Course information

Entry requirements

UCAS code

PP39

Length

1 year (Foundation) + 3 years (undergraduate degree)

Course overview

This is a four-year degree at Goldsmiths. If you successfully achieve the progression requirements of the foundation year, you can continue with the full-time three-year BA (Hons) Media & Communications degree.

Why study the Integrated Degree in Media & Communications at Goldsmiths

  • There are no formal entrance requirements, you just need to demonstrate a lively interest in the world of the media
  • You'll develop an understanding of media theory and media practice, and the confidence and skills necessary to progress to our BA Media & Communications degree
  • You'll begin to develop production skills in TV and video, radio, video animation and photography
  • You'll attend a study skills module as part of the programme, to develop your academic writing and research skills
  • The Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies has been ranked 2nd in the UK for 'world-leading or internationally excellent' research (Research Excellence Framework, 2021) and 12th in the world (2nd in the UK) in the 2022 QS World Rankings for communication and media studies

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Ceiren Bell.

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What you'll study

Overview

Your foundation year counts as the 'Year 0' of the four-year Integrated Degree. It is structured into the following three areas:

Learning to Learn (Study Skills)

These two-hour weekly sessions are designed to help you develop the skills you will need to thrive in Undergraduate study. They cover aspects of academic practice such as writing for academic purposes; how to unpack an essay question; how to get organised; how to read and make notes; how to reference; how to cite your source material and how to compile a bibliography. They include access to an academic tutor who is available for one-to-one tutorial sessions.

An Introduction to Media and Cultural Theory

On this module, you will be introduced to the key traditions and foundational theories of media and cultural studies. These will help you develop an understanding of the relationship between media forms, institutions and our societies. You will also be encouraged to develop critical thinking skills, begin to understand the importance of the relationship between media theory and practice and demonstrate your growing skills in academic writing (with the help of the weekly 'Learning to Learn' sessions). Each week there is a lecture on a particular topic, accompanied by set reading, which you are asked to discuss in more detail in our weekly seminars.

The first part of this module introduces you to some of the important key thinkers in media theory and considers elements such as the relationship between media ownership and control; competing debates around resistance to dominant ideologies, the power of the audience and the arguable 'effects' of media; questions around the meaning of 'culture' and the history of cultural studies; and concepts concerned with the coding and decoding of media texts. These are designed to give you a sound basis for moving on to contemporary ideas about the media as you progress through the year.

The second part of the module considers the social and cultural dimensions of the media in more detail. We will discuss further the role of the ‘culture industries’, the relationship between culture and sociological categories of class, race, sexuality and gender, and look closely at the academic research that has been done in these areas. We will look at moral panics, the study of subcultures, feminist perspectives of soap operas, studies of celebrity, 'Ways of Seeing' and popular cultural representations of the City. Throughout, your own experiences and identities will be central to the concepts and ideas you are studying in these sessions.

Media practice

Media practice gives you the opportunity to create small-scale projects in TV and video, radio, stop motion animation and photography. You will have the opportunity to work through your ideas from conception to finished product, begin to develop production skills, and understand the importance of teamwork and the sharing of ideas.

You are taught in groups for TV and video, radio and stop motion animation and individually for photography. These 5-week ‘taster’ modules are taught by highly experienced tutors and technicians in studio settings, and utilise the same industry-standard facilities as the Undergraduate degrees.

Teaching style

The four-year integrated degree in Media & Communications is taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, screenings, and workshops. You’ll also be expected to undertake independent study. This includes carrying out required and additional reading, preparing topics for discussion, and producing essays or project work.

The following information gives an indication of the typical proportions of learning and teaching for each year of this programme*:

  • Year 0 - 19% scheduled learning, 81% independent learning
  • Year 1 - 20% scheduled learning, 80% independent learning
  • Year 2 - 15% scheduled learning, 85% independent learning
  • Year 3 - 15% scheduled learning, 83% independent learning, 3% placement learning

How you’ll be assessed

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework assignments such as extended essays, reports, presentations, practice-based projects or essays/logs, group projects and reflective essays, as well as seen and unseen written examinations.

The following information gives an indication of how you can typically expect to be assessed on each year of this programme*:

  • Year 0 - 75% coursework, 25% practical
  • Year 1 - 75% coursework, 25% practical
  • Year 2 - 98% coursework, 3% practical
  • Year 3 - 100% coursework

*Please note that these are averages are based on enrolments for 2022/23. Each student’s time in teaching, learning and assessment activities will differ based on individual module choices. Find out more about how this information is calculated.

Final assessment

The pass mark for this foundation year is 50%. However, students must achieve 60% in all sections of the programme to proceed onto the BA Media and Communications. Students achieving between 50%-60% will be awarded the Goldsmiths Foundation Certificate in Media and Communications.

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Between 2020 and 2022 we needed to make some changes to how programmes were delivered due to Covid-19 restrictions. For more information about past programme changes please visit our programme changes information page.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this programme, but you should demonstrate an interest in and aptitude for  the subject.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.0 with a 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Fees & funding

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2023/2024 academic year.

From August 2021 EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for 'Home' fee status. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will be classified as 'International' for fee purposes, more information can be found on our fees page.

  • Home - full-time: £9250
  • International - full-time: £19570

If your fees are not listed here, please check our undergraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries, and our careers service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies. Find out more about funding your studies with us.

Careers

Skills

If you successfully achieve the progression requirements of the foundation year, you can continue with the full-time three-year , which will enable you to develop the following skills:

  • critical and analytical skills
  • proficiency in assessing evidence and in expressing ideas clearly
  • ability to bring together insights from a range of subjects
  • IT skills
  • communications skills
  • journalistic and creative writing skills

Careers

Media and Communications graduates have gone on to careers in television, radio, the press, publishing, film-making, advertising, marketing and public relations, web design, teaching and research, advertising, arts and administration, business and industry, European Union private sector management and personnel work, and many more both in the media industries and elsewhere. You can find out more about career options after graduating on our Media and Communications careers page.

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths