Join this group by developing your communications skills (both oral and written), learning to create and publish content across a broad range of formats.

This course will equip you with a portfolio of practical skills as well as a theoretical and critical understanding of Media. Our industry-focused approach, combining theory and practice, will help build your confidence, give you the communication and technological skills required for the industry and help you plan your career.

You’ll learn how the media works globally and nationally, how to build and edit brilliant websites and create a hard-hitting ad campaign. You can study public relations, celebrity culture and influencers or examine how the media represents diverse groups. Using industry standard software and equipment, our professionally experienced academics and researchers will help you develop skills across divergent platforms and for different audiences.

You can take part in conferences and talks by professionals in the media industry through our Media Matters series.

Your course is affiliated to the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), one of Britain's top organisations for PR professionals giving you valuable internship and networking opportunities.

In the 2022 National Student Survey (NSS), our media degrees achieved an overall satisfaction rating of 82%. 85% of students reported that lecturers were good at explaining things and 82% of students (above the sector average) appreciated the chance to bring information and ideas together from different topics.

What's the course about?

The delivery of teaching varies according to the characteristics of each module. Workshops are used for modules where practical skills taught are taught enhanced by the supervision of experts, but there are also seminars and lectures. Assignments range from storyboards to creating audio for radio, websites, and even the traditional essay. The course is exclusively coursework. 

In your first year, you’ll explore the world of media communications and global media, looking at who owns the news, at the influence of the BBC and commercial entities such as Sky and consider how media varies across the globe. Your practical skills will include learning to tell stories using your phone and podcast and learning about the power of the image.

In your second year, you’ll learn key media research methods and skills. You’ll explore radio journalism and examine world-changing journalism campaigns such as Black Lives Matter and Watergate.

If you’re into music, film, food or travel, you’ll have opportunities to create magazine layouts and pdfs for online publications or design for mobile phones. A video option will give you the chance to create a documentary, or alternatively you can explore the world of the brand.

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or complete a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about, but it will also give your CV a boost. If you would rather go straight to your final year, that’s fine too. You can decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this.

In your final year, you’ll be spoilt for choice. You’ll undertake a major project to design your own website, but you can also choose to do a media project for a commercial or charitable client, to learn about Corporate Communications or Advertising or both and you’ll also learn about PR and the world of celebrity. As you move through your degree, you’ll have improved both your thinking skills and knowledge of media, in tandem with practical media-related skills.    

Guest speakers and networking (Media Matters)

Each year the School of Humanities hosts a range of industry professionals, giving talks on their experience in the media and publishing industry. These lectures are recorded by our final year students and available on our Taster Hub. Some of our previous speakers have included:

Andrea Thompson, Editor in Chief of Marie Claire
Richard Keith, Journalist for Edge Magazine and Publisher, PCGamer
Georgina Lawton of online ezine Gal-Dem for women and non-binary people of colour
Steve Swann, investigative journalist, BBC

Applying for this course is easy. Simply add us to your UCAS account by using the institution and course code mentioned in ‘Key information’. There is no interview for this course. We’re just interested to hear why you want to study this subject at degree level.

Your main campus is de Havilland 

You’ll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don’t feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.  

What will I study?

Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5 and 6. These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study. Below is a list of compulsory and optional modules. However, whatever choices you make, you will study no more than eight modules a year and possibly less in your final year depending on your degree.

