- Undergraduate
- Clearing
English and Media and Communications BA (Hons)
Overview
Start your studies in September 2024 - call our Clearing hotline and find the right course for you.
Clearing lines are open from 9am - 5pm on weekdays.
Why study at the University of West London?
- In the top 30% of universities nationwide - The Guardian University Guide 2024
- University of the Year for Social Inclusion - Daily Mail University Guide 2024
- Best university for Student Experience and Teaching Quality in the UK - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
- Number 1 London university for overall student satisfaction - National Student Survey 2024**
Why study this course?
Are you looking for a course that combines your passion for English literature with the technical skills required to make it in media and communications?
This English and media degree course provides you with a range of opportunities to develop your interest in literature, your intellectual abilities and your creative talent.
You will study English literature and a media subject that suits your interests, allowing you to develop your specialism in an area of creative practice, such as TV, radio or screenwriting.
This approach will combine theoretical understanding with the practical skills that media employers are looking for.
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Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:
Start date:
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Why study English and Media and Communications with us?
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What our students say…
I've learned an enormous amount and progressed so much. I can't express how much I loved this course and was very sad that it had come to an end.
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![Audio student practices in one of UWL's radio studios](/sites/uwl/files/styles/statistic/public/2023-11/Tiles%20-%20UWL%20Website%20%2821%29.png?h=57024e64&itok=Lrqr4J-S)
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Course detail & modules
On this joint honours English course, you will be given the theoretical, practical and communication skills required to forge a successful career in the media industry.
Media and communications influence how we think and the choices we make as individuals. This course will help you view things from a different perspective, giving you scope to question and analyse what you see.
The course is designed to give you:
- knowledge of forms and genres of English literature from a range of periods
- the ability to analyse and interpret complex works of literature and develop your own critical voice
- knowledge of the issues and themes in contemporary media
- sought-after digital media skills, such as content management, analytics and marketing communications
- advanced skills in your chosen area of audio-visual or audio production.
You will study a range of classical and contemporary texts in order to develop:
- critical thinking skills
- methods of analysis and response
- the ability to construct complex arguments
- advanced conceptual and communication skills.
Alongside highly transferable skills from your studies of English, you will gain practical skills such as digital production, post-production and industrial contexts, forms and genres. You will examine a variety of critical perspectives and analytical methods specific to your two areas of study and bridge the gap between them.
We will use a range of teaching methods to suit different learning styles, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, guided screenings and workshops.
During your second year (Level 5), you will complete a placement related to your core literary interests or in the subject area you are combining with your English degree. This experience will help you develop the confidence and professionalism to thrive in the dynamic media landscape.
Compulsory modules
-
Personalised Learning
The Personalised Learning module is intended to equip you with the study skills needed to successfully progress onto level 4, the first year of undergraduate study. Tutor group sessions are an integral part of the module, where you will consolidate your learning and frame it in the context of your subject area. The module will focus on various aspects of study skills, such as those skills related to reading and writing, learning approaches, problem-solving techniques, critical thinking, researching, referencing, plagiarism, legal research and time management.
-
Study Skills for Success
This module will enable you to read critically, present an argument, and distinguish between the quality and suitability of materials. It will prepare you to use and evaluate a range of evidence sources throughout your degree.
-
Creative Research in Media and Design
This module will introduce you to the variety of research methods available when considering how to communicate and extract information which will help you select the most appropriate tools to use and how to articulate your findings in an engaging way. This module will also provide an opportunity to establish your understanding of research through an exploration of research language, ethics and approaches. You will be introduced to a range of appropriate research methods which you can draw on in conducting your own preparation for future projects.
-
Contextual Studies in Media and Design
On this module, you will gain a basic knowledge and understanding of media and design in relation to cultural studies. You will explore specific cultural effects and current on-going topical debates, to develop an understanding of the different roles, audiences, and interest groups involved.
-
Creative Sectors
This is a specialist module with a career-led and practical focus that will introduce you to the more 'hands on' side of the media and design and communications industries. You will be required to demonstrate some understanding of your chosen subject specialism and future career path.
-
Foundation Major Project
The final module will draw together all the elements of the foundation (Level 3) experience, and give you the opportunity to reflect on the skills, knowledge, and experience you have gained during the year. You will focus on the skills you have developed to produce a creative response in your chosen specialism through a comprehensive body of creative work.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
English Literature I: History, Form and Genre
In the first half of this module you will focus on the novel and the development of the genre using examples from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century literature. Concentrating on works (or extracts from works) by Samuel Richardson, Charlotte Brontë, Herman Melville, James Joyce and Toni Morrison, through lectures and seminars you will explore the novel form, and ask why it became the dominant mode of literary expression over the course of these three centuries.
In the second half of the module you will study a range of poems in English from different historical periods. You will cover the ways in which language and form work in poetry and the kinds of readings which can be used when looking at poems.
-
English Literature II: Critical Approaches (double credit module)
Introducing you to a range of critical approaches to understanding literature, this module will cover formalist, biographical, historicist, gender, psychological, sociological, reader-response, structuralist, postcolonial and deconstructionist models of engagement with literary texts. The aim is provide you with the tools you need to examine writing, writers, and our engagement with their works.
