On our BA Mass Communications degree you will study the latest global trends in media communications, and have the opportunity to do a work placement at a leading UK company or organisation. Recent students have worked at the BBC, MTV, Absolute Radio and Vogue. Mass communications shape the world we live in – from accessing information and taking part in social and political change, to impacting on our personal everyday relationships. The extended degree programmes include a foundation year, which will provide you with a sound introduction to key elements needed for studying Mass Communications at degree level. Our extended degree programme will provide you with a thorough and supportive academic preparation for study. The foundation year is carefully designed to build confidence in your abilities, develop essential academic and study skills, and provide you with the subject specific knowledge essential for success. On this course you'll develop an understanding of the relationship between mass media and society and drawing on other disciplines such as sociology, political science and cultural studies, you'll be introduced to some of the key approaches to analysing the media-society relationship. You'll explore the ways in which meaning is produced in the media as well as how issues of representation such as gender, sexuality and stereotyping are examined in relation to theories of discourse. Plus, you'll study key developments in the media, how media texts are produced, distributed, regulated and consumed, and the ways in which the media can influence society. You will also gain an in depth understanding of the issues and institutions of news media in Britain, focusing on traditional forms of news and current affairs such as newspapers; television and radio broadcast news as well as the emerging forms of news production and distribution such as blogs and citizen journalism. Developing the skills employers will value is an important part of the course as well. We currently offer a module specifically designed to prepare you for the world of work - you'll learn to understand and speak employers' language and develop your confidence to put your career plan into effect. There are also opportunities to put these skills into action by undertaking a work placement in many areas of the creative industries.

Our graduates go into careers in television and radio, print (newspapers, magazines, journals), digital media, and research and policy organisations (such as Ofcom, Pact or the British Board of Film Classification).