BA (Hons) Digital Media and Communications

Key information

Typical offer:
Entry requirements
Fees: See below
Full details
UCAS code: P700
Institute code: H36
Study abroad option
Work placement option
Find out more

Entry requirements

The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis.

UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB requirement
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.

UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB requirement
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.
Professional accreditations

This course is partnered with the prestigious Public Relations and Communications Association, giving students the benefit of accreditation, networking and tailored speaker sessions.

UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	Access Course Tariff	IB requirement
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3	112-120 points

UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	Access Course Tariff	IB requirement
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3	112-120 points

Why choose this course?

Accredited by PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association)
Work with a client to showcase your skills to employers
Study the media internationally & locally, alongside vocational skills

In today’s fast-paced media world, people with the ability to write, design, understand imagery and harness new technologies are in high demand. Join this group by developing your communications skills (both oral and written), learning to create and publish content across a broad range of formats.

This course will equip you with a portfolio of practical skills as well as a theoretical and critical understanding of Media. Our industry-focused approach, combining theory and practice, will help build your confidence, give you the communication and technological skills required for the industry and help you plan your career.

You’ll learn how the media works globally and nationally, how to build and edit brilliant websites and create a hard-hitting ad campaign. You can study public relations, celebrity culture and influencers or examine how the media represents diverse groups. Using industry standard software and equipment, our professionally experienced academics and researchers will help you develop skills across divergent platforms and for different audiences.

Your course is affiliated to the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), one of Britain's top organisations for PR professionals giving you valuable internship and networking opportunities.

In the 2022 National Student Survey (NSS), our media degrees achieved an overall satisfaction rating of 82%. 85% of students reported that lecturers were good at explaining things and 82% of students (above the sector average) appreciated the chance to bring information and ideas together from different topics.

What's the course about?

The delivery of teaching varies according to the characteristics of each module. Workshops are used for modules where practical skills taught are taught enhanced by the supervision of experts, but there are also seminars and lectures. Assignments range from storyboards to creating audio for radio, websites, and even the traditional essay. The course is exclusively coursework. 

In your first year, you’ll explore the world of media communications and global media, looking at who owns the news, at the influence of the BBC and commercial entities such as Sky and consider how media varies across the globe. Your practical skills will include learning to tell stories using your phone and podcast and learning about the power of the image.

In your second year, you’ll learn key media research methods and skills. You’ll explore radio journalism and examine world-changing journalism campaigns such as Black Lives Matter and Watergate.

If you’re into music, film, food or travel, you’ll have opportunities to create magazine layouts and pdfs for online publications or design for mobile phones. A video option will give you the chance to create a documentary, or alternatively you can explore the world of the brand.

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or complete a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about, but it will also give your CV a boost. If you would rather go straight to your final year, that’s fine too. You can decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this.

In your final year, you’ll be spoilt for choice. You’ll undertake a major project to design your own website, but you can also choose to do a media project for a commercial or charitable client, to learn about Corporate Communications or Advertising or both and you’ll also learn about PR and the world of celebrity. As you move through your degree, you’ll have improved both your thinking skills and knowledge of media, in tandem with practical media-related skills.    

Guest speakers and networking (Media Matters)

Each year the School of Humanities hosts a range of industry professionals, giving talks on their experience in the media and publishing industry. These lectures are recorded by our final year students and available on our Taster Hub. Some of our previous speakers have included:

Andrea Thompson, Editor in Chief of Marie Claire
Richard Keith, Journalist for Edge Magazine and Publisher, PCGamer
Georgina Lawton of online ezine Gal-Dem for women and non-binary people of colour
Steve Swann, investigative journalist, BBC

Applying for this course is easy. Simply add us to your UCAS account by using the institution and course code mentioned in ‘Key information’. There is no interview for this course. We’re just interested to hear why you want to study this subject at degree level.

Your main campus is College Lane

This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.

What will I study?

Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5 and 6. These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study. Below is a list of compulsory and optional modules. However, whatever choices you make, you will study no more than eight modules a year and possibly less in your final year depending on your degree.