Level 4

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Introduction to Media Communications	15 Credits	Compulsory
The aim of this module is to provide an insight to the various fields of media practice and communication studies. It will also introduce students to some of the key theories used in understanding media cultures. Students will learn about different economic and political structures that underlay the UK media system and engage with some of the conceptual frameworks for understanding media communications. The module is structured in three parts. In the first sessions, students are introduced to the basics of media communications. The sessions might cover topics such as the different types of media and models of communications. The second part – Audiences, Industry and Politics – takes a closer look at Media Effects and Audiences, News Values, media biases as well as industry structures. The final part will enable student to explore some of the key theorists that have written on media, for example Marshall McLuhan and Stuart Hall.
Journalism, Law and Ethics	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module, students will be introduced to key laws impacting on journalists, including defamation, copyright and Freedom of Information. They will also explore the Human Rights Act as it affects journalists and compare defamation law across different countries. Students will also investigate the ethical dilemmas that may impact on journalists in any Western liberal democracy and look at the codes of conduct that have been put in place to encourage ethical behaviour.
Global Media and Society	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module considers the relationship between the media and their social context. Throughout the module students will discuss the ways in which the media reflect and shape social attitudes and challenge their own assumptions about society and the media. Through discussions of issues such as class, race and gender this module will consider how different groups are represented in mediated images. The module will also examine the public role of the media and students will be asked to think analytically and critically about concepts such as free press, media impartiality or bias, and the relationship of the media with commercial and political institutions. The module further analyses different Global media systems, organisations and institutions and allows students to make a series of comparisons between local and international media systems. It places an emphasis on the relationships between products and the socio-political construction of their different audiences.
Sound and Image Storytelling	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module covers development of both audio and video projects and is designed for students of all levels of experience. In the first half of the module students will create audio content in the form of a podcast (or similar) and will discuss how to use sound for telling stories. In the second half students will learn how to record and edit a short video stories to be distributed online. Students and lecturers will discuss a range of audio and video topics and consider how each communicates. This module provides students with computing and communication skills, which will form a basis for future study in Media and Journalism. The module content includes- 1. -production of an audio project using audio editing software; 2. -production of a video project using video editing software; 3. -consideration of ways audio and video can be used to convey ideas; 4. -planning of audio and video projects;
Visual Communication	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module provides students with computing and communication skills which will form a basis for future study in Media. Students will create attractive, eye-catching projects using images, text and other visuals for online delivery. The module is appropriate for students with little computing or design experience but it also provides those with prior knowledge with the opportunity of enhancing and extending that knowledge. The module content includes- 1. -the production of a number of images using a graphics package; 2. -the consideration of design issues; 3. -the consideration of the way in which images convey ideas; 4. -the restrictions and potential of using images and other graphics on the web; 5. -the planning and conceptual development of a graphics project
Becoming a Writer	15 Credits	Optional
This module is a practice-based course, taught by weekly two-hour workshop. Building on the study of the short story begun on 'The Writer's Art', the module will explore diverse examples of this genre from the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Writers chosen for study will vary from year to year but might include work by Kazuo Ishiguro, Raymond Carver, Angela Carter, Katherine Mansfield, Thomas Hardy and Henry James. The stories will be used as the basis for workshop discussion and activities including close analysis of literary techniques. You will be encouraged to develop your own creative writing through a portfolio of on-going work and by working towards the completion of your own short story.
