Media and Communication
P302Studying Media and Communication at the University of Winchester will help you to develop a strong understanding of the media industries and trends in media culture and communication, providing you with a critical perspective of how global media works and the impact of new digital and AI technologies. We offer employability-led opportunities to develop professional skills and creative practices, including responding to live briefs, developing pitches and participating in client-facing projects.
Course overview
Our fully-equipped multimedia facilities and strong links with the professional world, including creative agencies, content creators, independent film producers, radio stations, newspapers and festivals, will help you build a combination of practical and transferable skills, creative thinking and applied academic knowledge so that you stand out in a competitive job market.
The programme starts out by grounding you in the world and the practice of media, introducing both the study of media as an academic subject and developing your core creative skills. You will develop an understanding of the use of media across a variety of platforms, with a particular focus on the impact of new digital technologies in the context of the convergence of old and new media.
As you progress through your degree, you will develop your critical analytical approach to media through the study of research methodologies and theories, as well as gaining the valuable opportunity for real-world experience and developing your graduate career strategy. You will have the chance to study a wide range of subjects in more depth and detail, from social media and branding to advertising and gamification, to the role popular media plays in culture and society.
Through your final year, you will undertake an independent project on the topic of your choice, tailoring this vital capstone to your degree according to your own interests and graduate ambitions. You will also have the opportunity to shape the culmination of your studies by choosing from a blend of academic approaches and those offering further practical experience relating to various aspects of media.
Graduates of our dynamic programme enter the workplace armed with a key set of flexible skills and the critical knowledge and understanding needed to flourish in the competitive world of the media. They go on to work in a wide range of careers in academic and industry research, journalism, media management, social media, public relations, fashion, advertising, communications, HR, education and public service.
What you need to know
Course start date
September
Location
Winchester campus
Course length
- 3 years full-time
- 6 years part-time
Apply
P302
Typical offer
104-120 points
Fees
From £9,250 pa
Course features
- Strong focus on the convergence of new and more traditional media, including social networks
- Develop as a critical thinker and master the art of how to communicate creatively
- Work Placement module will develop your employability skills and experience in an organisation relevant to your career aspirations
- Access outstanding industry-standard facilities in our Multimedia Centre, including two HD TV studios with green screens, a newsroom, and radio studio
Course details
Our aim is to shape 'confident learners' by enabling you to develop the skills needed to excel in your studies here and as well as onto further studies or the employment market.
You are taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars, allowing opportunities to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups.
In addition to the formally scheduled contact time such as lectures and seminars etc.), you are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team and the wide range of services available to you within the University.
Independent learning
Over the duration of your course, you will be expected to develop independent and critical learning, progressively building confidence and expertise through independent and collaborative research, problem-solving and analysis with the support of staff. You take responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.
Overall workload
Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity.
While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.
Year 1 (Level 4): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
- Teaching, learning and assessment: 192 hours
- Independent learning: 1008 hours
Year 2 (Level 5): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
- Teaching, learning and assessment: 192 hours
- Independent learning: 972 hours
- Placement: 36 hours
Year 3 (Level 6): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
- Teaching, learning and assessment: 156 hours
- Independent learning: 1044 hours
*Please note these are indicative hours for the course.
Student learning is based upon a mix of highly innovative teaching strategies which include working to real life project briefs in teams and traditional approaches based around lectures and seminars. There is a strong focus on the convergence of old and new media including social networking.
Location
Taught elements of the course take place on campus in Winchester.
Teaching hours
All class based teaching takes places between 9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Wednesday afternoons are kept free from timetabled teaching for personal study time and for sports clubs and societies to train, meet and play matches. There may be some occasional learning opportunities (for example, an evening guest lecturer or performance) that take places outside of these hours for which you will be given forewarning.
Assessment
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The assessment balance between examination and coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by different assessment modes is as follows:
Year 1 (Level 4)*:
- 87% coursework
- 13% written exams
- 0% practical exams
Year 2 (Level 5)*:
- 100% coursework
- 0% written exams
- 0% practical exams
Year 3 (Level 6)*:
- 100% coursework
- 0% written exams
- 0% practical exams
*Please note these are indicative percentages and modes for the programme.
