Media and Communications BA (Hons)

Undergraduate

Three students sitting in front of a big screen tv with macbooks

Our Media and Communications BA (Hons) degree will immerse you in media theory and storytelling and equip you with the skills to succeed in public relations, journalism and other creative industries.

Year of entry

2025-26 2026-27

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

Course code

P910

Start date

September 2025

How to apply

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Course overview

Our Media and Communications course is designed to help you negotiate and operate in contemporary media landscapes, exploring a wide range of communication, culture and media theory.

In the course of your study, you will explore media through research, live and immersive projects, academic essays, multi-media venues such as podcasts, blogs, social media platforms, video and audio-visual content and potential live events.
The course focuses on both the comprehension of contemporary developments in media and communication studies and the best-suited, most flexible creative practices to enter the creative industries.
This course addresses patterns of media production and consumption prevalent in the contemporary workplace, helping you to develop a wide range of skills, transferable knowledge and practical competences so you can thrive in relevant and current fields of employment, and in international settings.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Significant links with a wide variety of employers and media practitioners, such as Phoenix Cinema, Electric Arts and EA Games, many of which offer professional experience opportunities in the forms of placements (subject to availability, successful application and additional costs may apply)².
You will have opportunities to learn how stories are found, created and disseminated across a range of platforms working alongside students from other courses in the School of Media and Performing Arts. These collaborative opportunities allow you to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.
Previous graduates of the course have gone on to work within the film industry, advertising, television, radio, communication management and PR, publishing, the arts and creative media and media education for companies including Apple, Nielsen, Spark 44, WPP, Virgin, EA Sports, Jaguar Land Rover, Linney Group, IKEA Group, KPMG, Selfridges, Reprezent Radio, Citroen and the BBC. Many also go on to pursue master’s level study.
From the outset, we aim to foster your critical thinking, to develop your technical, creative, reflective and analytical abilities, with the aim of giving you a thorough grounding in research, providing basic skills in production and post-production, as well as guiding you through project management experiences, which are essential skills to succeed in this ever-expanding and changing sector.

No.5

for Media and Film Studies

Guardian University Guide 2024

Tom's placement year with video game giants Electronic Arts

Third-year Media and Communications student Tom talks about his placement year with EA Games Guildford, and how Coventry University helped him along the way.

Read his story

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first year courses

Journalism BA (Hons)
Media and Communications BA (Hons)

In your first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and final years to specialist modules in your chosen field.

Modules

The Media Toolkit - 20 credits

In this module, you will be introduced to a range of tools that will enable you to produce content for established and emerging media platforms. You should develop a range of critical, technical and transferable skills, underpinned by an understanding of working practices common to many forms of media, and apply these to the production of a number of individual and collaborative projects.

Compulsory

Power and Influence - 20 credits

In this module, you will critically explore who has the power to create media content, how meaning within global media has been constructed across different platforms and how it is understood in different ways by different audiences. It should enable you to critically engage with contemporary debates around media legislation, censorship, fake news and social media networked communities.

Compulsory

The Ideas Network - 20 credits

In this module, you will work collaboratively on a range of practical communication projects using the idea of “creative play” to generate, refine and test out ideas for their impact on different audiences. You will explore how ideas for media content are created, developed, reflected, distorted and distributed across a range of written, broadcast, online and social media platforms.

Compulsory

Creating Stories - 20 credits

This module aims to develop your understanding of how narratives are constructed. Using a range of technologies in specialist spaces such as the TV and radio studios and podcasting booths you will learn how to write and produce for various media platforms using words, sound and pictures, within different genres and for a range of audiences.

Compulsory

Audiences and Communities - 20 Credits

In this module, you will explore media audiences and how and why people engage with a range of different media platforms and digital environments. You will analyse how different global audiences use media and social media to create and sustain cultures and communities considering issues around citizen journalism, networked communities and fandom, and audience and reception theory.

Compulsory

The Big Event - 20 credits

In this module, you will work with students from other courses within the School of Media and Performing Arts to create some significant media output. Working to one of a series of set, real-world briefs, you will produce a collaborative project that enables you to produce work around your own interests as well as developing your own professional portfolio of work. The work from this module will be showcased in a public event.

Compulsory

In your second year, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum and developing your:

technical skills – digital fluency, backed with the right academic knowledge
study skills – to be an adaptive, independent and proactive learner
professional skills – to have the behaviour and abilities to succeed in your career
global awareness – the beliefs and abilities to be a resilient, confident and motivated global citizen.

You will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with: careers in the industry, new technologies, and the world of public relations, amongst others.

Modules

Cultural Production in Context - 20 credits

This module aims to help you build on the study of media representations in the first year by extending its scope towards deeper engagement with production, distribution and reception. You will be challenged to use multiple vantage points to challenge cultural placement including media regulation, accessibility and economy so as to reflect on its complex and interconnected nature.

Compulsory

Careers in the Creative Industries - 20 credits

This module provides you with the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills needed to engage with various careers in media fields and creative industry. You will research corporations, companies, and entrepreneurial outfits, explore the potential employment opportunities and be given professional support in how best to present your skills and abilities in your chosen industry area.