Optional modules
-
Media and Communications: Theories and Debates
In this module you will be introduced to the key theories, concepts and debates about the relationships between media forms, institutions and audiences. Some of the key themes covered in the module include representation, institutions, audiences and effects. The media forms studied will be drawn from film, broadcasting, photography, advertising, the internet and the printed press.
-
Video Production
Learn the basics of video production and film grammar, developing your skills as a filmmaker. Using hands-on exercises, you will learn photography, video, lighting, sound and scriptwriting.
-
Podcasting
Dive into the world of audio production and storytelling through podcasts. Enhance your voiceover skills, audio recording, sound design and web design/publishing skills.
-
Live Radio Production
Engage with the basic foundations of storytelling using sound and research to document stories and topics that surround you and spark your passion.
-
Foundations of Creative Writing
-
Introduction to Media Ethics
This module is an introduction to the field of media ethics and its repercussion in terms of policies and laws. You will critically analyse and participate on a range of historical and topical debates in the areas of policy and ethics in the field of media and communications, such as ‘freedom of speech’, ‘fake news’, ‘the role of the state’, ‘civil society’ and ‘digital citizenship’.
Compulsory modules
-
Literature and Modernity
-
The Canon Reloaded
On this module you will look at adaptations in the context of relevant cultural, critical, historical and technological factors. In addition, you will examine how and why certain texts are valued, and improve your abilities in research, academic writing and presenting effectively.
Optional modules
-
Screenwriting
-
Industry Experience
You will begin with a structured induction process, during which you will be guided in researching the job market, understanding professional responsibilities, preparing a CV plus cover letter and undertaking a mock interview. Additionally, you’ll be guided in contacting and negotiating with a potential host organisation/employer or client to secure your industry experience.
-
Critical Approaches to New and Social Media
On this module you will examine the changes that impact social and cultural issues as we make greater use of social and digital media technologies. You'll also have the opportunity to gain an understanding about the accompanying globalisation of media in political, financial and cultural networks.
-
Voice Production and Direction
-
Media Content Production
In this module, you will learn the workflows and typical outputs of a three to four camera television studio. You will learn new roles and techniques based on communication (via talkback) and time management (both in the studio and on-screen).
-
Worldbuilding
Explore the migration of form and content between different texts and media, with a focus on fiction. Underpinned by explorations of intertextuality and convergence culture, theories of adaptation, intermediality and transmedia storytelling are explored through key examples from film, literature, TV, videogames, new media, visual arts, and many other media.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
Contemporary Writers and the City
On this module you'll explore literature by contemporary authors who focus on urban and architectural settings, themes and predicaments. You will cover these focal points in the context of contemporary debates concerning the status of the metropolis in a globalised world.
-
British and Irish Drama since 1945
-
Project Dissertation
Optional modules
-
Bodies, Identities, Futures
In this module, you have the opportunity to encounter and engage with a range of sci-fi texts – some mainstream, some fringe – and to apply complex theoretical perspectives in the close readings of these texts. You are encouraged to develop and explore their research interests in a supported environment, providing significant autonomy in terms of assessment.
-
Video Essays
-
Experimental Sound
In this module, you will have to design an experiment that generates an audio experience. You will have the freedom to explore and develop individual ideas and abilities in the context of sound, producing a portfolio that shows confident expression and creative risk-taking, but with technical accomplishment.
-
Project (mini)
Compulsory modules
-
Personalised Learning
The Personalised Learning module is intended to equip you with the study skills needed to successfully progress onto level 4, the first year of undergraduate study. Tutor group sessions are an integral part of the module, where you will consolidate your learning and frame it in the context of your subject area. The module will focus on various aspects of study skills, such as those skills related to reading and writing, learning approaches, problem-solving techniques, critical thinking, researching, referencing, plagiarism, legal research and time management.
-
Study Skills for Success
This module will enable you to read critically, present an argument, and distinguish between the quality and suitability of materials. It will prepare you to use and evaluate a range of evidence sources throughout your degree.
-
Creative Research in Media and Design
This module will introduce you to the variety of research methods available when considering how to communicate and extract information which will help you select the most appropriate tools to use and how to articulate your findings in an engaging way. This module will also provide an opportunity to establish your understanding of research through an exploration of research language, ethics and approaches. You will be introduced to a range of appropriate research methods which you can draw on in conducting your own preparation for future projects.
-
Contextual Studies in Media and Design
On this module, you will gain a basic knowledge and understanding of media and design in relation to cultural studies. You will explore specific cultural effects and current on-going topical debates, to develop an understanding of the different roles, audiences, and interest groups involved.
-
Creative Sectors
This is a specialist module with a career-led and practical focus that will introduce you to the more 'hands on' side of the media and design and communications industries. You will be required to demonstrate some understanding of your chosen subject specialism and future career path.
-
Foundation Major Project
The final module will draw together all the elements of the foundation (Level 3) experience, and give you the opportunity to reflect on the skills, knowledge, and experience you have gained during the year. You will focus on the skills you have developed to produce a creative response in your chosen specialism through a comprehensive body of creative work.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
English Literature I: History, Form and Genre
In the first half of this module you will focus on the novel and the development of the genre using examples from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century literature. Concentrating on works (or extracts from works) by Samuel Richardson, Charlotte Brontë, Herman Melville, James Joyce and Toni Morrison, through lectures and seminars you will explore the novel form, and ask why it became the dominant mode of literary expression over the course of these three centuries.
