Media Studies

Welcome to the Media Studies Department.
As the recipient of a Good Schools Guide Award for our A Level results we are successfully teaching an increasingly popular subject which will provide you with an opportunity to study different aspects of contemporary media as well as produce your own work for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Overview of the course
This course covers a combination of textual analysis, institution and industry case studies and practical production work. You will examine key texts from within different media (e.g. film, television, advertising, magazines) and discuss how they are constructed, what purpose they serve and their impact on audiences. We will be using resources from the BBC, Hollywood and Yale University amongst others and there may also be occasional trips and guest speakers.

What topics will I study?
You will study Genre, Narrative, Encoding and Decoding Texts, Semiotics, Representation and Audience Theories. You will also have the practical opportunity to apply these theories by creating media artefacts for your coursework.

How is the course assessed?
You will study two units for AS Level, plus two units in your second year for A Level. 50% of each year is assessed through a practical coursework production which will demonstrate your ability to apply theory learnt in the other, examined unit. We focus on video production work but you will also learn to create and manipulate images using Photoshop and create web pages.

What are the career opportunities?
There are many routes available to you on completion of this course. The course provides a sound basis for further work in a media related area, whether academic or vocational. At the same time it will give you access to a wide range of careers and other higher education opportunities, whatever the field. Knowledge of the media is increasingly valued and is becoming an important aspect of work in most institutions in an information society.
If you decide to continue studying Media into Higher Education the University courses you may choose include; Media, PR, Journalism, Advertising, Graphics, Film Studies, TV/Radio Production and Communication Studies.

Is there anything else I need to know?
You will need creative ability, excellent time-management skills to cope with 50% coursework and an avid curiosity about the media.

Watch some of our students productions

Click on the links to your right and find out more about the courses that are on offer in the department or visit the curriculum area (staff and students only)