Media Production BA (Hons)

Undergraduate

Media Production student with a clapperboard and two students in the background with filming equipment

This exciting Media Production BA (Hons) course aims to bring you up to date with the latest media industry developments and develops your skills to produce work for distribution across multiple platforms and genres.

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

P310

Start date

September 2025

How to apply

Book an Open Day

Download a prospectus

Course overview

From the outset, this course aims to develop your technical, creative, reflective and analytical abilities, to give you a thorough grounding in current and emerging media production technologies, ways of working and contemporary professional practice. You can also gain highly valuable and transferrable project management and professional skills needed in this ever-expanding industry.

Media Production is about developing real world skills in many different types of production from making: films, live broadcast TV, radio, podcasts, 360 video, immersive experiences, photography, websites, and social media content.
Our current links with local, regional, national media industries, including companies like The Walt Disney Company, ITV and Aardman Animations, can provide opportunities for location work, site visits and talks by visiting media professionals, together with live projects and a professional experience scheme (subject to availability)². In short, you’ll be taught to tell interesting stories and distribute those stories to the largest possible audience.
You will have opportunities for professional experience and live projects, which have, in the past, included student-industry collaboration with Regional BBC, Creative City, Rolls-Royce and BBC3 (subject to availability, application and additional costs)².

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

Opportunity to access high standard professional media equipment via our Media Loan Shop, including media equipment, such as Blackmagic and Sony cameras (subject to availability)
Opportunity to meet experts in new media and traditional media at our series of screenings and masterclasses with past guest speakers including media practitioners, filmmakers, and graduates from the course (subject to availability).
You may have opportunities to learn and work on projects with students from other courses in the School of Media and Performing Arts. These collaborative opportunities can be a defining feature of your learning experience and are designed to help place you in a more advantages position in developing your skills and employability on graduating
Opportunity to study abroad at one of our many international collaborators during a placement year², which have included, in the past, Zhejiang University of Media and Communications (ZUMC) in China and Jean Moulin University, Lyon, France (subject to availability, competitive application, meeting visa requirements and additional costs).
Visit our Media Production Instagram to get an insight into this course.

No.5

for Media and Film Studies in the UK

Guardian University Guide 2024

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

Film Production BA (Hons)
Media Production 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 third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field. 

Modules

ScreenCraft - 20 credits

This is a hands-on module introducing you to both the contextual and practical knowledge required to create compelling films with a coherent narrative and a focus on craft skills. This module aims to teach you camera, lighting, sound and post production techniques that you will continue to develop throughout the whole course. These form the basis of you using a range of production methods and understanding the contemporary context(s) of short film production and distribution. Screening your films and ongoing peer to peer feedback will be part of this exciting first step in your creative journey.

Compulsory

Key Concepts in Media and Film - 20 credits

This module will introduce you to some of the most important concepts and theories in film and media production. You will consider how meaning within global media has been constructed and is understood by audiences through concepts such as representation, narrative, and genre and apply your understanding to your own and others creative work.

Compulsory

Storytelling: From Page to Production - 20 credits

This module explores how stories are constructed on the page and how they are taken forward and developed into finished productions. You will analyse different types of narrative used in film and media, understand the grammar of how stories are constructed and start to develop your own scripts, treatments and development documents for a range of media outputs.

Compulsory

Working in Creative Practice - 20 credits

This module is the start of your professional career as you start to become aware of the variety of career paths and opportunities that exist in the media, film and wider creative industries and begin to chart your own journey through them. It focuses on recognising the relationship between networking, professional practice, critical reflection and personal development to enhance your career progression.

Compulsory

Film and Media : Industry and Aesthetics - 20 credits

In this module, you will explore the histories of the global media and film production industries and the art and craft of producing for those industries. Through the case studies provided and your own research, this course aims to provide you with a greater understanding of both how film, TV, subscription video on demand (SVOD), and podcasts have developed and also what the emerging new media forms are that might come to disrupt or dominate the contemporary media landscape.

Compulsory

Making Media that Matters - 20 credits

This module aims to teach you factual storytelling methods as you create a documentary film or content for online media. You are asked to choose an issue from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that matters to you and then collaborate with other students on creating a piece of work that can impact it. During the production process, you should also develop skills in pitching projects, forming production crews and effective group working practices.