In the second half of the module you will study a range of poems in English from different historical periods. You will cover the ways in which language and form work in poetry and the kinds of readings which can be used when looking at poems.
-
English Literature II: Critical Approaches (double credit module)
Introducing you to a range of critical approaches to understanding literature, this module will cover formalist, biographical, historicist, gender, psychological, sociological, reader-response, structuralist, postcolonial and deconstructionist models of engagement with literary texts. The aim is provide you with the tools you need to examine writing, writers, and our engagement with their works.
Optional modules
-
Media and Communications: Theories and Debates
In this module you will be introduced to the key theories, concepts and debates about the relationships between media forms, institutions and audiences. Some of the key themes covered in the module include representation, institutions, audiences and effects. The media forms studied will be drawn from film, broadcasting, photography, advertising, the internet and the printed press.
-
Video Production
Learn the basics of video production and film grammar, developing your skills as a filmmaker. Using hands-on exercises, you will learn photography, video, lighting, sound and scriptwriting.
-
Podcasting
Dive into the world of audio production and storytelling through podcasts. Enhance your voiceover skills, audio recording, sound design and web design/publishing skills.
-
Live Radio Production
Engage with the basic foundations of storytelling using sound and research to document stories and topics that surround you and spark your passion.
-
Foundations of Creative Writing
-
Introduction to Media Ethics
This module is an introduction to the field of media ethics and its repercussion in terms of policies and laws. You will critically analyse and participate on a range of historical and topical debates in the areas of policy and ethics in the field of media and communications, such as ‘freedom of speech’, ‘fake news’, ‘the role of the state’, ‘civil society’ and ‘digital citizenship’.
Compulsory modules
-
Literature and Modernity
-
The Canon Reloaded
On this module you will look at adaptations in the context of relevant cultural, critical, historical and technological factors. In addition, you will examine how and why certain texts are valued, and improve your abilities in research, academic writing and presenting effectively.
Optional modules
-
Screenwriting
-
Industry Experience
You will begin with a structured induction process, during which you will be guided in researching the job market, understanding professional responsibilities, preparing a CV plus cover letter and undertaking a mock interview. Additionally, you’ll be guided in contacting and negotiating with a potential host organisation/employer or client to secure your industry experience.
-
Critical Approaches to New and Social Media
On this module you will examine the changes that impact social and cultural issues as we make greater use of social and digital media technologies. You'll also have the opportunity to gain an understanding about the accompanying globalisation of media in political, financial and cultural networks.
-
Voice Production and Direction
-
Media Content Production
In this module, you will learn the workflows and typical outputs of a three to four camera television studio. You will learn new roles and techniques based on communication (via talkback) and time management (both in the studio and on-screen).
-
Worldbuilding
Explore the migration of form and content between different texts and media, with a focus on fiction. Underpinned by explorations of intertextuality and convergence culture, theories of adaptation, intermediality and transmedia storytelling are explored through key examples from film, literature, TV, videogames, new media, visual arts, and many other media.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
Contemporary Writers and the City
On this module you'll explore literature by contemporary authors who focus on urban and architectural settings, themes and predicaments. You will cover these focal points in the context of contemporary debates concerning the status of the metropolis in a globalised world.
-
British and Irish Drama since 1945
-
Project Dissertation
Optional modules
-
Bodies, Identities, Futures
In this module, you have the opportunity to encounter and engage with a range of sci-fi texts – some mainstream, some fringe – and to apply complex theoretical perspectives in the close readings of these texts. You are encouraged to develop and explore their research interests in a supported environment, providing significant autonomy in terms of assessment.
-
Video Essays
-
Experimental Sound
In this module, you will have to design an experiment that generates an audio experience. You will have the freedom to explore and develop individual ideas and abilities in the context of sound, producing a portfolio that shows confident expression and creative risk-taking, but with technical accomplishment.
-
Project (mini)
Compulsory modules
-
Personalised Learning
The Personalised Learning module is intended to equip you with the study skills needed to successfully progress onto level 4, the first year of undergraduate study. Tutor group sessions are an integral part of the module, where you will consolidate your learning and frame it in the context of your subject area. The module will focus on various aspects of study skills, such as those skills related to reading and writing, learning approaches, problem-solving techniques, critical thinking, researching, referencing, plagiarism, legal research and time management.
-
Study Skills for Success
This module will enable you to read critically, present an argument, and distinguish between the quality and suitability of materials. It will prepare you to use and evaluate a range of evidence sources throughout your degree.
-
Creative Research in Media and Design
This module will introduce you to the variety of research methods available when considering how to communicate and extract information which will help you select the most appropriate tools to use and how to articulate your findings in an engaging way. This module will also provide an opportunity to establish your understanding of research through an exploration of research language, ethics and approaches. You will be introduced to a range of appropriate research methods which you can draw on in conducting your own preparation for future projects.
-
Contextual Studies in Media and Design
On this module, you will gain a basic knowledge and understanding of media and design in relation to cultural studies. You will explore specific cultural effects and current on-going topical debates, to develop an understanding of the different roles, audiences, and interest groups involved.
-
Creative Sectors
This is a specialist module with a career-led and practical focus that will introduce you to the more 'hands on' side of the media and design and communications industries. You will be required to demonstrate some understanding of your chosen subject specialism and future career path.