Level 4

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Introduction to Media Communications	15 Credits	Compulsory
This wide-ranging and dynamic module presents an introduction to the fields of media and communications studies, covering media texts, producers and audiences. Students are supported to read, write and debate like a scholar, thus enabling them to develop skills which are essential for completing a university degree.
Journalism, Law and Ethics	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module, students will be introduced to key laws impacting on journalists, including defamation, privacy and Contempt of Court. They will also explore the regulation of journalism as it affects journalists and compare the legal and ethical framework within which journalists operate, across different countries.
Introduction to Film Criticism	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module introduces students to the art of film criticism through an analysis of film texts and how to critique films in an engaging and informed manner. Students engage critically with how meaning is communicated through film. The module will also equip students with an historical awareness of film and related stylistic and technological terminologies and contexts.
Global Media and Society	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module considers the relationship between the media and their social context. Students will explore ways media reflect and shape social attitudes and challenge their own assumptions about society and the media. By exploring issues such as class, race and gender the module will consider how different groups are represented in media. The module will also examine the public role of the media locally and globally, and students will be challenged to think critically about concepts such as free press, media impartiality or bias.
Genre, Style and Stars	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module builds on skills developed at Level 4. It introduces you to the study of film and television using theoretical perspectives from the discipline and from wider cultural and critical areas. It focusses on theories of genre, authorship, and style, considering the origins of the star system from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the celebrity era of the global digital age. The module also examines the relationship of film genre and stars to globalisation and how genre and the global film market interact.
Sound and Image Storytelling	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module supports students to develop practical audio and video skills. Students create audio content in the form of a podcast and discuss how to use sound for telling gripping stories. Students also learn how to record and edit a short video story, or reel, to be distributed online. Students learn professional skills such as audio and video editing to enable better production quality and user experience.
Visual Communication	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module provides students with computing and communication skills which will form a basis for future study in Media. The module aims to help students create attractive, eye-catching projects using images, text and other visuals for online delivery.
Introduction to Journalism	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module students explore the exciting world of journalism. Students engage with the key skills such as research and writing within specific structures, start to identify what makes news newsworthy and learn about the key roles within a journalism organisation that work together to create journalism products. Students explore a range of journalism content and learn the skills of writing with accurate research as a journalist to create your first article.

Level 5

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Radio Journalism	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module, students are expected to source original stories, which are suitable for radio and learn how to write, interview and structure audio reports and stories using appropriate techniques and equipment. Students acquire knowledge and understanding of radio journalism and technical skills needed to produce effective radio broadcasts. This module will introduce students to terminology used in broadcast environments; it will expand critical understanding of news values, agendas and legal and ethical requirements specific to broadcast journalism and awareness of the converging media landscape.
Research Methods in Media Communications	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module teaches relevant research principles and skills in media and communications including choosing a research topic, formulating research questions, conducting a literature review, develop a research plan as well as select and apply appropriate methodologies from textual analysis to interviews, among others. Students learn how to structure and write a research report and will be introduced to a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The module covers all key aspects of media and communication, including analysis of media texts, production, audiences, and industries.
Mobile Media Design	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module is designed to teach skills in research, planning, and design of apps for mobile devices using current UI design software. The module develops understanding of current practice and user experience through market and competitor research and explores what makes some apps successful and usable.
Magazine Design	15 Credits	Compulsory
There is more to magazine design than learning a software package. As well as giving hands-on systematic software training, this module unfolds various aspects of digital design for the page and screen, including the use of typography, colour and images. The module builds your confidence in the design process through presenting a clear understanding of layout and visual conventions, information design and contemporary visual style.
Video Feature	15 Credits	Optional
An important aspect of digital convergence is the use of video by media outlets to spark public dialogue and generate reader participation. This module is designed to give students understanding and skills to make effective videos. Students will look at current practitioners such as Mike Kepka at the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times 'Op-Docs' group and the MIT Open Documentary Lab. They will also examine the work of more traditional documentary makers, such as Errol Morris, Kim Longinotto and Nick Broomfield. There is, according to media artist Marilyn Freeman, "a digital storm that won't let up--of cat videos and self-surveillance videos and any thing or moment imaginably filmable". To stand out from the crowd, students must develop media literacy and skills in critical reflection. As there is an art of storytelling, students will be guided towards a clear understanding of the art of digital storytelling.
New Media Branding	15 Credits	Optional
The module is designed to teach graphic design and branding skills that facilitate the understanding of professional visual identities. The module will focus on understanding professional branding and identity and develop skills in visual design and graphics.
Employability Skills	15 Credits	Optional
Producing graduates who are highly employable is a key aim of the University of Hertfordshire. This module aims to help you bridge gaps between your specialist academic studies and the world of graduate employment. As well as allowing you to reflect on and further develop your employability skills we will explore the changing nature of employers' needs. Using case studies, we will consider a range of issues (legal, gender, equality) that can arise in recruitment and the workplace. The module will also focus on career planning and job searching, as well as recruitment and selection processes including the work of assessment centres and psychometric testing. Overall the intention is that you will be able to develop your job-market awareness and identify and explore potential career pathways. The module is worth 15 credits and may be chosen in place of a 15-credit subject module at Level 5, or as an additional module at Level 6, alongside 120 credits of modules in your subject(s).
How Journalism Changed the World: from Watergate to Social Media and Fake News	15 Credits	Optional
This module will examine how journalism has emerged as a force for positive social change though use of research tools and major investigations, using historic and recent case histories. It will also examine the role played by different technologies in the late twentieth and early twenty first century to inform journalism. This module will enable students to practice the various research techniques employed by successful journalists within a supported setting, whether traditional or cutting edge, how they can verify sources and avoid creating Fake news.
Social Media and Critical Practice	15 Credits	Optional
In this module students gain insights into the practical use and theoretical understanding of social media. They research and analyse the impact of social media in one area of society e.g. politics, health, entertainment or public relations. At the same time, students are expected to develop their communication skills through professional practice and reflection.

