BA (Hons) Mass Communications

Key information

Typical offer:
Entry requirements
Fees: See below
Full details
UCAS code: P300
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?

Continual updating of content to reflect sought after skills
Accredited by PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association)
The flexibility to study four subjects or specialise

Do you want to join the next generation of media professionals?

This powerful, practical course will give you the skills and agility to thrive in a rapidly changing industry. You’ll explore the nature of language, communication and the media. Write news, features and fiction. Study films, music and celebrity. Design magazines, websites and a fascinating, successful future.

The media world is evolving fast. Digital and social media are developing at breakneck speed and changing the way we talk to, learn from and understand each other. Here at Hertfordshire, our mass communications course focuses on communication and media practice, encouraging you to be entrepreneurial and professional, with a diverse set of sought-after creative skills.

You’ll have a whole range of opportunities, including exploring publishing and PR, examining the ethical and legal aspects of journalism, developing your voice as a writer, studying the context behind films, spending a life-changing year abroad or taking a year-long work placement.

The course is strongly linked to industry and taught by a team of media academics and professionals. You'll have the opportunity to take part in industry events thanks to our affiliation to the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), one of Britain's top trade organisations for PR professionals, and attend the Media Matters guest lectures given by a range of media speakers from top journalists to our recent graduates. You'll meet media industry experts such as: BA(Hons)Mass Communications graduate, Tobi Akingbade who is now a showbiz writer; Charlotte Jones who is now a global content manager in the beauty industry; and Uche Amako, who is now a sports writer.

What's the course about?

You’ll learn how to create and publish content on a broad range of formats including print multimedia and within online platforms. You’ll gain a theoretical and critically reflective understanding of media whilst gaining practical skills as an author and designer of published material. Most of our courses are assessed by coursework.

The delivery of teaching varies according to the characteristics of each module. Many are taught via weekly lectures and weekly seminars. Workshops are used for modules where the degree of practical skills taught is enhanced by the supervision of experts in their field. Assessments range from writing a film review to creating digital stories or traditional essays.

In your first year, you’ll learn about how media is both global and local and the industries associated with it, you’ll have the option to try your hand at podcasting and video, to write like a journalist, become a film critic or learn about what it takes to be a writer or study linguistics. You will choose four out of six subjects from Journalism, Film, English Language, Media Studies, Digital Media and Creative Writing.

In your second year, you’ll build on the first learning about media research and the publishing industry, writing and broadcasting journalism, learning how to design a magazine or create a video documentary and making your own film as well as studying US Cinema. In Creative Writing and English Language and Linguistics you will build on previous work by writing for the stage, for instance, or learning about Communication.

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

In your final year, you'll have a great range of options as you can take all four subjects or reduce to three. In media, you’ll have the opportunity to create a project for a media client or design web pages like a professional, create a PR campaign or learn about what our interaction with celebrities says about globalised culture. In journalism you can report on international stories or take journalism related work experience or build a portfolio of pieces. In film, you can study television drama, reflect on diversity and sexuality in US film, or study European crime films. For Creative Writing, the short story and thinking about the nature of reality beckon and in English Language and Linguistics a chance to build on the skills of understanding the meaning of language and how it is used in different cultures and contexts.

To see all your modules, see the ‘What will I study?’ section below.

'Media Matters' Guest Lecture series

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

University of Hertfordshire Mass Communications Graduate, Tobi Akingbade, now Acting Showbiz Editor of Metro,
University of Hertfordshire, Journalism, Media and Sport graduate Steven Bourner, now Chief Media Officer and Strategic Comms Lead for the School of Education,
Theresa Malone, Visuals and Social Media Editor of The Guardian,
Steve Swann, Producer and investigative Journalist, BBC
Andrea Thompson, Editor in Chief of Marie Claire.