Compulsory

Social Media Activism - 20 credits

This module introduces you to key theories and practices of contemporary activism and develops your understanding of media campaigning aimed at generating participation and social change. You will examine a variety of activist campaigns by individuals, social movements, organisations and institutions and will produce your own social media strategy and campaign.

Compulsory

Film and Screen Culture - 20 credits

This module is designed as an overview of film and screen studies which provides students with the theoretical background to understand film and visual cultures at large. The classes will focus on the close reading of specific films and screen content – from the dawn of cinema, to the global present – addressing aesthetics, production, and its relationship to audiences and users at varying levels.

Compulsory

AI, Society and Creative Industries - 20 credits

This module examines key debates, ethical concerns and critical ramifications raised by artificial intelligence's (AI) impacts on various aspects of culture, society overall and the creative industries specifically. You will reflect on the future of work and society, considering the range of unintended consequences brought by the application of AI, including algorithmic bias, discrimination, manipulation, deep-fakes, privacy, and inequality.

Compulsory

Creative Collaboration - 20 credits

In this module, you will work with students from courses across the School of Media and Performing Arts and/or with industry collaborators, external groups or organisations to respond to an issue in the local, national or global community in which they are located. You will work collaboratively with fellow students in defined roles that reflect industry practice in your area of study on projects that reflect the range of skills within the group.

Compulsory

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement² can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final years of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

Modules

UK Work Placement– 0 credits

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

International Study/Work Placement – 0 credits

This moduler² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

Your final year aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from your first and second year. Your studies could culminate in a dissertation, the production of a documentary film, or by launching a curated exhibition based on your independent research of an area of interest to you.

You will have the opportunity to choose between two specialist modules, ‘Global Networks and Communities’ and ‘Political Communication’ to total 120 credits in your final year.

Modules

Frameworks and Design - 20 credits

This module aims to provide you with a detailed knowledge of research methods in preparation for you to undertake professional level research. It covers a range of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, introduces the ethical and practical problems of data collection and enables you to develop research strategies reflecting the relationship between research paradigms, the research question and the choice of research methods.

Compulsory

Optional modules

Choose one from the following two modules:

Posthumanism - 20 credits
This module encourages you to critically assess the production and usage of new technologies in our society. Using historical examples from the development of written languages to the use of AI, it will ask you how we can characterise the relation between humans and technology. Do technologies threaten core aspects of culture or enhance them? Can we separate humans from technological systems? How is technology represented in the media?
Communication for Sustainable Development - 20 credits
This module focuses on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addresses opportunities and challenges in making media and information literacy as a tool for open and sustainable development. Through a local and global perspective that focuses on case study analysis, the module provides an understanding of the role of access to information, media practices and technology, creative industries’ organisation, and governmental policies in achieving the SDGs.

Optional

Ecologies of the Creative Industries - 20 credits

With a focus on employability issues, this module encourages you to engage critically with the contemporary creative industries as an ecosystem of interconnected and interdependent set of enterprises framed by technological development, government legislation and social needs. Through a deeper understanding of the creative industries as a network of employment practices you will gain a deeper critical insight into ever-diversifying future career pathways.

Compulsory

Living in the Digital World - 20 credits

This module examines the impact of culture, technology and history in defining our relationships in the world and our use of digital spaces. It highlights the forces shaping our awareness and definitions of geographic borders, limitations and possibilities to move around in the digital realm. You will undertake a significant live brief that focuses on a particular international city, enabling you to engage in a piece of live field research overseas when possible.

Compulsory

Major Project - 40 credits

The aim of this module is to give you the opportunity to undertake a major piece of research in your elected field of study within the area of media and communications. You will apply theories and concepts acquired during your course towards a substantial project on a topic chosen in consultation with an individual tutor.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Your development will be through academic writing and discussion as well as activity-led learning, live projects, real-world working simulations, experimentation and play. The Media and Communications mobility technology pack allows you to develop your own learning and working pattern in a flexible way, so your experience is adaptable and yet part of a strategic course vision. Your personal tutor will review and discuss your progress on the course.

The core aim of the course teaching and learning strategy is that, upon graduation, you are able to function as an agile creative professional within the media and cultural industries, understand the strategic and emerging trends in media and communications, and respond to and/or generate innovation.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learnt and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

Assessment within the BA (Hons) Media and Communications course is integrative and aligned with the development of informed, motivated and critically reflective students and professionals of media and communication.

Given the complexity of the field of media and communications, you will be encouraged and supported to produce various forms of research and creative outcomes, this may include:

pieces of academic writing
media artefacts
portfolios
presentations
reflection and creative works.

You will acquire feedback on your development from tutors, peers, and instructors.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

Our course is designed to reflect the increasingly international context of media and culture; this is reflected strongly in the course curriculum. Modules such as ‘Living in the Digital World’ heavily embed a specific attention to global issues both in terms of approached topics, international seminars and field activities.

