Media
Published: 13 August 2004
Why do it? Because it's fun and relevant and could help you land a glamorous job in the media - or an even more important job pulling the strings. Students like its rigour and the practical aspect, according to Professor Simon Frith, of Stirling University. They are less likely to aspire to be Sam Mendes or Jeremy Paxman; more likely to want to be the next Greg Dyke or Elisabeth Murdoch.
What's it about? On the communication and media studies course at Westminster you get 50:50 theory to practice. In the former category is history, economic structure of the media, development of media technology, globalisation of said media, not to mention media and the creation of personal identity. On the practical side you can learn to be a hot-shot television or film producer. Film and media studies at Stirling is about contemporary media in society and then you specialise in television, film, music, radio or print. Goldsmith's has half-and-half theory and practice in its media and communications BA, with heavy dollops of cultural studies. Coventry has a degree in Communication, Culture and Media which has courses on media industries, criticism and interpretation, cultural representation, media production and reception with the chance to study choose courses in contemporary popular culture, photography or a modern language in the first year. In the second year you can specialise in things like advertising, film studies or video making and multimedia. In the third term of your second year you are expected to do a work placement. You will write a disserattion in the final year which counts for 30% of the year. Coventry also offer a BA Media Production.
How long is a degree? Three years. Four years in Scotland.
What are the students like? Lively, bright, pushy and knowledgeable about popular culture. Lots of women and ethnic diversity. At the University of East London (UEL), around half are over 21 on entry. At University College Chichester it is more like half and half.
How is it packaged? Mainly coursework at UEL, Coventry, University College Chichester, and Westminster. Most have a dissertation in the final year. Stirling has 50:50 coursework to exams.
How cool is it? Very. Although not one of the most prestigious degrees.
What A-levels do you need? Anything goes mostly. Sussex likes a media studies A-level for its straight BA in media studies.
What grades? AAB at Warwick; ABB or BBB at East Anglia; BBB at Sussex; BBC at Westminster; CC at UEL. AB or 180-220 points at Coventry.
Will it keep you off the dole? Yes, if you're determined and talented. One student at UEL set up a market stall. At Westminster many get media-related jobs.
Will you be interviewed? Yes at Westminster. No at East Anglia and Stirling. Sometimes at UEL and University College Chichester. Only those who don't come in through A-levels are required to sit an interview at Warwick. Yes at Coventry and for the Media Production degree they want a portfolio.
What do students say? Chris Travis, 20, going into second year at University College Chichester. "One of my favourite modules last year was video production. It was the only practical one I did. We filmed two scenes from a soap opera. It was very challenging but fairly rewarding. I'm going to do more production next year. We get to study films, music videos, newspapers and look at corporate structures and how the media works. The only drawback is its not one of the most respected degrees."
Where can you do it? Aberystwyth, Bath, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brighton, UWE, Brunel, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, Canterbury Christ Church University College, Central England in Birmingham, Central Lancashire, University College Chester, University College Chichester, City, Coventry, Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Falmouth College of Arts, De Montfort, Derby, UEA, East London, Essex, Glamorgan, Glasgow Caledonian, Gloucestershire, Goldsmiths College, Greenwich, Grimsby, Hertfordshire, UHI, Huddersfield, University College Winchester, Kingston, Wales at Lampeter, Lancaster, Leeds Metropolitan, Leeds Trinity & All Saints, Lincoln, LJM, London Institute, London Metropolitan, London South Bank, Loughborough, Luton, Manchester Metropolitan, Middlesex, University College Northampton, North East Wales Institute, Northumbria, Nottingham Trent, Oxford Brookes, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Queen Mrgaret University College, Roehampton, Royal Holloway, Salford, Sheffield Hallam, Southampton, College of St John and St Mark, Staffordshire, Stirling, Sunderland, Surrey, Surrey Institute of Art and Design, Sussex, Swansea, Swansea Instittute of Higher Education, Teeside, Thames Valley, Ulster, Westminster, Wolverhampton, University College Worcester.
Where's the cutting edge? At Westminster it's the history and development of the media and dumbing down on television; at Stirling it's pop music and cultural industries; at UEL it'scultural history, feminismand ethnicity; at East Anglia, British cinema history and contemporary American cinema; at Warwick,French cinema. Convergence and issues around globalisation and new media markets at Coventry.
Who are the stars? Professor Paul Smith, an expert on Clint Eastwood, and Martin Barker, whose speciality is in audience research, both at Sussex; at Warwick University, Professors Ginette Vincendeau, an expert on French cinema, and Richard Dyer, an expert on film stardom; at East Anglia, Dr Yvonne Tasker, an expert on women in the movies, and Professor Charles Barr, who has written a book on Hitchcock's English films; at UEL Dr Barbara Taylor and Professor Phil Cohen, for his work on ethnicity and youth; at Westminster Professor Jean Seaton; Professor Simon Frith at Stirling, a former pop music critic of The Sunday Times and The Observer. At Coventry Martin Lee, Karen Ross and Andrew Beck are the hotshots.
Glittering alumni: Adrian Wootton, the director of the London Film Festival, was at East Anglia; Michael Jackson, the head of Channel 4, was at Westminster.
What can it be combined with? City offers a degree in Sociology and media. Nottingham Trent combine it with cultural studies which is very common. At Brighton you can partner it with a modern language. UWE combine it with film studies, drama, politics, history, economics or languages. At Canterbury Christ Church the combinations are bizarre: business, biosciences, health studies and built heritage convservation. At Gloucestershire the possibilties are endless?.