-
Foundation Major Project
The final module will draw together all the elements of the foundation (Level 3) experience, and give you the opportunity to reflect on the skills, knowledge, and experience you have gained during the year. You will focus on the skills you have developed to produce a creative response in your chosen specialism through a comprehensive body of creative work.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
English Literature I: History, Form and Genre
In the first half of this module you will focus on the novel and the development of the genre using examples from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century literature. Concentrating on works (or extracts from works) by Samuel Richardson, Charlotte Brontë, Herman Melville, James Joyce and Toni Morrison, through lectures and seminars you will explore the novel form, and ask why it became the dominant mode of literary expression over the course of these three centuries.
In the second half of the module you will study a range of poems in English from different historical periods. You will cover the ways in which language and form work in poetry and the kinds of readings which can be used when looking at poems.
-
English Literature II: Critical Approaches (double credit module)
Introducing you to a range of critical approaches to understanding literature, this module will cover formalist, biographical, historicist, gender, psychological, sociological, reader-response, structuralist, postcolonial and deconstructionist models of engagement with literary texts. The aim is provide you with the tools you need to examine writing, writers, and our engagement with their works.
Optional modules
-
Media and Communications: Theories and Debates
In this module you will be introduced to the key theories, concepts and debates about the relationships between media forms, institutions and audiences. Some of the key themes covered in the module include representation, institutions, audiences and effects. The media forms studied will be drawn from film, broadcasting, photography, advertising, the internet and the printed press.
-
Video Production
Learn the basics of video production and film grammar, developing your skills as a filmmaker. Using hands-on exercises, you will learn photography, video, lighting, sound and scriptwriting.
-
Podcasting
Dive into the world of audio production and storytelling through podcasts. Enhance your voiceover skills, audio recording, sound design and web design/publishing skills.
-
Live Radio Production
Engage with the basic foundations of storytelling using sound and research to document stories and topics that surround you and spark your passion.
-
Foundations of Creative Writing
-
Introduction to Media Ethics
This module is an introduction to the field of media ethics and its repercussion in terms of policies and laws. You will critically analyse and participate on a range of historical and topical debates in the areas of policy and ethics in the field of media and communications, such as ‘freedom of speech’, ‘fake news’, ‘the role of the state’, ‘civil society’ and ‘digital citizenship’.
Compulsory modules
-
Literature and Modernity
-
The Canon Reloaded
On this module you will look at adaptations in the context of relevant cultural, critical, historical and technological factors. In addition, you will examine how and why certain texts are valued, and improve your abilities in research, academic writing and presenting effectively.
Optional modules
-
Screenwriting
-
Industry Experience
You will begin with a structured induction process, during which you will be guided in researching the job market, understanding professional responsibilities, preparing a CV plus cover letter and undertaking a mock interview. Additionally, you’ll be guided in contacting and negotiating with a potential host organisation/employer or client to secure your industry experience.
-
Critical Approaches to New and Social Media
On this module you will examine the changes that impact social and cultural issues as we make greater use of social and digital media technologies. You'll also have the opportunity to gain an understanding about the accompanying globalisation of media in political, financial and cultural networks.
-
Voice Production and Direction
-
Media Content Production
In this module, you will learn the workflows and typical outputs of a three to four camera television studio. You will learn new roles and techniques based on communication (via talkback) and time management (both in the studio and on-screen).
-
Worldbuilding
Explore the migration of form and content between different texts and media, with a focus on fiction. Underpinned by explorations of intertextuality and convergence culture, theories of adaptation, intermediality and transmedia storytelling are explored through key examples from film, literature, TV, videogames, new media, visual arts, and many other media.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
Contemporary Writers and the City
On this module you'll explore literature by contemporary authors who focus on urban and architectural settings, themes and predicaments. You will cover these focal points in the context of contemporary debates concerning the status of the metropolis in a globalised world.
-
British and Irish Drama since 1945
-
Project Dissertation
Optional modules
-
Bodies, Identities, Futures
In this module, you have the opportunity to encounter and engage with a range of sci-fi texts – some mainstream, some fringe – and to apply complex theoretical perspectives in the close readings of these texts. You are encouraged to develop and explore their research interests in a supported environment, providing significant autonomy in terms of assessment.
-
Video Essays
-
Experimental Sound
In this module, you will have to design an experiment that generates an audio experience. You will have the freedom to explore and develop individual ideas and abilities in the context of sound, producing a portfolio that shows confident expression and creative risk-taking, but with technical accomplishment.
-
Project (mini)
Compulsory modules
-
Personalised Learning
The Personalised Learning module is intended to equip you with the study skills needed to successfully progress onto level 4, the first year of undergraduate study. Tutor group sessions are an integral part of the module, where you will consolidate your learning and frame it in the context of your subject area. The module will focus on various aspects of study skills, such as those skills related to reading and writing, learning approaches, problem-solving techniques, critical thinking, researching, referencing, plagiarism, legal research and time management.
-
Study Skills for Success
This module will enable you to read critically, present an argument, and distinguish between the quality and suitability of materials. It will prepare you to use and evaluate a range of evidence sources throughout your degree.
-
Creative Research in Media and Design
This module will introduce you to the variety of research methods available when considering how to communicate and extract information which will help you select the most appropriate tools to use and how to articulate your findings in an engaging way. This module will also provide an opportunity to establish your understanding of research through an exploration of research language, ethics and approaches. You will be introduced to a range of appropriate research methods which you can draw on in conducting your own preparation for future projects.