Introduction to Film Criticism	15 Credits	Optional
This module introduces students to the analysis of film texts. Students will engage critically with how 'meaning' is communicated through film. Students will be introduced to some of the key moments in cinema history, via a discussion of various elements of film language ranging from: colour, editing, sound, lighting, mise-en-scene, framing, narrative, the use of place, space and location and performance in films from both inside and outside of the Hollywood system. From Hitchcock's thrillers (Strangers on a Train) to classic Horror film (Dawn of the Dead), the tear jerking and overtly symbolic Melodrama (Imitation of Life) through to the gritty and violent New Hollywood of the 1970's (Carrie) alongside contemporary film and TV (Drive and American Horror Story) that continues to push the boundaries of film vocabulary and symbolism. The module will equip students with an understanding historical awareness of film and the various stylistic and technological issues involved in the study of film alongside some of the ways in which film texts interact with wider cultural, historical and political contexts.
Genre Fiction: Building Worlds	15 Credits	Optional
Building compelling and convincing worlds is important in all fiction, but it is particularly crucial in writing genre fiction. When writing genre (or popular) fiction, writers must be critically aware of both the history of the genre and current trends in publishing in order to make their own narratives distinctive and ultimately sell-able. This module will examine two popular genres (such as fantasy, crime, sci-fi or romance). Key questions of craft and motivation will be asked: how do contemporary writers play against the classics (such as Chandler or Hammett for crime)? How do you write a piece that fits in a genre and yet avoids cliché? How much can you diverge from the expected in genre fiction? What steps can be taken to build a complex world for your piece? Is plotting for genre fiction different than plotting for literary fiction? Authors studied may include Jonathan Letham, Raymond Chandler, Robin McKinley, Megan Abbott, Charlaine Harris or China Miéville.
Language in the Media	15 Credits	Optional
In this module, you will develop a range of skills which will enable them to undertake the linguistic analysis of media taken from various sources, including new media sources such as digital media, social media/ online identity, multimodal communication, mobile communication; as well as other media genres such as films, T.V shows and music. You will develop the ability to approach the language in the media critically to understand the importance and powerful effect of the media in our society.
Introduction to English Linguistics 1	15 Credits	Optional
This module introduces you to the fundamentals of English Linguistics. We will explore the origins of modern linguistics as a discipline and discuss core concepts of linguistic analysis, including, but not limited to, phonemes, morphemes and parts of speech. In this module you will be provided with the basic knowledge pertaining to different properties of language and how these are described, theorised and investigated. This module is taught in workshops and will give you ample opportunities to engage in hands-on practical tasks that will hone your knowledge and understanding of the core concepts of linguistics and equip you with the analytical skills so that you are able to apply them in different contexts across other modules in your studies of the subject of English Language and Linguistics.
Genre, Style and Stars	15 Credits	Optional
This module builds on the skills developed in the Level 4 module Introduction to Film Criticism. The module introduces you to the study of film and television using key theoretical perspectives from within the discipline and from wider cultural and critical areas. It focusses on theories of genre, authorship, film and style, and a consideration of the origins of the star system from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the celebrity era of the global digital age. The module will also examine the relationship of film genre and stars to globalisation and the ways in which genre and the global film market interact.
Introduction to Journalism	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will learn about the exciting world of journalism, both within the UK and internationally. You'll learn about the key skills such as research and writing within specific structures., start to identify what makes news newsworthy and learn about the key roles within a journalism organisation that work together to create journalism products. You'll explore a wide range of articles and will learn the skills of writing and accurate researching as a journalist to create your first article.