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.
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.
The Writer's Art: an Introduction to Creative Writing	15 Credits	Optional
This introductory module fires students' creativity, equipping them with knowledge of important literary strategies and techniques. To be successful creative writers, students need to be sensitive readers and critics, interested in devices other writers use to achieve particular literary effects. Set texts will be used as starting points for thinking about these issues alongside key craft elements e.g. plot, character, setting, voice, imagery, language and dramatic action. Weekly writing exercises are designed to help students practice these elements in their own writing.
Journalism, Law and Ethics	15 Credits	Optional
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	Optional
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.
Genre Fiction: Building Worlds	15 Credits	Optional
Building compelling and convincing worlds is important in all fiction, but particularly crucial in writing genre fiction. When writing genre (or popular) fiction, writers must be critically aware of both the history of the genre and current trends in publishing to make their own narratives distinctive and ultimately sell-able. This module examines popular genres (such as fantasy, crime, sci-fi or romance), considering their history and future. Key questions of craft and motivation will be asked: how do contemporary writers play against the classics? How do you write a piece that fits in a genre and yet avoids cliché? How much can you diverge from the expected in genre fiction? What steps can be taken to build a complex world for your piece? Is plotting for genre fiction different than plotting for literary fiction? Authors studied may include E.L. James, Ursula Le Guin, Louise Fitzhugh, J.R.R. Tolkien, or Akwaeke Ezemi.
Language in the Media	15 Credits	Optional
In this module, you will develop a range of skills which will enable them to undertake the linguistic analysis of media taken from various sources, including new media sources such as digital media, social media/ online identity, multimodal communication, mobile communication; as well as other media genres such as films, T.V shows and music. You will develop the ability to approach the language in the media critically to understand the importance and powerful effect of the media in our society.
Introduction to English Linguistics 1	15 Credits	Optional
This module introduces you to the fundamentals of English Linguistics. We will explore the origins of modern linguistics as a discipline and discuss core concepts of linguistic analysis, including, but not limited to, phonemes, morphemes and parts of speech. In this module you will be provided with the basic knowledge pertaining to different properties of language and how these are described, theorised and investigated. This module is taught in workshops and will give you ample opportunities to engage in hands-on practical tasks that will hone your knowledge and understanding of the core concepts of linguistics and equip you with the analytical skills so that you are able to apply them in different contexts across other modules in your studies of the subject of English Language and Linguistics.
Genre, Style and Stars	15 Credits	Optional
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	Optional
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	Optional
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	Optional
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
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.
Social Media and Critical Practice	15 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Language in Society	15 Credits	Optional
Sociolinguistics is the study of language in society. This module will introduce you to the major issues in sociolinguistics. We will start by addressing the relation between language and society and the nature of variation. We will address varieties of language use at the level of the group and the individual and explore three kinds of lectal variation: regional, social and functional. We will consider how and why users vary their language according to different social settings as well as the social pressures that cause language change. Further topics to be studied include accents and dialects, language and ethnicity and language and gender. This module should appeal to anyone interested in the way language is used to signal identity and negotiate society.
Forensic Linguistics	15 Credits	Optional
In this module we will be concerned with real examples of language use in legal contexts. Specifically, the module will first give an introduction to discourse analysis and then apply the methods of discourse analysis to Forensic Linguistics, the application of linguistics in order to understand conversation in legal contexts and establish authorship, authenticity and veracity in forensic texts. The talk and texts we will analyse will be taken from court proceedings, police interviews, witness statements, confessions, emergency calls, hate mail and suicide letters.
Language and Imagination: The Art of the Poem	15 Credits	Optional
Building on previous work, this module will develop your knowledge and understanding of poetic craft and technique including voice, sound, patterns and shape, rhyme and rhythm, imagery and metaphor. You will develop your own creative writing through the use of exercises and create your own portfolio of poetry. You will be asked to practise reading and thinking about poems of many different styles and periods, for example, sonnets, villanelles and free verse. You will consider ways in which the material presentation of poetry is significant. For example, you might examine poetry that exists somewhere other than a printed page: written on a wall, as a film, as a performance, etc.
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.
Journalism Skills: Features	15 Credits	Optional
In this module students will be introduced to researching, reporting, and writing techniques for features, developing, and extending the skills in writing acquired at Level 4. The sessions will enable them to gain practise in creating this genre and creating their own magazine style content and extensions for a range of audiences.
Film Production	15 Credits	Optional
The module provides a practical development of level 4 theory. This includes training in camera work, sound recording, lighting and editing. The module assessment is primarily group based and students are guided in forming and working effectively in teams. We also examine clips and ideas from contemporary and historical cinema.
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.
US Cinema: From Studio Era to Digital Age	15 Credits	Optional
This module concentrates on US cinema within and without Hollywood from the 1930s to the present day. Particular attention is given to historical flashpoints of American film, to moments of significant change in terms of new aesthetic, technological, cultural and institutional directions.
Journalism Skills News	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will develop your research and writing techniques for news reports, developing and extending the skills in writing news that you acquired at level 4. Sessions will enable you to gain practice in writing news reports in a simulated newsroom environment. In addition, you will model professional news journalism practices. You will be encouraged to use human sources through interviews, the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Students source news stories and write them, then reflect on what they have achieved.
Mobile Media Design	15 Credits	Optional
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	Optional
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.
Real Stories Well Told	15 Credits	Optional
This module aims to develop understanding of how close reading of non-fiction, including forms such as travel and history writing, biography and memoir, can help develop students' own creative writing abilities within these genres. It aims to explore the nature of the self, its presentation in text, and the depiction of other lives, with the aim of helping students adopt different narrative structures and styles in their own work. The module explores the notion of place and voice in non-fiction writing and aims to give an understanding of how research informs practice. Students will be encouraged to develop an understanding and practice of the range of styles found within the various types of non-fiction writing, as well as gain an understanding of the current creative non-fiction market.