Feedback
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
Modules
Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions
Modules
This module introduces the main concepts, themes and theories that are deployed in the study of media and communication in contemporary society. The module provides you with opportunities to learn and apply key concepts that are central to the analysis of media, from modes of production and consumption, to the dynamics of power and control, to the construction of genres and meanings, and use them to explore some of the most pertinent issues in the contemporary digital landscape. This includes uses and abuses of new media, concerns about politics and citizenship, the importance of representation and identity, as well as security, surveillance and safety.
In this module you will be introduced to the essentials of digital creative skills. You will gain a solid understanding of the basics of using programmes from the Adobe Creative Cloud suite (Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator) and you will develop skills in graphic design and publishing software, as well as knowledge of the industry. The module also introduces and develops various skills required for the production of digital video, such as how to handle a camera, how to assess and capture sound and light, and how to edit footage.
The focus of this module will be the collaborative production of rich online, media projects based on particular themes (an indicative theme could be ‘diversity in the media’). Students will work in teams to research, produce and publish online media projects. The contents of the projects may consist of social networking sites, blogs, wiki documents, video, photographic and audio (podcasts), textual documents, and supporting academic materials, such as annotated bibliographies.
Design Thinking is an approach to developing innovative solutions to problems. It is widely used in a range of commercial, public sector and charitable sectors. This module will introduce you to the principles of design thinking and explore how they can be used to address issues in media and communication issues and problems students will encounter on their degree.
Modules
This module introduces students to the academic study of social media from within a humanities and social scientific framework. Furthermore, it will expand student’s capabilities in using social media and encourage them to recognise how social media can be used in a variety of contexts. The module will consider the various strategies and techniques used in branding and storytelling on social media; explore basic methods of analysis in monitoring social media, consider a number of case studies in which social media have been used, as well as examine the effectiveness and limitations (including legal and ethical issues) of social media and engagement.
This module aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of a number of the main approaches used in the study and analysis of media and communications. It examines a number of central topics students will learn how various theories can be applied to interpret these topics. This module will then introduce the main research techniques that are employed in researching media texts, institutions and audiences, both in their contemporary and historical contexts.
This module is designed to support you in your employability journey throughout your undergraduate career and beyond. It is intended as an opportunity to critically reflect upon experiences of work, including the Work Placement which will take place as part of the module, and build upon these experiences towards planning for graduate professional life.
You will be equipped with a framework to help you use the skills and knowledge you have acquired during your studies and your Work Placement experience to attain further employment after graduation, whether it is working for an organisation within the media industries, as an independent freelance creative, or following another career pathway. Work Placements are managed in accordance with the University’s Approved Procedures for Work Based Learning and Placements.
- Gamification and Advertising - 30 Credits
- Popular Media and Culture - 30 Credits
Modules
Extended Independent Study in Media and Communication will give students opportunities to employ the academic, critical and practical skills that they have acquired through the Media and Communication programme in order to pursue their own interests in developing either:
- a traditional academic research project (10,000-word dissertation)
- a practical media project (e.g. a portfolio of journalism, videos, advertising campaign, public awareness campaign, producing a video game) alongside a shorter critical reflection (approximately 4,000 words)
This module critically examines the media’s role in two of the defining developments of the contemporary era: the global rise of populism and the climate crisis. Underpinning the module will be the changing nature of political and media institutions as they continue to grapple with rapid technological and climatological change. Building on this, the module critically examines the media’s role in framing the political parameters of climate change debates, representing visions of the natural world, and contributing to the climate crisis itself.