-
Contextual Studies in Media and Design
On this module, you will gain a basic knowledge and understanding of media and design in relation to cultural studies. You will explore specific cultural effects and current on-going topical debates, to develop an understanding of the different roles, audiences, and interest groups involved.
-
Creative Sectors
This is a specialist module with a career-led and practical focus that will introduce you to the more 'hands on' side of the media and design and communications industries. You will be required to demonstrate some understanding of your chosen subject specialism and future career path.
-
Foundation Major Project
The final module will draw together all the elements of the foundation (Level 3) experience, and give you the opportunity to reflect on the skills, knowledge, and experience you have gained during the year. You will focus on the skills you have developed to produce a creative response in your chosen specialism through a comprehensive body of creative work.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
English Literature I: History, Form and Genre
In the first half of this module you will focus on the novel and the development of the genre using examples from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century literature. Concentrating on works (or extracts from works) by Samuel Richardson, Charlotte Brontë, Herman Melville, James Joyce and Toni Morrison, through lectures and seminars you will explore the novel form, and ask why it became the dominant mode of literary expression over the course of these three centuries.
In the second half of the module you will study a range of poems in English from different historical periods. You will cover the ways in which language and form work in poetry and the kinds of readings which can be used when looking at poems.
-
English Literature II: Critical Approaches (double credit module)
Introducing you to a range of critical approaches to understanding literature, this module will cover formalist, biographical, historicist, gender, psychological, sociological, reader-response, structuralist, postcolonial and deconstructionist models of engagement with literary texts. The aim is provide you with the tools you need to examine writing, writers, and our engagement with their works.
Optional modules
-
Media and Communications: Theories and Debates
In this module you will be introduced to the key theories, concepts and debates about the relationships between media forms, institutions and audiences. Some of the key themes covered in the module include representation, institutions, audiences and effects. The media forms studied will be drawn from film, broadcasting, photography, advertising, the internet and the printed press.
-
Video Production
Learn the basics of video production and film grammar, developing your skills as a filmmaker. Using hands-on exercises, you will learn photography, video, lighting, sound and scriptwriting.
-
Podcasting
Dive into the world of audio production and storytelling through podcasts. Enhance your voiceover skills, audio recording, sound design and web design/publishing skills.
-
Live Radio Production
Engage with the basic foundations of storytelling using sound and research to document stories and topics that surround you and spark your passion.
-
Foundations of Creative Writing
-
Introduction to Media Ethics
This module is an introduction to the field of media ethics and its repercussion in terms of policies and laws. You will critically analyse and participate on a range of historical and topical debates in the areas of policy and ethics in the field of media and communications, such as ‘freedom of speech’, ‘fake news’, ‘the role of the state’, ‘civil society’ and ‘digital citizenship’.
Compulsory modules
-
Literature and Modernity
-
The Canon Reloaded
On this module you will look at adaptations in the context of relevant cultural, critical, historical and technological factors. In addition, you will examine how and why certain texts are valued, and improve your abilities in research, academic writing and presenting effectively.
Optional modules
-
Screenwriting
-
Industry Experience
You will begin with a structured induction process, during which you will be guided in researching the job market, understanding professional responsibilities, preparing a CV plus cover letter and undertaking a mock interview. Additionally, you’ll be guided in contacting and negotiating with a potential host organisation/employer or client to secure your industry experience.
-
Critical Approaches to New and Social Media
On this module you will examine the changes that impact social and cultural issues as we make greater use of social and digital media technologies. You'll also have the opportunity to gain an understanding about the accompanying globalisation of media in political, financial and cultural networks.
-
Voice Production and Direction
-
Media Content Production
In this module, you will learn the workflows and typical outputs of a three to four camera television studio. You will learn new roles and techniques based on communication (via talkback) and time management (both in the studio and on-screen).
-
Worldbuilding
Explore the migration of form and content between different texts and media, with a focus on fiction. Underpinned by explorations of intertextuality and convergence culture, theories of adaptation, intermediality and transmedia storytelling are explored through key examples from film, literature, TV, videogames, new media, visual arts, and many other media.
You will study all the compulsory modules and will choose TWO of the optional modules
Compulsory modules
-
Contemporary Writers and the City
On this module you'll explore literature by contemporary authors who focus on urban and architectural settings, themes and predicaments. You will cover these focal points in the context of contemporary debates concerning the status of the metropolis in a globalised world.
-
British and Irish Drama since 1945
-
Project Dissertation
Optional modules
-
Bodies, Identities, Futures
In this module, you have the opportunity to encounter and engage with a range of sci-fi texts – some mainstream, some fringe – and to apply complex theoretical perspectives in the close readings of these texts. You are encouraged to develop and explore their research interests in a supported environment, providing significant autonomy in terms of assessment.
-
Video Essays
-
Experimental Sound
In this module, you will have to design an experiment that generates an audio experience. You will have the freedom to explore and develop individual ideas and abilities in the context of sound, producing a portfolio that shows confident expression and creative risk-taking, but with technical accomplishment.
-
Project (mini)
You will take two compulsory modules (one of which is a double credit module) and select three optional modules:
- two options from list A
- one option from list B.
Optional modules will run based on staff availability and the number of students enrolled in each module.
