Course Summary

The media is undergoing fundamental changes, which are transforming how we create and consume it. Media Practices focuses on these changes in order to produce graduates with the necessary practical and analytical skills to operate in the contemporary media landscape. This exciting and dynamic course will provide you with the academic skills you'll need to analyse the media, and the practical skills to work within it. The aim of the course is to enable you to become an effective media communicator and analyst.

You'll choose a practical area (radio, scriptwriting or new media) and move from a basic to a broader production experience. You'll look critically at aspects of the media such as film, television, press, media institutions or new technologies, to understand how they work and their role in our lives. You'll also produce a special project, choosing either to create a portfolio of work for job interviews, or to write a dissertation on an aspect of the media that you would like to explore in more depth.

This course offers the opportunity to test out media theories through practical work, with communications skills being a major area of focus, alongside contemporary developments in the media and work-related skills. It presents opportunties for specialisation in the area of your choice, be this new media, scriptwriting or radio.

Why choose this course?

The knowledge and skills you will acquire on this course will open up a number of career opportunities, including magazine and newspaper journalism, teaching, media research and production, local radio and photography.

During the course you will:

• Benefit from our well-established department and state-of-the-art facilities
• Work in a dynamic atmosphere with cultural events and research activity
• Explore cross-discipline collaboration
• Study core units that provide essential skills in theory and practice
• Experience integration of theory and practice
• Learn skills-based practical modules as well as critical and analytical skills exercised in theory modules
• Benefit from a constantly updated curriculum
• Learn from staff with extensive media experience
• Experience emphasis on job market skills and hands-on learning
• Benefit from state-of-the-art equipment: television and radio studio, Mac labs
• Benefit from staff research expertise feeding into the curriculum and an active research environment: weekly research seminar programme, frequent international conferences, publication of Convergence journal
• Have the opportunity to specialise in different areas such as new media or radio

Areas of study you may cover on this course include:

• Understanding the media
• Television studies
• Skills for media research
• New technologies in the media
• Working in the media
• Film studies: Hollywood, European and World cinema
• Radio, new media and scriptwriting

BAMSS-S

Assessment

Students are assessed in a variety of ways. The majority of modules are assessed through coursework, portfolios, essays, presentations or in a few cases, exams. Presentations are usually given and assessed in the context of a group seminar. You will also produce media artifacts in the area of your specialism.

At level 1 you are assessed on your understanding of the fundamental concepts and disciplines of which Mass Communications are composed. You are required to comprehend the basic range of intellectual concepts which form the foundations of the subject area and will be assessed on your ability to articulate such concepts in a coherent manner, in a variety of written assessments / written briefs.

At level 2 you are assessed on your ability to apply the basic concepts of the disciplines introduced in level 1 to existing controversies and issues on which there is already a body of research and critical opinion. You also should be able to demonstrate the inter-relationships between critical theory and media practice.

At level 3 you will be required to demonstrate independent powers of judgement. This may be in the form of analysing and criticising a media text or institution in an original manner. In all cases, you will be expected to show an awareness of the major theories and practices of the discipline. You will progress from well defined briefs to more open-ended and challenging assessments, which culminate in the student initiated level 3 project.

Educational Aims

The programme aims:

• To allow you to acquire knowledge of social, political and historical dimensions of contemporary media forms and institutions


• To empower you to become effective media communicators, articulating your personal opinions and perceptions through audio-visual and written communication


• To develop in you both practical and academic skills in research, summarising, preparing logical arguments, clear thinking and powers of persuasion


• To enable you to select and use an appropriate medium with sufficient command so that you can express yourself, influence or inform opinion


• To provide you with practical experience of current media institutions and their working methods


• To introduce you to the major schools of critical theory and your relationship to the media and media texts


• To develop personal skills, so that you possess personal confidence, the ability to work in groups and the ability to express your creativity, both individually and as part of a team


• To allow you to develop responsibility for your own learning and an ability to initiate research projects, to be able to establish working relationships with others, as well as being sufficiently conversant with media industries to be eligible for employment upon leaving the course

Student support

At institutional level the university has in place a range of easily accessible support structures for new and existing students. Other areas of university-wide student support include: housing, health, counselling, study support, special needs and disability advice, and careers service. CETL also runs workshops on skills and employability for students. The university chaplaincy runs regular meetings, social events and trips. The Student Union provides additional support and activities.

Course specific support is also in place. First year students receive a comprehensive induction in the week prior to the commencement of the term. In addition to this, course leaders will meet with their student groups to explain course structure and other issues relating to the student experience. Subsequently each level of your studies will be introduced by individual unit leaders. These introductions will give you outlines of your course and units, a description of the ways you will be encouraged to develop your knowledge and skills, and signpost resources and materials to assist the process of your learning and success.

All students at level 1 will be allocated a personal tutor. This academic will be responsible of monitoring your academic progress throughout your first year and will help you with any academic or personal issues that might come up. The personal tutor is your consistent point of contact for support and guidance but will on occasion refer you to other university staff for specific issues.

Further support is provided by lecturers who have Open Hours for their students, by the CATS Faculty administrative team, and the media administration team.

Throughout your course, you will have continuous access to online support through via BREO VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). BREO provides a range of online resources, and should be the first port of call for you in terms of university wide and module specific announcements, as well as module specific materials.

Team working

Being an effective member of a team is a vital part of working in the media industries. The media have evolved a variety of ways of organising people into creative teams and producing highly complex outputs.

You will learn how these teams function and the key roles that are required. Early in your course you will experience many of these roles, learning as you do so about your own strengths and the best ways for you to interact with other team members. As you progress through the course you will develop more specialist capabilities and will probably concentrate on a specific key role as part of your Special Project.

A number of your assessed pieces will be based on group work and you will be assessed on both your individual contribution to the project and the quality of the final outcome.