- Emerging Technologies - 30 Credits
- Stardom and Desire - 30 Credits
- Documentary and Photojournalism - 15 Credits
- Video Game Worlds - 15 Credits
- Community Media - 15 Credits
- Festivals - 15 Credits
Entry requirements
Our offers are typically made using UCAS tariff points to allow you to include a range of level 3 qualifications and as a guide, the requirements for this course are equivalent to:
- A-Levels: BCC-BBB from 3 A Levels or equivalent grade combinations (e.g. BBB is comparable to ABC in terms of tariff points)
- BTEC/CTEC: DMM from BTEC or Cambridge Technical (CTEC) qualifications
- International Baccalaureate: To include a minimum of 2 Higher Level certificates at grade H4
- T Level: Merit in a T Level
Additionally, we accept tariff points achieved for many other qualifications, such as the Access to Higher Education Diploma, Scottish Highers, UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma and WJEC Applied Certificate/Diploma, to name a few. We also accept tariff points from smaller level 3 qualifications, up to a maximum of 32, from qualifications like the Extended Project (EP/EPQ), music or dance qualifications. To find out more about UCAS tariff points, including what your qualifications are worth, please visit UCAS.
In addition to level 3 study, the following GCSE’s are required:
GCSE English Language at grade 4 or C, or higher. Functional Skills at level 2 is accepted as an alternative, however Key Skills qualifications are not. If you hold another qualification, please get in touch and we will advise further.
If you will be over the age of 21 years of age at the beginning of your undergraduate study, you will be considered as a mature student. This means our offer may be different and any work or life experiences you have will be considered together with any qualifications you hold. UCAS have further information about studying as a mature student on their website which may be of interest.
If English is not your first language, a formal English language test will most likely be required and you will need to achieve the following:
- IELTS Academic at 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components (for year 1 entry)
- We also accept other English language qualifications, such as IELTS Indicator, Pearson PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and TOEFL iBT
If you are living outside of the UK or Europe, you can find out more about how to join this course by contacting our International Recruitment Team via our International Apply Pages.
2025 Course Tuition Fees
| UK / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland |
International |
|
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Year 2 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Year 3 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Total | £27,750 | £50,100 |
| Optional Sandwich Year* | £1,850 | £3,340 |
| Total with Sandwich Year | £29,600 | £53,440 |
Additional tuition fee information
If you are a UK student starting your degree in September 2025, the first year will cost you £9,250**. Based on this fee level, the indicative fees for a three-year degree would be £27,750 for UK students.
Remember, you don’t have to pay any of this upfront if you are able to get a tuition fee loan from the UK Government to cover the full cost of your fees each year.
UK Part-Time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £77.08 and a 15 credit module is £1,156. Part-time students can take up to a maximum 90 credits per year, so the maximum fee in a given year will be the government permitted maximum fee of £6,935.
International part-time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £139.14 and a 15 credit module is £2,087.
* Please note that not all courses offer an optional sandwich year.
**The University of Winchester will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year.
Additional costs
As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.
Mandatory
Disclosure and Barring Service
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance check may be required if you undertake a placement, volunteering, research or other course related activity where you will have contact with children or vulnerable adults. The requirement for a DBS check will be confirmed by staff as part of the process to approve your placement, research or other activity. The indicative cost is £40.
SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND AWARDS
We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards page.
CAREER PROSPECTS
Graduates may go on to work in industries within, or related to, the media such as journalism, media management, social media, public relations, fashion and advertising or in more innovative sectors of the cultural industries. The programme also fosters a key set of flexible skills that are pertinent to a wide range of careers in communication work, HR business, education, management and public service.
The University of Winchester ranks in the top 25 in the UK for graduates in employment or further study according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024, HESA.
Pre-approved for a Masters
University of Winchester students studying Bachelor Honours degrees are pre-approved to start a Masters degree at Winchester. To be eligible students must apply by the end of March in their final year and meet the entry requirements of their chosen Masters degree.
OUR CAREERS SERVICE
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“I have had the pleasure of working as a social media manager for Winchester Books Festival, contributing to event management as well. I boosted engagement, created content, built community, raised brand awareness, analysed data, collaborated with authors, sponsors and bloggers, and kept learning.”