Compulsory modules
-
English Literature I: History, Form and Genre
In the first half of this module you will focus on the novel and the development of the genre using examples from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century literature. Concentrating on works (or extracts from works) by Samuel Richardson, Charlotte Brontë, Herman Melville, James Joyce and Toni Morrison, through lectures and seminars you will explore the novel form, and ask why it became the dominant mode of literary expression over the course of these three centuries.
In the second half of the module you will study a range of poems in English from different historical periods. You will cover the ways in which language and form work in poetry and the kinds of readings which can be used when looking at poems.
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English Literature II: Critical Approaches (double credit module)
Introducing you to a range of critical approaches to understanding literature, this module will cover formalist, biographical, historicist, gender, psychological, sociological, reader-response, structuralist, postcolonial and deconstructionist models of engagement with literary texts. The aim is provide you with the tools you need to examine writing, writers, and our engagement with their works.
Optional modules
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Media and Communications: Theories and Debates (A)
In this module you will be introduced to the key theories, concepts and debates about the relationships between media forms, institutions and audiences. Some of the key themes covered in the module include representation, institutions, audiences and effects. The media forms studied will be drawn from film, broadcasting, photography, advertising, the internet and the printed press.
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Video Production (A)
Learn the basics of video production and film grammar, developing your skills as a filmmaker. Using hands-on exercises, you will learn photography, video, lighting, sound and scriptwriting.
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Podcasting (A)
Dive into the world of audio production and storytelling through podcasts. Enhance your voiceover skills, audio recording, sound design and web design/publishing skills.
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Live Radio Production (B)
Engage with the basic foundations of storytelling using sound and research to document stories and topics that surround you and spark your passion.
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Introduction to Media Ethics (B)
This module is an introduction to the field of media ethics and its repercussion in terms of policies and laws. You will critically analyse and participate on a range of historical and topical debates in the areas of policy and ethics in the field of media and communications, such as ‘freedom of speech’, ‘fake news’, ‘the role of the state’, ‘civil society’ and ‘digital citizenship’.
You will take:
- two from the option modules list A
- four from the option modules list B.
Optional modules will run based on staff availability and the number of students enrolled in each module.
Optional modules
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Industry Experience (B)
The aims of this module is to provide you with the opportunity to:
- identify potential professional opportunities and goals
- develop the skills and personal networks to make effective applications
- develop a real-life understanding of contemporary industry/organisational practice
- identify core competencies to support your future career
- cultivate a critical understanding of your strengths and weaknesses in a work-based situation
- develop your online professional presence and add elements to your portfolio of practical work (while refreshing key production skills).
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Visual Media Cultures (B)
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Critical Approaches to Digital and Social Media (B)
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Live Radio Production (B)
Engage with the basic foundations of storytelling using sound and research to document stories and topics that surround you and spark your passion.
You will take the double-weighted Dissertation and choose two literature modules and two modules within the media and communications strand:
- one from option list A (literature)
- one from option list B (literature)
- one from option list C
- one from option list D
Optional modules will run based on staff availability and the number of students enrolled in each module.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
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British and Irish Drama since 1945 (A)
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Crime and Fiction (B)
On this module you'll have the opportunity to address the representation of crime across a range of media forms, including novels, short stories, films, television, radio and graphic novels. The focus will be on the changes within a story as it is moved from one medium to another, for example, from page to screen.
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Shakespeare on the Screen (B)
In this module you will examine how Shakespeare's plays have been adapted for film and television. You will look at the original plays, screen adaptations and a range of theoretical, critical and historical works.
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Image and Text (B)
This module traces the dialogue between image and text, especially with the rise of Instagram, in the history of modern visual culture, from the early 1920s to today. You will explore how photographers and artists incorporate text into their work and how photography was used by writers. You will also examine the role that photography played in artistic and literary movements such as Surrealism.
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Video Essays
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Bodies, Identities, Futures (C)
In this module, you have the opportunity to encounter and engage with a range of sci-fi texts – some mainstream, some fringe – and to apply complex theoretical perspectives in the close readings of these texts. You are encouraged to develop and explore their research interests in a supported environment, providing significant autonomy in terms of assessment.
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Media Project (Minor) (C)
You will develop a project over a single semester. The project outcome will be an artefact (for example, a short film, podcast or website) that takes an issue relevant to Media and Communications as its theme. The choice of appropriate technology will be guided both by the module tutor and by the previous modules you have studied.
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Experimental Communications (C)
You will have the chance to challenge conventional wisdom in the search for the unexpected as solutions to design problems. You will look at laser cutting, 3D printing, projection, experimental animation, glitch and more. Through your assignments you will explore experimental communication techniques and learn to mix and match unconventional approaches from different disciplines.
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Experimental Sound (C)
In this module, you will have to design an experiment that generates an audio experience. You will have the freedom to explore and develop individual ideas and abilities in the context of sound, producing a portfolio that shows confident expression and creative risk-taking, but with technical accomplishment.
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Video Essays (D)
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Writing for Performance (D)
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Ethics and the Media (D)
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Media Philosophy (D)
Entry requirements
These can include:
- A Levels at grade B, C and C, or above
- BTEC Extended Diploma with Distinction, Merit, Merit
- Access to HE Diploma
- T Levels
You also need GCSE English and Maths (grade 9 - 4 / A* - C) or Level 2 equivalents.
Looking for BA (Hons) English and Media and Communications with Foundation Year?