Level 6

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Professional Practice Publishing Project	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module is designed to help students develop the skills needed for the working in a professional media publishing environment. The module will lead students through the production of a professional quality media package in an active learning environment and develop design, self-management, production and communications skills.
Music, Celebrity and Media	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module looks at emergent forms of media, particularly the influence of digital technologies on traditional forms of media, such as film and journalism. Students will have the opportunity to critically analyse the impact of the digital revolution, from HDTV to virtual realities, from citizen journalism to Wikileaks and cyber-criminality, from music downloads to E-books. Using a range of critical theorists, students will explore the challenges of these developments for established media as well as the creative opportunities that new and emerging media platforms provide.
Creating a PR Campaign	15 Credits	Compulsory
The module introduces students to specialist fields within the communications industry. Students learn how to deal with the press as a communications professional and how to create promotional material. The module allows students to engage with the content through experiential learning and critical engagement with the theories behind transferable skills, such as pitching and presenting communications concepts.
Web Design for Media Professionals	30 Credits	Compulsory
Students develop their knowledge and understanding through a series of lectures, online presentations and problem-solving exercises, gradually building their design skills within the framework of portfolio assessments. Students are encouraged to create a unique and refreshing publications and their documentation and project planning will be guided by real-life examples. This module will develop and extend students understanding of visual and interactive communication skills and introduce you to a range of techniques for creating engaging publications for specific audiences.
Advertising	15 Credits	Optional
This module will interrogate advertising and ways it constructs desire for specific products. It will explore the social function of adverts in relation to, for instance, gender, race, and sexuality. The module will consider why adverts for certain types of products are placed in specific locations and explore market segmentation and TV scheduling. Students will have opportunities to apply their theoretical knowledge to the practical creation of advertisements The module will examine the relationship between advertising and other media forms.
Corporate Communications	15 Credits	Optional
Essential for those wishing to work in the field of media and communications, Corporate Communications offers students a wide-ranging education in the ways that companies utilise the media to manage their reputation. We cover everything from branding to public relations, developing practical skills and understanding the theory of corporate communications.
Representation and Identity in Contemporary Media	15 Credits	Optional
Using different theories of political communication, students examine the subject of media representation, mediatization and the politics of cultural identities in the twenty-first century. Students engage with key theories and concepts of representation and media framing to illuminate an understanding of identity as a political concept.

Study abroad

An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.