Level 5

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Radio Journalism	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module, you will source original stories specifically suitable for radio and learn how to write, interview and structure reports for this media type. You will learn how to tell stories with the aid of audio techniques. All teaching will take place in workshops and you will acquire knowledge and understanding of radio journalism and the technical skills needed to produce effective radio broadcasts. Moreover, this module will introduce you to terminology used in broadcast environments; it will expand your critical understanding of news values and agendas; legal and ethical requirements specific to broadcast journalism (balanced and impartial reporting, compliance, etc.); and your awareness of the converging media landscape. By the end of the module, you will be able to tell stories with the aid of audio techniques; have gained confidence in presentational skills; demonstrate knowledge of the technical skills required to edit audio files; and work effectively in a team to produce a radio programme.
Graduate Skills	0 Credits	Compulsory
You will be offered a variety of employment enhancing workshops and online activities such as interview skills workshops, personality profiling and career planning in order to improve your employment prospects after graduation and make you aware of current areas of strength and weakness in relation to employability. You will also have the opportunity to learn about self-employment options, graduate schemes and will attend speaker sessions with successful professionals in areas of employment appropriate for Humanities graduates so you can learn about the skills and attributes required for these areas and how to enhance your prospects of entering such areas. You will be required to undertake a certain number of activities chosen by you from a career "menu" and to reflect on what they have learnt in order to complete the module successfully.
Research Methods in Media Communications	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module teaches the basic principles of research in media and the means by which to devise research questions and select appropriate methodologies. It will also give a detailed account of how to structure and write effective and informative research report. Students will be introduced to a range of different methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative. They will learn how to choose a research topic, conduct a literature review, and develop an appropriate research plan. The module covers all key aspects of media and communication, including analysis of media production, media texts, and audience studies. It further offers specific guidance and instruction on a systematic application of a range of research methods, and addresses methods of sampling and data collection, including interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions, as well as approaches to online research.
Mobile Media Design	15 Credits	Compulsory
At the end of this course you will be able to research, plan, and design mock-ups of apps for mobile devices using current software. You will be able to explore the contextual relationship between apps and mobile responsive websites. During the course you will complete market and competitor research for enterprising projects, and develop an understanding of (a) current practice and (b) the user experience through the creation of visual planning for your app. Working as part of a small team, you will conceptualise and develop your own app for pitching to a potential investor.
Video Feature	15 Credits	Optional
An important aspect of digital convergence is the use of video by media outlets to spark public dialogue and generate reader participation. This module is designed to give students understanding and skills to make effective videos. Students will look at current practitioners such as Mike Kepka at the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times 'Op-Docs' group and the MIT Open Documentary Lab. They will also examine the work of more traditional documentary makers, such as Errol Morris, Kim Longinotto and Nick Broomfield. There is, according to media artist Marilyn Freeman, "a digital storm that won't let up--of cat videos and self-surveillance videos and any thing or moment imaginably filmable". To stand out from the crowd, students must develop media literacy and skills in critical reflection. As there is an art of storytelling, students will be guided towards a clear understanding of the art of digital storytelling.
The Publishing Industry	15 Credits	Optional
The Publishing Industry aims to provide students with an insight into the structures, challenges and opportunities that are present in today's publishing industries, from entertainment magazines and books to the world of academic publishing. The module complements the other media modules by looking at this significant media industry. Moreover, it enables students to understand the international dimension of publishers operating on a global scale, learn how to develop promotional strategies in order to market publications and explore the criteria and issues related to making editorial decisions. Students will be able to engage with both the theoretical concepts and the practical aspects of the various sectors of the publishing industry.
New Media Branding	15 Credits	Optional
This module is designed to give you knowledge of branding and identity from the perspective of New Media Publishing. Through the use of vector graphics and layout software you will learn to produce a collection of professional documents such as CVs and business cards which have a consistent identity across a number of media platforms. You will also learn about professional branding used by companies and produce their own style guides which apply basic design principles such as consistency, repetition, alignment and position to logos, text and other visual design elements. The module content includes- 1. -the production of brand designs using vector graphics; 2. -the consideration of design issues relating to consistency, repetition, alignment and position; 3. -the consideration of how visual identities are created and understood; 4. -the planning and conceptual development of professional visual identities;
Employability Skills	15 Credits	Optional
Producing graduates who are highly employable is a key aim of the University of Hertfordshire. This module aims to help you bridge gaps between your specialist academic studies and the world of graduate employment. As well as allowing you to reflect on and further develop your employability skills we will explore the changing nature of employers' needs. Using case studies, we will consider a range of issues (legal, gender, equality) that can arise in recruitment and the workplace. The module will also focus on career planning and job searching, as well as recruitment and selection processes including the work of assessment centres and pyschometric testing. Overall the intention is that you will be able to develop your job-market awareness and identify and explore potential career pathways. The module is worth 15 credits and may be chosen in place of a 15-credit subject module at Level 5, or as an additional module at Level 6, alongside 120 credits of modules in your subject(s).
How Journalism Changed the World: from Watergate to Social Media and Fake News	15 Credits	Optional
This module will examine how journalism has emerged as a force for positive social change though use of research tools and major investigations, using historic and recent case histories. It will also examine the role played by different technologies in the late twentieth and early twenty first century to inform journalism whether through the use of sources or social media. This module will enable students to practice the various research techniques employed by successful journalists within a supported setting, whether traditional or cutting edge, how they can verify sources and avoid creating "fake" news.
Magazine Design	15 Credits	Optional
There is more to magazine design than learning a software package. As well as giving hands-on systematic software training, this module unfolds various aspects of design for the page, including the use of typography, colour and images. The module builds your confidence in the design process through presenting a clear understanding of layout and visual conventions, information design and contemporary visual style. You will undertake thorough analysis and evaluation of a range of examples. They are equipped to make sound aesthetic judgements in printed and electronic material. Assessments are real-life publishing projects which engage students in a problem-solving process, building experience essential for professional work. By the end of the module students will have developed a portfolio which they can show to a prospective employer.