We aim to provide a field trip² in the first year which will be in the UK (subject to availability costs of trip are included within course fees) and an international field trip² in either the second or final years, subject to availability, meeting visa requirements and additional costs both of which are reviewed annually to ensure the choices are both timely and in response to previous student experiences. Recent field trips have included: Reykjavik, Oslo, Berlin, Aarhus, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Prague and Geneva. Our course field trip projects involve researching real life case studies touching upon a wide range of creative industries, screen and digital media related issues, documenting and reflecting on the research and finally creating both a presentation event as well as crafting a media artefact.

Please note that all UK and international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements are therefore not guaranteed².

Entry requirements

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UCAS details

1

Course name: Media and Communications BA (Hons)

2

Course code: P910

3

Course location: Coventry University (Coventry)

Typical entry requirements:

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£9,535 per year	Not available
EU	£9,535 per year with EU Support Bursary £19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£19,850 per year	Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement² or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee³ to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2027/28 will pay £1,500 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,800 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Coventry University has invested in modern arts facilities with Ellen Terry, Delia Derbyshire and the Tank forming your primary learning locations⁴. All within a minute's walk of each other in the city centre you will have access to purpose built studios and a well-stocked Media Loan Shop. Here you can borrow an extensive range of specialist, professional equipment, including 4K and HD video cameras, DSLR cameras, tripods, audio equipment and lighting. Kit within the Media Loan Shop is allocated on a first come first served basis via the booking system which you will get to know well!

Two male students presenting in a TV studio to a camera in the foreground.

Television Studio

You’ll have access to our on-site television studio The Tank, offering specialist equipment such as large cameras, mixing facilities and fibre-optic wiring throughout.

Male student setting up a photography light in a studio.

Photography Suite

This specialist facility is available to media students to take and process photos in a professional environment. There is also support for printing, high-end scanning and film processing.

Exterior front of the Ellen Terry building.

Media Loan Shop

Our media loan shop provides you with access to the equipment and support you need to excel in your studies – from basic audio recorders to professional cameras and expert advice from our technicians.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion, you will be able to:

demonstrate critical thinking around the history and development of media and communication forms in local, national, and global contexts
critically analyse the convergence of theory and practice across diverse modes of media and communication landscapes
engage in creative production practices utilising the most appropriate media and communications tools to further modes of media storytelling
understand the role of changing technology, including emergent digital technologies in media and communications, content manipulation, distribution, access and participation and how to adapt core skills in line with industry requirements
demonstrate how media and communication genres inform, disrupt and impact on central areas of content creation, public cultures and socially diverse communities
be adaptable, creative and self-reflexive in producing research and content in event organisation and participation for a variety of audiences and in a variety of media and communication contexts
comprehend the media field as a broad and multifaceted area and deploy interdisciplinary skills in order to navigate the fluid, flexible and changing nature of media production and reception
consider the role of media and communications industries from an ethical and professional stance, demonstrating knowledge and insight in order to see their value for a variety of organisations and contexts, from local community groups to global corporations.

The creative media industries account for some of the most exciting and diverse careers available – you could go on to become a producer, technician, presenter, reporter, PR specialist, writer, editor or critic.

We take great pride in our outstanding track record of graduate success – with 97% of graduates in work or continuing their studies after six months, DHLE 2016/17, (published 2018). Our course places your future career at its core, aiming to prepare you professionally and providing opportunities to gain substantial practical experience so you’re ready to launch a successful career in the media and cultural industries. It is designed to enable you to work for a range of media organisations, which may include the BBC, independent companies, global media organisations, or as a freelance/independent media manager, producer or researcher.

Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and aims to give you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university's Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.

Where our graduates work

Previous graduates of the course have gone on to work within the film industry, advertising, television, radio, communication management and PR, publishing, the arts and creative media and media education for companies including, Apple, Nielsen, Spark 44, WPP, Virgin, EA Sports, Jaguar Land Rover, Linney Group, IKEA Group, KPMG, Selfridges, Reprezent Radio, Citroen and the BBC. Many also go on to pursue master’s level study.

Further study

There is also the chance to go onto master’s level study upon successful completion of your undergraduate degree.

You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

I knew I wanted to do a Media and Communications course because it covers so many aspects of the industry I love. Once I met my tutors during Open Day and could see the passion they had for the subject, I knew Coventry University was for me. Every year, we get to do a portfolio module which is a great way to build our skills and showcase our work to employers.
Jennifer Cassidy, Media and Communications BA (Hons) student, 2021

Media and Communications students sat down and smiling

Two students sat at a desk working on a laptop

Discover Phoenix+

Phoenix+ brings you together with other students to learn, experience and develop essential knowledge and skills. Whatever destination you choose, it's about preparing you for life after university.

Learn more about Phoenix+

How to apply

View our courses on UCAS

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UK students

Full-time students can apply for this course through UCAS. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

Apply via UCAS

If this course has a part-time option you will need to apply directly to the university.

Apply via the portal

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

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International students

International codes:
AHU085

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

ioadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2025/26. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

⁴Facilities

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2024/2025 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2025/2026 contract will apply for the 2025/2026 intake. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.