Career Management Skills

Presentations by practitioners, regular input from the careers service during all levels of your study (starting during induction week, concluding during the workshops for the level 3 project), as well as specifically designed modules with the world of work in focus will help you be ready for your career.

Career/Further study opportunities

Career:

The critical, analytical and practical skills of this degree will prepare you for a range of careers. The most common destination will be in careers in the creative industries: researcher, producer, events manager, broadcast assistant, production designer.

However, our graduates also opt for careers in teaching, in publishing and in public service.

Further study:

Postgraduate opportunities in a range of MAs in Media. Research opportunities leading to MA or PhD by research.

Entry

Standard:

Standard entry requirements for UK students - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/ukugentryreqs

Students from the European Union - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/eu/guides

International students - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/international/apply

Additional:

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire

Professional, Statuatory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

N/A

Students with disabilities

The University of Bedfordshire is committed to ensuring that curricula across all courses are inclusive to all students. The Disability Advice Team is available to discuss any issues students may have and can provide services such as sign language interpreters, note takers, dyslexia screening / tuition and support with mobility on campus. They offer confidential advice and information about academic and personal issues, adjustments in examinations, applying for the Disabled Student's Allowances (DSA) and buying suitable equipment. The Disability Advice Team communicates regularly with unit and course leaders to ensure the needs of students are covered.

This programme makes intensive use of audio and visual materials and so if you have difficulty accessing these you should discuss this with the Disability Advice Team in conjunction with the course team at the outset to ensure that appropriate support is in place.

All students concerned that their studies may be affected by disability are encouraged to contact either their Field Chair, Course Leader or Personal Tutor for advice at whatever point in their course the need to do so becomes apparent.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

• Exercise your communication skills in a variety of audio-visual and written media


• Complete assessments including writing a range of documents and in a range of styles and registers


• Explore other types of platforms for communication


• Practice oral communication presentations and within exercises that involve group work


• Explore the interactions between word and image


• Evaluate the needs and expectations of different audiences


• Produce work of different lengths, formats, properly referenced

Students who are diagnosed with needs for extra support with writing and communications skills development may be required to take extra classes provided by the University.

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

• Receive IT skills teaching in some modules


• Receive induction about available IT sources from the subject librarian at several points during their studies


• Use IT for the production of your work and for research purposes


• Use both the internet and databases for seminar work and for assessment


• Evaluate the usefulness and reliability of online sources


• Incorporate research from online journals for your assessments


• Attend research workshops about online research

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

• Be taught reflective practice and self evaluation, which is a component of assessment in some modules


• Learn how research underpins both theoretical and practical work


• Practice group crits, revisions and self reflection on the assignments set


• Evaluate final performance against criteria set for success

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

• Understand the progression between basic concepts introduced in level 1 and their application to practical and theoretical work in subsequent levels


• Analyse media texts using theoretical concepts and placing them in their social, historical and economic contexts


• Produce action plans and implement them effectively in order to complete work


• Design and discuss different strategies


• Identify criteria for success in your university assessments as well as for professional practice


• Complete a student initiated final year project which engages both creative and critical skills

Improving learning and performance

Reflective practice and self evaluation are taught through most modules.

The critical and analytical skills you acquire will enhance your thinking throughout your career and will always be an asset. This means that you must acquire the higher-level skill of being able to identify your development needs and to be able to enhance your skills through your own independent learning.

We will help you do this by progressively increasing the level of challenge set within assessment briefs and transferring support from direct prescriptive skills development to needs analysis and support for your own self-initiated learning activities.

Progress files

Students have constant access to the transcript of their results and progression through the SITS E-Vision system and in addition to the formal statistical outline of your individual progress you are encourage to have regular meetings with your personal tutor to assist the reflective process of monitoring your progress and the links between your course and your future career.

Professional standards

The code of conduct aims to teach students the importance of professional standards of behaviour in terms of attitude, approach to your work, the basics of meeting deadlines and sharing responsibilities in group work and respect for others and for equipment.

Professional standards of work, presentation and approach are introduced throughout the course in every unit.

From the outset we will expect you to adhere to basic professional standards in all your work and in all your dealings with staff and other students. In particular:

• You must punctually attend all scheduled lectures, seminars, workshops. If unforeseen circumstances prevent you attending then you should notify your tutor, preferably in advance


• You must submit all assessed work before the deadline. You should note that the normal vagaries of life would not be acceptable as an excuse for missing a publication / transmission deadline within the industry and so we will apply the same standards. Computer problems and data loss will certainly not be accepted as a valid reason for non or late submission


• When working on a group project with other students you must play a full part in the group and deal with others professionally. You must provide your colleagues with appropriate contact details and maintain contact with them throughout the project


• When completing academic work you must adhere to the codes and conventions of academic writing with all sources acknowledged and referenced in accordance with the Universitys guidelines. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may constitute plagiarism - an academic offence


• The media is subject to a range of legislation and regulation. Your production work must conform to these limitations and any other legislation that impact on your work. In your final year you should be undertaking work that challenges conventions and tests boundaries. However, you should do this in consultation with your tutors and supervisor to ensure that you remain within the law. If in doubt, seek advice


• With access to a range of powerful communication techniques, you must always adhere to acceptable ethical principles, values and norms in the representation of people, particularly in terms of sexuality, religion, class, race and gender


• You may freely borrow production equipment from the Media Hub. The availability of equipment will always be limited and so you must ensure that you return it on time and in good order. Whilst you have University equipment in your possession you must take care to ensure that it is not lost or stolen and that you operate it in a safe manner and in accordance with training you are given

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

Code for professional conduct introduced to students during induction week. It is also included in the assessment criteria of most units. High grades at higher levels are based on the production of work to professional standard.