Level 6

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Professional Practice Publishing Project	30 Credits	Compulsory
This is an independent project designed to help you develop skills and knowledge of current professional practices in a specialised area of the professional publishing world. You will produce an effective and appropriate media package in response to a client brief or case study. The module is built around active learning and you will develop your design, self-management, production and communications skills which will be invaluable in your professional life. You will evaluate other media products to help formulate your ideas and will work to a schedule in the same way as a media professional.
Music, Celebrity and Media	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module closely looks at emergent forms of media, particularly the influence of digital technologies on traditional forms of media, such as film and journalism. We will critically analyse the impact of the digital revolution, from HDTV to virtual realities, from citizen journalism to Wikileaks and cyber-criminality, from music downloads to E-books. Using a range of critical theorists, we will discuss the challenges of these developments for old media as well as the creative opportunities new media forms provide.
Creating a PR Campaign	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module introduces you to a number of specialist fields within the communications industry and illustrates the value of specific communication skills across different sectors. During the module we will explore specialist areas, such as political PR, social campaigning, film marketing, non-broadcast filmmaking, sport, events and sponsorship. You will also learn how to deal with the press from a corporate point of view and how to create promotional material. The module further allows you to engage with the academic and practical content in a very hands-on manner and provides space for reflection on and critical engagement with the theories behind important transferable and subject specific skills, such as pitching ideas, presenting concepts and managing successful teams.
Web Design for Media Professionals	30 Credits	Compulsory
Students will develop their knowledge and understanding through a series of lectures, online presentations and problem solving exercises, gradually building their design skills within the framework of a redesign of a real web-based project. You will be encouraged to create a unique and refreshing alternative for an existing publication and your documentation and project planning will be guided by real-life examples. This module will develop and extend your understanding of visual and interactive communication skills and introduce you to a range of techniques for creating engaging publications for specific audiences. In the second part of this module students will move onto the development of their own project, working with a real life client or case study and a brief in order to create a unique and attractive new online publication. In this second project you will develop an understanding of how design frameworks enhance a wider range of commercial publications.
Advertising	15 Credits	Optional
This module will look at advertising and the ways in which it attempts to construct desire for specific products. It will analyse the social function of adverts in relation to certain social categories such as gender, race and sexuality. Moreover, we will look at the placing of advertising in specific media and students will be asked to consider why adverts for certain types of products are placed in specific locations. This will include a consideration of market segmentation and TV scheduling. Students will then be encouraged to create their own advert based on a specific brief in order to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical way. Finally, this module will consider the relationship between advertising and other media forms, especially film and television as well as new media, to consider the degree to which advertising relies upon codes that are produced in other cultural products.
Corporate Communications	15 Credits	Optional
This module provides a detailed understanding of the principles, techniques and strategies that underpin corporate communications, with particular emphasis on Public Relations and brand management. It is designed to reflect the current awareness of, and the benefits that organisations can derive from, adopting an integrated approach to communications. This module adopts a strategic approach to the study of corporate communications and builds an understanding of the variations in consumer behaviour, and how communication strategies and programmes can be developed, organised and implemented. The course also addresses critical issues relating to recent developments in the field and includes a strong practical component that aims to equip students with the skills necessary for working in this field.
Representation and Identity in Contemporary Media	15 Credits	Optional
Using different theories of political communication, you will examine the subject of media representation, mediatization and the politics of cultural identities in the twenty-first century. You will engage with key theories and concepts of representation and media framing to illuminate an understanding of identity as a political concept.

Study abroad

An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.