If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about Study abroad opportunities

Please note Erasmus+ funding is only available until May 2023. For students starting their course in September 2022 and wishing to study abroad in 2023-24 or 2024-25, please refer to the Turing Scheme.
Work placement

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about work placements
What if I need support?

You will be allocated a personal tutor to monitor and advise on overall academic and personal development supplemented with drop-in skills sessions and specialist tutors to refine and polish your writing.
For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you will also have access to our Academic Support Services (ASU). You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions and online tutorials. Both our Learning Resources Centres (LRCs) run drop-in study skills sessions. We also have wellbeing and coaching services.

Alumni Stories

Kate Stephenson

Meet Kate Stephenson who has excelled in the publishing industry since graduating. She currently works as the Education Editor at National Geographic Kids magazine.

Read more stories BA (Hons) English Language and Media

Current job role	Education Editor
Year of graduation	2013
Course of study	BA (Hons) English Language and Communication with Journalism and Media Cultures

University experience

Kate always knew that she wanted to work in the media and her unique degree gave her the flexibility to understand the logistics behind magazines as well as develop her writing and communication skills. The variety of topics and modules covered in her course enabled her to understand a lot about her dream career and enable her to develop valuable skills for working in the industry.

While studying, Kate took every opportunity offered to her. Her lecturers gave her opportunities to network with their colleagues for the industry enabling Kate to secure work experience and explore different career opportunities upon graduation.

She also worked as part of the Students’ Union student media, called Triden Media, writing regularly for their newspaper and magazine. Kate says, ‘Take advantage of every opportunity while it’s on offer and dive in as much as possible.’

The future

In the future, Kate hopes to further develop and grow the project she is working on at National Geographic and their educational content. One of her recent projects was launching their Primary School resource service by writing the curriculum.

What's next for my career?
Digital Media:

There are just under one million people employed in the UK media industry, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). Opportunities for employment can be found in:
- advertising
- marketing
- film
- interactive media
- radio
- television
Publishing:

In contrast the publishing industry is smaller, with 148,000 people employed in the UK. There are a number of areas you can enter including:
- book publishing;
- web publishing
- education publishing
- journals and periodical publishing
- B2B publishing
- newspaper and magazine publishing
- social media publishing
Employability is central to everything we do. Our course opens up a huge range of social media or web-based careers, from working for established media companies and departments, to setting up your own online magazine, video production or graphic design company. Our graduates also work in PR, marketing and advertising, where their analytical and communication skills are highly valued.

Recent graduate entrepreneurs include Talha Ahad, CEO of The Centrum Media, Pakistan’s first digital news network, and Daniel Lau, head of advertising agency The Beat Creatives in Malaysia.
View our Alumni profiles

Kate Stephenson

Course fact sheets
BA (Hons) Digital Media and Communications	Download

Programme specifications
BA (Hons) Digital Media and Communications	Download
Film (Minor) Programme Specification	Download
Journalism (Joint and Minor) Programme Specification	Download
Creative Writing (Joint and Minor) Programme Specification	Download
BA (Hons) Media	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	Optional
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes
Course length	Full Time, 3 Years Sandwich, 4 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

Apply using the links below:

2024

Start Date	End Date	Link
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

2025

Start Date	End Date	Link
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
22/09/2025	31/05/2026	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

2026

Start Date	End Date	Link
21/09/2026	31/05/2027	Apply online (Full Time)

Fees and funding
Fees 2024
UK Students

Full time
- £9250 for the 2024/2025 academic year
EU Students

Full time
- £15500 for the 2024/2025 academic year
International Students

Full time
- £15500 for the 2024/2025 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

Book a campus tour

Get info and updates

BA (Hons) Digital Media and Communications

Key information

Typical offer:

Fees: See below

UCAS code: P700

Institute code: H36

Study abroad option

Work placement option

Additional requirements

Additional requirements

Why choose this course?

What's the course about?

Your main campus is College Lane

What will I study?

Alumni Stories

Meet Kate Stephenson who has excelled in the publishing industry since graduating. She currently works as the Education Editor at National Geographic Kids magazine.

University experience

The future

Digital Media:

Publishing:

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2024

2025

2026

Fees 2024

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Other financial support

Living costs / accommodation