Level 6

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Launching a Digital Publication	15 Credits	Optional
The module consists of 12, two-hour workshops in which students - through a mix of, demonstrations, discussion and practical tasks - apply journalistic skills to an online environment. This will include an appreciation of the massive impact that digital communications technologies have had on the publishing industry, as well as a detailed understanding of how writing for the internet differs from print Journalism.
Meaning and Context	15 Credits	Optional
This module is concerned with meaning in language and communication. It introduces students to different types of meaning and different theoretical approaches to studying meaning in the philosophy of language and linguistics. A key issue will be the distinction between semantics and pragmatics, where the boundary between them lies, and the way in which the two realms interact in the communication of meaning.
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.
Journalism Skills Portfolio	30 Credits	Optional
This module enables students to practise their journalism skills in real world settings, whether undergoing five days' work experience, trying to get published as a freelance or learning how to pitch. Students produce a portfolio of work to highlight the skills they have learnt and will reflect on how these skills can be used in your future career.
Television Drama	15 Credits	Optional
This module critically investigates the contemporary Golden Age of television drama from 1990 to the present day. Through a close scrutiny of serial dramas, we explore notions of "quality" and the particular impact of each series, as well as wider understandings of television as a medium and art form.
Euro-Crime on Page and Screen	15 Credits	Optional
The twenty-first century has seen a resurgence of interest in crime fiction, and screen dramas ranging from renewed interest in the "who-dunnits" of Agatha Christie to the more explicit violence of contemporary "Nordic Noir". This module examines European crime writing from popular detective fiction in the early twentieth century before looking at how successive European writers have modified the form, often using the crime at the centre of their narratives as a starting point for exploring questions of national and cultural identities. The written and filmed texts studied will take us to different European countries (read in translation). Typical examples include, but are not limited to, stories from Britain's "Golden Age" (1920s and 1930s), novels and film adaptations of work by Graham Greene (Brighton Rock), Leila Slimani (Lullaby; France), Stieg Larsson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sweden), and films such as Marshland (Spain) and Dance with a Stranger (UK).
Global Englishes	15 Credits	Optional
This module will focus on the global spread of the English language, which is no longer used only by native speakers but increasingly by speakers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Despite these changes, the native speaker continues to dominate in English Language Teaching. This module will explore various issues in the spread of English, including: the influence of other languages on English; the rise, standardisation, ideology and ownership of English; varieties of English across the world (including 'New Englishes', English as a Lingua Franca, pidgins & creoles); attitudes towards varieties of English and the pedagogical implications of these issues for English Language Teaching in the context of Global Englishes.
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.
International Politics and Reporting Global News	15 Credits	Optional
The module will examine a variety of current news stories ranging from wars and revolutions to ecological disasters, and other topics on the global news agenda during the module timespan Students develop their international stories supported by the tutor. Students also learn how to tell complex international stories using a variety of media.
Communication and Cultures	15 Credits	Optional
The module gives you an opportunity to bring to the surface some of your personal / social cultural assumptions and working beliefs, and to see how these relate to other cultures. You will develop your cultural sensitivity to diverse communication and cultural practices and patterns. In particular,you are encouraged to look at intercultural communication, in the forms of face-to-face conversation, interviews and online communication, in order to see how other cultures, and especially a culture of your own choosing, articulate, disguise, hide and express their beliefs.
Writing Serial Drama	15 Credits	Optional