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: short form content, television studios, and branding, among others.

Modules

Content Creation for Video Production - 20 credits

This module aims to teach you the core skills, knowledge, and practices necessary to effectively produce short form content – be that music videos, commercials, short films or podcast radio drama - with particular emphasis on narrative fiction production. Through the regular, individual and/or collaborative, production of short media content projects you build up towards a final production taking on professional production roles.

Compulsory

Discovering Your Creativity in Media Production - 20 credits

This module aims to develop your understanding of creativity in relation to a number of disciplines in the creative industries and arts. It will showcase a wide range of creative forms from subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms, independent cinema and experimental film to podcasting, digital media and other creative content. You will explore how these forms of creative work influence the current production landscape and your creative own work.

Compulsory

TV Studio and Entertainment Formats - 20 credits

This module allows you to explore the changing nature of the television studio and its important place in the interactive future of media production, consumption and platform proliferation. You will spend time in our fantastically equipped TV Studio learning the practical skills from floor manager to vision mixer with the aim of being able to create a TV show of your own in the future. You will then apply this to an understanding of the global, commercial impact of entertainment formats.

Compulsory

Branding, Promotion and Online Media - 20 credits

From branding yourself to the branding of global media corporations, this module will explore how media products are commercially constructed and marketed and the importance of this in the creative process. You will aim to gain a practical understanding of the process of branding by making content specifically for online platforms following brand guidelines, developing marketing campaigns and using the strategies of viral marketing.

Compulsory

Developing Your Career in Production - 20 credits

Through a series of lectures, workshops and masterclasses you will be encouraged to discover the area(s) of the industry in which you want to specialise. With the support of tutors and the Talent Team you will undertake three days (24 hours) of either professional placements and/or a series of one-off projects in the film/media industry². This will culminate in you producing a portfolio that begins to promote you as an emergent film/media/creative industry professional.

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 industry collaborators, external groups or organisations2 to respond to an issue in the local, national or global community. You will work collaboratively with fellow students in defined roles that reflect industry practice in your area of study but will also develop skills in the management and organisation roles by playing an active part in the project from beginning to end.

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 year 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 module² 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 year one and two.  Your studies could culminate in a podcast or social media content, 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 one of three specialist modules, ‘Monetising Media’, ‘Post Production’, or ‘Scriptwriting’ to total 120 credits in your final year.

Modules

Experimenting in Film and Media - 20 credits

This module gives you the opportunity to further develop your creativity and experimentation in the work you produce. How and where in the creative process can you boost innovation? You will work individually or collaboratively in small teams to creatively play with new and immersive technologies, emerging media forms and disruptive distribution platforms. The outcomes will inform your creative choices in other modules and your professional career.

Compulsory

Pre Production Practice - 20 credits

This module provides you with the practical tools needed to develop your own independent research and development work for production. You will be expected to relate your own ideas for production to those of other practitioners and become increasingly aware of your own position within your chosen community of practice. This will help prepare you for your final major project.

Compulsory

Final Major Project - 40 credits

This module provides you with the opportunity to produce a significant piece of work of your own choosing in response to a negotiated brief. Your project will explore a new idea or aspect of innovation in an area in which you want to specialise. You will draw together knowledge, skills and research acquired during the course you will create content that helps you present your suitability for a career in the creative industries.

Compulsory

Moving into Your Creative Future - 20 credits

This module aims to enable you to proactively launch yourself into your future career as you develop and produce a professional portfolio. You will reflect on your previous learning, analyse your skills and attributes, and research potential employment routes and effective portfolio presentations for your chosen areas in the media industries.

Compulsory

Monetising Media - 20 credits

This module option explores the emerging and proliferating opportunities for commercialising your media assets. You will consider online marketing strategies, distribution platforms and global analytics. In developing your own brand, you will be helped to develop your profile, create ideas, rich media content and a business plan.

Optional

Post Production - 20 credits

This is an opportunity to develop, or further develop, your skills in editing, post-production and finishing in software packages such as Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects and Da Vinci Resolve. You should develop technical skills in post-production workflows, colour correction and grading as well as enhanced storytelling techniques in editing for film and media.

