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Media BA (Hons) top-up
Study level: Top-up courses
Refine your skills, build a standout portfolio and complete your degree with this course, which is designed to prepare you for a career in the media and creative industries.
Course features
Year of entry
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
1 year full-time
Course code
P3TU
Start date
September 2027
November 2027
January 2028
March 2028
May 2028
July 2028
The information on this page is for 2026-27 entry and should be used as guidance for 2027-28 entry. Please keep checking back on this course page to see our latest updates.
Course overview
Media BA (Hons) top-up empowers you to build on your existing media practice, knowledge and interests. You will develop practical skills across video production, photography, digital and visual communication, supporting your progression to postgraduate study and roles within the creative industries.
- Produce a portfolio of work that showcases your unique creative voice.
- Gain practical experience managing projects from concept to delivery.
- Expand your creativity and express yourself through group work and individual projects.
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 2026Why you should study this course
- Develop projects from concept to completion, gaining hands-on experience in production and management.
- Work with industry-standard studios, software and equipment to create, refine and present your best work.4
- Prepare for a fast-moving media career by building the skills, insight and confidence professionals rely on.
- Build a polished, professional portfolio of work that reflects your creative identity.
From your first day, you’re welcomed as a creative professional. You’ll have the opportunity to develop a blend of creative, technical, professional and transferable skills that the industry values, including:
- idea generation
- narrative formation and storytelling
- entrepreneurial thinking
- project management
- critical analysis.
Explore writing as a tool for influence and expression, build confidence in presenting, and strengthen your ability to lead, contribute and communicate within a team.
3rd
for Media and Film Studies
Guardian University Guide 2026
About the School of Arts and Creative Industries
- Our hands-on, practitioner-led approach is rooted in project-based learning. This creates opportunities for cross-disciplinary working and engagement with external collaborators. Where appropriate, you may work with peers from other courses as an opportunity to apply specialist skills in interdisciplinary projects in ways that reflect the collaborative nature of creative studios and agencies in the creative industries.
- Our learning and teaching mirror the needs of the creative industries, so our graduates understand the importance of developing the skills and attributes needed to become industry specialists, leaders and innovators.
- Our studio culture seeks to ensure you are socially responsible in our creative community and develop critical thinking in research and making processes.
- Our global initiatives aim to give you skills to become a collaborative communicator and make you culturally competent.
DOT DOT DOT ... Graduate Festival 2026
The Coventry Degree Show is an annual festival to celebrate and showcase our graduating students’ work.
Explore the festival's eventsWhat you'll study
We regularly review our course content to keep it relevant and current for our students. Consequently, we may update modules to reflect the latest industry standards.
How you'll learn
Teaching and learning methods may include:
- lectures
- seminars
- tutorials
- presentations
- group projects
- workshops
- practical studio sessions
- practical workshop sessions.
Teaching contact hours
As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours and guided and independent study.
Teaching hours
Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average, you will have between 12 and 15 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the option to attend additional 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 will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.
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 methods differ from module to module, giving you the chance to demonstrate your strengths across a variety of practical and academic tasks. These approaches are intended to prepare you for the complex and evolving contexts of professional practice.
Assessment methods may include:
- practical coursework
- individual work
- group work
- presentations
- academic essays
- video essays.
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.
Entry requirements
Typical entry requirements:
Fees and funding
| Student | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 2027/28 fees TBC 2026/27 fees: £9,790 per year |
Not available |
| International | 2027/28 fees TBC 2026/27 fees: £20,800 per year |
Not available |
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.
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.
How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?
Facilities
Coventry University has invested in superb arts facilities 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. Kit is allocated on a first come first served basis via the booking system.
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.
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.
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
You will be treated as a professional from the moment that you arrive on the course. During the course you will learn and develop the creative, technical and transferable skills you are likely to need to thrive as a professional when you graduate. These include creative skills and knowledge, entrepreneurial and management skills, critical skills, presentation and writing skills, as well as interpersonal and management skills.
Where our graduates work
Previous graduates have stepped confidently into the media world, working as freelance producers, camera operators, editors and other roles across the industry. Some channel their creativity into education, becoming qualified teachers, or into community impact, taking on roles in art organisations and cultural management.
The course aims to provide an excellent springboard for postgraduate study in the UK or internationally. Previous successful top-up graduates have received offers from many prestigious institutions globally.
The graduate destinations listed above illustrate potential career paths. You may need to gain additional qualifications or practical experience, pass professional examinations, complete training, cover associated costs and meet specific visa or immigration requirements to secure employment in these fields.
Further study
You can choose to continue your studies at Coventry University with courses such as:
- Film and Media Production MA
- Virtual and Augmented Reality MA
- Global Journalism and Public Relations MA
- Photography MA
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.
How to apply
UK students
International students
Disclaimers
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