This is an intensive 12 week module created to enable you to create and write your own pitch and pilot episode for a serial drama. You will learn the craft skills required to create compelling serial drama or comedy and create a pitch document suitable to send to production companies. You will watch episodes and read screenplays from current successful serials, analysing the technique required to create a successful drama series. You will workshop your ideas and pilot scripts under the guidance your module leader. You may write anything from a Netflix serial, continuing BBC Drama or online comedy series for your final submission.
Writing for Popular Fiction Markets	15 Credits	Optional
The module will explore a selection of different popular fiction genres (for example romance, historical, crime, fantasy, horror) looking at examples which illustrate the development of their specific market. The examples will be taken from book texts but also film and television in the various genres covered. You will learn how an analysis of the features and narratives used in these can be used to inform writing practice. Practice at writing for popular genres will be central to the module's syllabus which will practice and consider self and peer review within the delimited markets and genre tropes. Each genre discussed will be given a designated two week block with the block providing a combination of knowledge presentation, practice, reflection and work-shopping. You will be encouraged to contextualise your own work within the popular genres that we consider and gain awareness of its commercial positioning and opportunity. Authors whose work we explore typically may include Agatha Christie, Margaret Atwood, HG Wells, Audrey Niffeneger and Bram Stoker, TV shows may include Dexter, Game of Thrones and Poldark, and Films may include Doctor Zhivago, The Prestige, Blade Runner and Let the Right One In. Please note that all of these titles are indicative and subject to regular updating.
Professional Media Practice Project	30 Credits	Optional
This module is designed to help students develop the skills needed for the working in a professional media production 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.
Gender, Sexuality and Diversity in American Film	15 Credits	Optional
This module focuses on the role gender and sexuality have played within the development of US cinema. Students explore historical moments and genres, with emphasis placed on the way gender identity intersects with other marginalised identities on screen, for example in terms of race, sexual orientation, and class.
Music, Celebrity and Media	15 Credits	Optional
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	Optional
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	Optional
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.
Tell It Slant: Writing and Reality	15 Credits	Optional
'Write what you know' is often the first instruction given to new writers of fiction. But just how may we do so, and how far may we go? This module examines the aspects, strategies and approaches as well as the ethical quandaries that come from writing fiction 'from reality' from the world and the lives around us. What exactly is the line between fact and fiction and how can they feed one another creatively? What happens when a writer crosses the line, and who decides? Authors studied may include Marcel Proust, Annie Ernaux, JM Coetzee, Rachel Cusk, Marguerite Duras, Awaeke Emezi, Ayad Akhtar, Toni Morrison, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Sheila Heti and Ocean Vuong among others.

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?

Every student is allocated a personal tutor to monitor and advise on their overall academic and personal development supplemented with drop-in skills sessions and specialist tutors to refine and polish your writing. Our Media Matters series of Media Industry talks, and Creative Writing talks are career focussed, delivered by industry specialist professionals.
You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions, and online tutorials. Both our LRCs (Learning Resources Centres) run drop-in study skills sessions. So, whether you want to improve your employment prospects through networking with our speakers, or need support to improve your academic work, we can help.

'I enjoyed learning and being in the company of my lecturers and could not have asked for anyone to be any more supportive. I could not describe the teaching as any less than five stars and my lecturers always found the time outside of class to help me with anything I was struggling to understand.'

Jenny Chu

BA (Hons) Mass Communications graduate

Check out our student blogs

Alumni Stories

Jonathan Yip

Meet Jonathan Yip who has undertaken a career in academia. He is currently working as an undergraduate lecturer at one of the most prestigious institutions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - BAC Education Group.