If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about Study abroad opportunities

Please note Erasmus+ funding is only available until May 2023. For students starting their course in September 2022 and wishing to study abroad in 2023-24 or 2024-25, please refer to the Turing Scheme.
Work placement

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about work placements
What if I need support?

You will be allocated a personal tutor to monitor and advise on overall academic and personal development supplemented with drop-in skills sessions and specialist tutors to refine and polish your writing.
For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you will also have access to our Academic Support Services (ASU). You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions and online tutorials. Both our Learning Resources Centres (LRCs) run drop-in study skills sessions. We also have wellbeing and coaching services.

Alumni Stories

Kate Stephenson

Meet Kate Stephenson who has excelled in the publishing industry since graduating. She currently works as the Education Editor at National Geographic Kids magazine.

Read more stories Find out more about this course

Current job role	Education Editor
Year of graduation	2013
Course of study	BA (Hons) English Language and Communication with Journalism and Media Cultures

University experience

Kate always knew that she wanted to work in the media and her unique degree gave her the flexibility to understand the logistics behind magazines as well as develop her writing and communication skills. The variety of topics and modules covered in her course enabled her to understand a lot about her dream career and enable her to develop valuable skills for working in the industry.

While studying, Kate took every opportunity offered to her. Her lecturers gave her opportunities to network with their colleagues for the industry enabling Kate to secure work experience and explore different career opportunities upon graduation.

She also worked as part of the Students’ Union student media, called Triden Media, writing regularly for their newspaper and magazine. Kate says, ‘Take advantage of every opportunity while it’s on offer and dive in as much as possible.’

The future

In the future, Kate hopes to further develop and grow the project she is working on at National Geographic and their educational content. One of her recent projects was launching their Primary School resource service by writing the curriculum.

What's next for my career?
Media:

There are just under one million people employed in the UK media industry, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). Opportunities for employment can be found in:
- advertising
- marketing
- film
- interactive media
- radio
- television
Publishing:

In contrast the publishing industry is smaller, with 148,000 people employed in the UK. There are a number of areas you can enter including:
- book publishing;
- web publishing
- education publishing
- journals and periodical publishing
- B2B publishing
- newspaper and magazine publishing
- social media publishing
Employability is central to everything we do. Our course opens up a huge range of social media or web-based careers, from working for established media companies and departments, to setting up your own online magazine, video production or graphic design company. Our graduates also work in PR, marketing and advertising, where their analytical and communication skills are highly valued.

Recent graduate entrepreneurs include Talha Ahad, CEO of The Centrum Media, Pakistan’s first digital news network, and Daniel Lau, head of advertising agency The Beat Creatives in Malaysia.
View our Alumni profiles

Kate Stephenson

Course fact sheets
BA (Hons) Media	Download

Programme specifications
Film (Minor) Programme Specification	Download
Creative Writing (Joint and Minor) Programme Specification	Download
BA (Hons) Media	Download
Journalism (Joint and Minor) Programme Specification	Download
English Language (Joint and Minor) Programme Specification	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	Optional
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes
Course length	Full Time, 4 Years Sandwich, 4 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

Apply using the links below:

2023

Start Date	End Date	Link
20/09/2023	31/05/2024	Apply online (Full Time)
20/09/2023	31/05/2024	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
20/09/2023	31/05/2024	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

2024

Start Date	End Date	Link
20/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time)
20/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
20/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

Fees and funding
Fees 2023
UK Students

Full time
- £9250 for the 2023/2024 academic year
EU Students

Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
International Students

Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

BA (Hons) Media

Key information

Typical offer:

Fees:

UCAS code: P700

Institute code: H36

Study abroad option

Work placement option

Additional requirements

Why choose this course?

What's the course about?

Your main campus is de Havilland

What will I study?

Alumni Stories

Meet Kate Stephenson who has excelled in the publishing industry since graduating. She currently works as the Education Editor at National Geographic Kids magazine.

University experience

The future

Media:

Publishing:

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2023

2024

Fees 2023

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Other financial support

Living costs / accommodation

Your main campus is de Havilland 