Media and Communications (BA)

at Cardiff University

Course structure

The BA in Media and Communications is a three-year, full time, modular course. Most modules include 12 weeks of teaching and the rest of the semester is devoted to exams and other kinds of assessment, along with the processes of marking and exam boards. 

Every Welsh speaking student will have the opportunity of undertaking their first year seminars through the medium of Welsh.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2022/2023 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2022.

Year one
All of our Single Honours degree programmes share a common first year. This is designed to give you a sound foundation in all of the contemporary and historical contexts of journalism, media and culture. It also introduces you to the practicalities of high-quality academic writing, analysis and research.

In total six core 20-credit modules are taught mainly using a lecture/seminar format. During your lectures you will be introduced to new ideas and approaches and carry out more applied and team-based work in your seminars.

Year two
You will be taught mainly using a lecture/seminar format, although the tasks developed in seminars will be more ambitious. You will be expected to develop research protocols, both on your own and in groups, and will begin to experiment with and design methodological procedures (such as survey methods, ethnography, and content and discourse analysis).

By the end of year two, you will have the skills necessary to write a dissertation in year three.

Year three
Year three consists of an optional dissertation, one core module and a choice of elective modules allowing you to specialise in your areas of interest. While a number of these will be based on a lecture/workshop format, the range of teaching methods will be more diverse and involve assignments of greater complexity and challenge.

You will conduct independent research and apply theoretical ideas and approaches to practical and/or analytical work.

A level
ABB-BBB

Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard A level offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

International Baccalaureate
32-31 overall or 665 in 3 HL subjects. 

GCSE
Grade B or grade 6 in GCSE English Language.

IELTS (academic)
At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and a minimum of 6.0 in all other subskills.

TOEFL iBT
At least 90 overall with a minimum of 22 for writing and 20 in all other subskills.

PTE Academic
At least 62 overall with a minimum of 69 in writing and a minimum of 62 in all other communicative skills.

Trinity ISE II/III
II: a Distinction in Writing and at least one Distinction and two Merits in other components.
III: at least a Pass in all components.

Tuition fees for 2022 entry

Fees for home status

• £9,000    

Fees for overseas status

• £18,700

Our students have an excellent reputation for finding employment after they graduate.

The most recent DLHE data (2016/17), shows that 96% of our graduates reported they were in employment or further studies within six months of graduation.

Career roles

Our graduates find their skills to be helpful in a range of communications and public relations roles. Our alumni benefit from their ability to write copy quickly, effectively and for a specific audience. Our graduates often succeed in business due to their ability to structure a coherent written and verbal argument when pitching their business ideas.

Some of our graduates utilise their newfound knowledge of current affairs and world politics to pursue a career in journalism.

Because our undergraduate degrees do not provide journalism training or a journalistic accreditation, many chose to progress on to our Masters courses, such as broadcast, magazine, news or computational journalism, to gain their practical training. 

In fact, you will gain skills applicable to a range of modern media driven jobs, recent career pathways and roles have included:

• TV Production – Producer and researcher
• Advertising – Copy writer and campaign manager
• Public Relations – Account manager and writer
• Teaching – Various disciplines
• Journalism – Local reporter and blogger
• Movie Production – Writer and producer
• Publishing – Writer and copy editor
• Communications – Press/communications officer