Mature applicants (aged 21+): If you do not hold the qualifications listed but have relevant work experience, you are welcome to apply. Your application will be considered on an individual basis.
Level 5 (year 2) entry
To directly enter the second year of this course you will need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 120 undergraduate credits at Level 4 or a CertHE in a related subject area.
Level 6 (year 3) entry
To directly enter the third year of this course you need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 240 undergraduate credits (at Levels 4 and 5), a DipHE, Foundation Degree or HND in a related subject area.
Looking for BA (Hons) English and Media and Communications with Foundation Year?
You need to meet our English language requirement - a minimum of IELTS 6.0 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Visit our English language requirements page for information on other English language tests we accept.
You also need academic qualifications at the same level as UK applicants. In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents.
We offer pre-sessional English language courses if you do not meet these requirements.
Find out more about our English Language courses.
Looking for BA (Hons) English and Media and Communications with Foundation Year?
Mature applicants (aged 21+): If you do not hold the qualifications listed but have relevant work experience, you are welcome to apply. Your application will be considered on an individual basis.
Level 5 (year 2) entry
To directly enter the second year of this course you will need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 120 undergraduate credits at Level 4 or a CertHE in a related subject area.
Level 6 (year 3) entry
To directly enter the third year of this course you need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 240 undergraduate credits (at Levels 4 and 5), a DipHE, Foundation Degree or HND in a related subject area.
Looking for BA (Hons) English and Media and Communications with Foundation Year?
Fees & funding
Additional costs
There are additional costs for this course that are not included in the tuition fees. See the links below to get a better idea of what to expect:
The fee above is the cost per year of your course.
If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
Government regulation does affect tuition fees and the fees listed for courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are subject to change.
If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.
Funding your studies
You may be eligible for a student loan to cover the cost of tuition fees, or a maintenance loan. Additional funding is available to some types of students, such as those with dependants and disabled students.
We offer generous bursaries and scholarships to make sure your aspirations are your only limit. In recent years, hundreds of students have received our Full-time Undergraduate Student Bursary.
View full details, including conditions and eligibility.
Additional costs
There are additional costs for this course that are not included in the tuition fees. See the links below to get a better idea of what to expect:
The fee above is the cost per year of your course.
If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year. If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
Government regulation does affect tuition fees and the fees listed for courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are subject to change.
If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.
International students - funding your studies
We offer scholarships for international students including International Ambassador Scholarships.
Further information about funding and financial support for international students is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs.
Teaching staff
![Dr Garin Dowd profile image Dr Garin Dowd profile image](/sites/uwl/files/styles/statistic/public/import/dr-garin-dowd.jpg?itok=bZ6pSQkz)
Professor Garin Dowd
I am a Professor of Film, Literature and Media, and my current research focuses on representations of space, location and spatial relations in the novel and in film. I am a member of the European Network for Cinema and Media Studies (NECS), the Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) and the Samuel Beckett Society.
I am a Professor of Film, Literature and Media, and my current research focuses on representations of space, location and spatial relations in the novel and in film. I am a member of the European Network for Cinema and Media Studies (NECS), the Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) and the Samuel Beckett Society.
Study & career progression
![A man helping someone on a Mac whilst a photo shoot takes place in the background A man helping someone on a Mac whilst a photo shoot takes place in the background](/sites/uwl/files/styles/16_by_9_960_x_540/public/import/Career_MediaAndCommunications_FMD16_Mediaproduction_FMD17_EnglishAndMediaAndCommunications_FMD7_ContentMediaAndFilmProduction_FMD4.jpg?itok=v7D6LSWZ)
An English and Media and Communications degree can open up career paths in fields such as:
- film and television
- publishing
- journalism
- radio broadcasting
- research
- marketing
- new media
Potential jobs for English and Media and Communications graduates include:
- editorial assistant
- digital content editor
- publisher
- campaigns officer
- social media editor
- creative strategist
- events coordinator.
You may decide to specialise in a related area or explore a new subject. Please see our postgraduate courses for a range of options.
How to apply
Start your studies in September 2024 - call our Clearing hotline and find the right course for you.
Clearing lines are open from 9am - 5pm on weekdays.
Find out more about Clearing
![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MWcF5tMlFAU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Head to the UCAS website where you can apply using:
- our institution code - W05
- the UCAS course code (below)
Want to ask us a question first? We would love to hear from you. Contact us free on:
Apply for this course
- Institution code
- W05
- UCAS code
- currentVariantData.field_p_cv_ucas_code
Next steps after making your application
We aim to make a decision on your application as quickly as we can. If we need any more information about your qualifications, we will be in touch.
In the meantime, come and visit us and find out more about what studying at UWL is like. Sign up for an open day or join a campus tour.
Visit us and see for yourself
Talk to our tutors and find out about our courses and facilities at our next open day or join a campus tour.
Our prospectus
All of our courses in one place - download now or order a hard copy.
We're here to help
Any questions about a course or studying at UWL? We're here to help - call us on 0800 036 8888 (option 2, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm) or email us on courses@uwl.ac.uk.
![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MWcF5tMlFAU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Head to the UCAS website where you can apply using:
- our institution code - W05
- the UCAS course code (below)
Want to ask us a question first? We would love to hear from you. Contact us free on:
Apply for this course
- Institution code
- W05
- UCAS code
- currentVariantData.field_p_cv_ucas_code
Next steps after making your application
We aim to make a decision on your application as quickly as we can. If we need any more information about your qualifications, we will be in touch.