Read more stories BA (Hons) Mass Communications

Current job role	Undergraduate lecturer in Journalism and Media
Year of graduation	2016
Course of study	BA (Hons) Mass Communications

Global connections

Jonathan initially came to study at Herts as his institution in Kuala Lumpur had a twinned programme with the University, which allowed him direct entry into the final year after his diploma in Mass Communications. He says, 'The University's central location, opportunities for scholarships, and the modules offered in the programme were all I needed to make a decision.'

University experience and opportunities

His time at Herts was enhanced significantly by his lecturers who offered support and expertise that helped Jonathan realise his potential. He says, 'The tireless effort to assist students like myself during my undergraduate and postgraduate degree speaks for the University itself. Absolute dedication!'

The University of Hertfordshire is dedicated to transforming lives and giving students the opportunities and resources they need to develop career ready skills, through expert teaching, research and ties to industry. Jonathan advises new and current students to: 'Start building a portfolio and harness yourself with new skills whenever possible. The creative industry is all about doers, and it's evolving faster than ever - don't be left out!'

Lifelong impact

The University of Hertfordshire has been hugely formative in shaping Jonathan’s career and he still greatly values his time being a student here and a part of the Herts community. 'The entire duration of my time at the University as a whole was so special. I enjoyed being part of the Athletic Union, working as part of various societies and the Students' Union, and making everlasting memories and friendships after hours. I even got a stag tattooed on my arm to remind myself of the University every day.'

Alumni Stories

Louise Thomas

Meet Louise. Her study abroad experience inspired her to become a teacher in Korea.

Read more stories BA (Hons) Mass Communications

Current job role	Teacher in Korea
Year of graduation	2020
Course of study	BA (Hons) Mass Communications

A global student experience

Louise studied in Singapore as part of her study aboard programme. She says, ‘This was a highlight of my studies at Herts. It was such a great opportunity, and if it wasn’t for my time spent aboard, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to move to Korea. Studying aboard also improved my work ethic and I found that I was a lot more organised and productive during my final year as a result.’

On campus, Louise enjoyed the library facilities and says, ‘I commuted to Herts and the LRC was the place that I studied, completed group work, and assignments. I wanted to make use of all the time that I had on campus, so the library was where I got everything done.’

Life after Herts

‘During my degree I spent time travelling and I knew I wanted to explore more of the world, so I decided to move to Korea.

‘Initially I was unsure about going into teaching, but I have discovered that it’s something I really enjoy, and I’m good at it. My course was so broad, and it has helped me become a good teacher. I use my creative skills to plan lessons, and I get the children involved with editing their own professional videos.’

Advice for prospective students

‘Don’t leave studying until later – do it now! Mass Communications is good course that gives you a lot of opportunities, and if you have any problems, you can always talk to the lecturers. Everyone is really friendly, and they are always there to help you.’

What's next for my career?

Our graduates have an excellent record of gaining employment in media, publishing, teaching and information management where their skills in analysis, communication and evaluation are highly valued. Many of our graduates go on to higher levels of study engaging in research in their chosen fields. Whatever your future career plans, what is important to your potential employers is the range of intellectual, transferable, personal skills and experience you have gained and can demonstrate. We ensure our programmes are relevant to the world of work through active links with regional employers across a range of industries and professions.
View our Alumni profiles

Jonathan Yip Louise Thomas

Course fact sheets
BA (Hons) Mass Communications	Download

Programme specifications
BA (Hons) Mass Communications	Download
English Language (Joint and Minor) Programme Specification	Download
Media (Joint and Minor) Programme specification	Download
Journalism (Joint and Minor) Programme Specification	Download
Film (Minor) Programme specification	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.

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BA (Hons) Mass Communications

Key information

Typical offer:

Fees: See below

UCAS code: P300

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?

'I enjoyed learning and being in the company of my lecturers and could not have asked for anyone to be any more supportive. I could not describe the teaching as any less than five stars and my lecturers always found the time outside of class to help me with anything I was struggling to understand.'

Check out our student blogs

Student Blogs

Alumni Stories

Meet Jonathan Yip who has undertaken a career in academia. He is currently working as an undergraduate lecturer at one of the most prestigious institutions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - BAC Education Group.

Global connections

University experience and opportunities

Lifelong impact

Alumni Stories

Meet Louise. Her study abroad experience inspired her to become a teacher in Korea.

A global student experience

Life after Herts

Advice for prospective students

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