Optional

Scriptwriting - 20 credits

In this module option, you will explore idea development, narrative structure, story world, character development, dialogue, plot and the use of subplots. You will use industry standard formatting in your writing and learn cutting edge practice in realising a script/screenplay for film or TV. Writers’ room type workshops, development tutorials peer and tutor review and feedback will support your creative process.

Optional

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.

More than just a degree

Media Production has really inspired me. I’m a very hands-on person and there’s a lot of practical elements so I can get involved in both directing and filming. The university itself has a lot of media connections which is great for my course and a big selling point.
Unjali Mistry, Media Production BA (Hons) student, 2021

Female on phone in University square surrounded by film crew.

How you'll learn

The course is delivered though project-based ‘hands-on’ learning, with a great emphasis on location work, live projects and practice activities, all with ongoing feedback. Past students have worked on projects as diverse as assisting on TV shows or shooting promotional videos for production companies. Your personal tutor will review and discuss your progress with you and provide advice throughout the course.

Our current excellent industry links typically enable us to host an exciting programme of guest speakers covering topics such as TV and radio, online media content creation, scriptwriting, distribution and curation of moving images (subject to availability)².

The course normally lasts three years when studied full-time, or four years when extending your studies with an optional sandwich year between your second and third years on placement or study abroad².

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 learned 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

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.
Assessment methods may include:

practical or project work
coursework
tests
essays
presentations/posters.

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 production; this is reflected strongly in the course curriculum through international trips² which can provide the opportunity for insight into other cultures and societies throughout the world.

We strongly encourage you to broaden your theoretical, cultural and practical references, providing opportunities to broaden your horizons by living, studying or working abroad on a sandwich year.

You may have opportunities to take part in international trips where you will have the chance to develop your knowledge and skills through the production of individual and group media projects. Reviewed annually, previous field trips have included: Cyprus, Hangzhou, Kenya, Los Angeles, New York, Norway, Paris, Prague, Sierra Leone and Tenerife. On all trips, you are encouraged to engage in production projects, which could involve assisting on a local film production or making your own films using local crew².

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

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement	What we're looking for
UCAS points	112
A level	BBC
GCSE	GCSE English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards
BTEC	DMM
IB Diploma	29 points
Access to HE	The Access to HE Diploma. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 / C or above.

If you do not have the typical entry requirements, you may want to consider studying this course with a foundation year.

Portfolio

You may be required to attend a portfolio showcase, activity session or audition or submit a portfolio via email (as is appropriate to your course), either virtually or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites for these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Portfolio

You will be required to submit a portfolio via email or alternatively attend a showcase activity session or audition (as is appropriate for your course) which can be virtual or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites to send in your portfolio or attend these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 overall (with no component lower than 5.5)

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

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 superb arts facilities⁴ with Ellen Terry, Delia Derbyshire and the Tank forming your primary learning locations. 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 is allocated on a first come first served basis via the booking system which you will get to know well!

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.

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.

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion, you will have knowledge of:

roles of communication, media and cultural systems within their political, social, economic and technological contexts.
modes of representation and systems of learning within the contemporary social world and the ways these are shaped by issues of gender, race, class, ethnicity, disability, sexuality and nationality.
historical and global contexts of media, communication and cultural systems and processes.

You will be equipped with the skills to:

apply the various processes and practices that combine towards the production and consumption of media, communication and cultural texts
undertake a variety of forms of research appropriate to different forms of study and analysis and be able critically to reflect on the appropriateness of each form of research
critically reflect on the chosen processes of production
critically interrogate through appropriate theoretical and conceptual material the various processes of production of media and cultural texts.

The ever-changing world of the creative industries demands multi-skilled media professionals, who are familiar with a range of media platforms, full of ideas and imagination, with strong ethics and levels of professionalism; these same graduate attributes our course seeks to nurture.

Where our graduates work

Our Media Production graduates are working successfully all over the world in film, TV and media companies. Example roles have included working as assistant editor for Sunset and Vine on rugby and football coverage, as a runner on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, as video editor for the Sidemen, as assistant producer for Envy Post Production, as casting assistant on Channel 4's ‘A Place in the Sun’, as creative producer at Narrative Entertainment, and as radio station producer at Global FM, among many more.

Further study

You can choose to continue your studies at Coventry University with:

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.

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How to apply

View our courses on UCAS

Visit UCAS

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

Complete our contact form

International students

International codes:
AHU084

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.