In the meantime, come and visit us and find out more about what studying at UWL is like. Sign up for an open day or join a campus tour.
Visit us and see for yourself
Talk to our tutors and find out about our courses and facilities at our next open day or join a campus tour.
Our prospectus
All of our courses in one place - download now or order a hard copy.
We're here to help
Any questions about a course or studying at UWL? We're here to help - call us on 0800 036 8888 (option 2, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm) or email us on courses@uwl.ac.uk.
![A woman making an application on her laptop](/sites/uwl/files/styles/16_by_9_960_x_540/public/2019-02/how-to-apply-pg.jpg?h=ca926638&itok=VO4R3H02)
You can apply online at any time by following the link below.
Our application form will ask you for some information about what you want to study, your previous qualifications or experience, and how we can contact you.
Want to ask us a question first? We would love to hear from you. Contact us free on:
- 0800 036 8888
- courses@uwl.ac.uk
Apply for this course
Next steps after making your application
We aim to make a decision on your application as quickly as we can. If we need any more information about your qualifications, we will be in touch.
In the meantime, come and visit us and find out more about what studying at UWL is like. Sign up for an open day or join a campus tour.
Visit us and see for yourself
Talk to our tutors and find out about our courses and facilities at our next open day or join a campus tour.
Our prospectus
All of our courses in one place - download now or order a hard copy.
We're here to help
Any questions about a course or studying at UWL? We're here to help - call us on 0800 036 8888 (option 2, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm) or email us on courses@uwl.ac.uk.
![A woman making an application on her laptop](/sites/uwl/files/styles/16_by_9_960_x_540/public/2019-02/how-to-apply-pg.jpg?h=ca926638&itok=VO4R3H02)
You can apply online at any time by following the link below.
Our application form will ask you for some information about what you want to study, your previous qualifications or experience, and how we can contact you.
Want to ask us a question first? We would love to hear from you. Contact us free on:
- 0800 036 8888
- courses@uwl.ac.uk
Apply for this course
Next steps after making your application
We aim to make a decision on your application as quickly as we can. If we need any more information about your qualifications, we will be in touch.
In the meantime, come and visit us and find out more about what studying at UWL is like. Sign up for an open day or join a campus tour.
Visit us and see for yourself
Talk to our tutors and find out about our courses and facilities at our next open day or join a campus tour.
Our prospectus
All of our courses in one place - download now or order a hard copy.
We're here to help
Any questions about a course or studying at UWL? We're here to help - call us on 0800 036 8888 (option 2, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm) or email us on courses@uwl.ac.uk.
![How to apply to the University of West London title on a blue circle. Woman with blonde hair and blue eyes is to the left and is featured throughout the video.](https://www.uwl.ac.uk/sites/uwl/files/styles/16_by_9_960_x_540/public/2022-11/how%20to%20apply.jpg?h=c673cd1c&itok=eoplaw-u)
You can apply to us in two ways:
- on the UCAS website you will need our institution code (W05) and the UCAS course code (at the top of this page)
- directly on our website – follow the ‘apply now’ link below
Want to ask us a question first? Our dedicated international students’ team would love to hear from you.
- Ask the International Recruitment Team a question
- learn more about international student applications
- find out more about why you should study in London at the Career University.
Apply for this course
Next steps after making your application
We aim to make a decision on your application as quickly as we can. If we need any more information about your qualifications, we will be in touch.
In the meantime, come and visit us and find out more about what studying at UWL is like. Sign up for an open day or join a campus tour.
Visit us and see for yourself
Talk to our tutors and find out about our courses and facilities at our next open day or join a campus tour.
Our prospectus
All of our courses in one place - download now or order a hard copy.
We're here to help
Any questions about a course or studying at UWL? We're here to help - call us on 0800 036 8888 (option 2, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm) or email us on courses@uwl.ac.uk.
![How to apply to the University of West London title on a blue circle. Woman with blonde hair and blue eyes is to the left and is featured throughout the video.](https://www.uwl.ac.uk/sites/uwl/files/styles/16_by_9_960_x_540/public/2022-11/how%20to%20apply.jpg?h=c673cd1c&itok=eoplaw-u)
You can apply to us in two ways:
- on the UCAS website you will need our institution code (W05) and the UCAS course code (at the top of this page)
- directly on our website – follow the ‘apply now’ link below
Want to ask us a question first? Our dedicated international students’ team would love to hear from you.
- Ask the International Recruitment Team a question
- learn more about international student applications
- find out more about why you should study in London at the Career University.
Apply for this course
Next steps after making your application
We aim to make a decision on your application as quickly as we can. If we need any more information about your qualifications, we will be in touch.
In the meantime, come and visit us and find out more about what studying at UWL is like. Sign up for an open day or join a campus tour.
Visit us and see for yourself
Talk to our tutors and find out about our courses and facilities at our next open day or join a campus tour.
Our prospectus
All of our courses in one place - download now or order a hard copy.
We're here to help
Any questions about a course or studying at UWL? We're here to help - call us on 0800 036 8888 (option 2, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm) or email us on courses@uwl.ac.uk.
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Student life at UWL
Important notes for applicants
Disclaimer
*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.
**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.
Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.
Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.
Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.
Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.