Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Media, Culture, Communication

Why study this course with LJMU?

• You will study media institutions such as the BBC and Netflix and the cultures of production and consumption that surround them
• You will develop professional writing skills, learn to communicate with a range of audiences, and critically reflect on what you produce
• We focus on theoretical and critical study as well as transferable skills development
• You will be taught by research-active staff and learn from media and cultural industry guest speakers
• Emphasis on employability and work-based learning from the start of your degree
• Our graduates go on to careers such as journalism, marketing, education, public relations and more
• 95% of students surveyed said the teaching staff on our media courses were good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024)

About your course

The media have a major impact on how we understand our world, ourselves and other people. The BA (Hons) in Media, Culture, Communication at Liverpool John Moores University enables you to analyse the social, cultural and political importance of the mass media, everyday culture, and the communications industries, with a focus on employability, career development and critical skills. The course will teach you how to write and research for a range of audiences, both academic and professional.

This BA (Hons) course offers a variety of modules covering aspects of the media, culture and communications industries. Our students enjoy the broad range of the programme, which expands their choices after graduation, while allowing them to specialise in their own areas of interest as they progress. We examine industries like film, television and games, sectors like advertising, public relations, journalism and publishing, and aspects of everyday culture like consumerism, identity and social media.

The programme is designed with your future employability in mind. You'll develop transferable skills in research, communication, problem-solving, teamwork and independent working. Although we focus on theoretical and critical study, our students work on current case studies that are developed with employers, and work-related learning is designed into all levels of study. Many students undertake exciting and rewarding placements, internships and work experience during their programme.

Course modules

Year 1

• Studying Culture (20 credits)
• Media Texts (20 credits)
• Media Institutions and Audiences (20 credits)
• Professional Writing (20 credits)
• Introduction to Media and Cultural Industries (20 credits)
• Communicating Politics and Protest (20 credits)

Year 2

• Public Communication (20 credits)
• Analysing Entertainment Media (20 credits)
• Research Methods (20 credits)
• Media and Cultural Theory (20 credits)
• Public Relations (20 credits)
• Popular Journalism: Research in Practice (20 credits)
• Study Year Abroad - MCC (120 credits)
• Study Semester Abroad - MCC (60 credits)
• Mediating Popular Culture (20 credits)

Year 3

• Culture and Identity (20 credits)
• Media Policy and Regulation (20 credits)
• Dissertation (40 credits)
• Sport, Crime and Politics: Critical Sociological Analyses (20 credits)
• Digital Writing (20 credits)
• Mediating Diversity (20 credits)
• Social and Digital Media (20 credits)
• Screen Media (20 credits)
• Britain, Brexit, Europe and the Media (20 credits)
• Media and Cultural Industries (40 credits)
• Crime, Horror and the Media (20 credits)
• Popular Fiction and Publishing (20 credits)

Professional accreditation

We have worked with a range of organisations, including: The Liverpool Comedy Trust, Tate Liverpool, Sound City, The British Music Experience, BBC Radio Merseyside, Open Eye Galley, Merseyside Police, the NHS, ITV Studios, Everyman Theatre, the Museum of Liverpool and the Liverpool Against Racism Festival.

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

Excellent facilities and learning resources

We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.

Teaching is via a combination of lectures, seminar-workshops, peer presentations, online activities and film screenings, and you are expected to spend a significant proportion of your time in private study, using our virtual learning environment, Canvas, as well as our archives and special collections. There will also be opportunities for online discussion with staff and your fellow students.

Work-related Learning

Work-based learning is a vital part of this degree and gives you a taste of what it's really like to work in the media and cultural industries. You will not only get to practise skills you have learnt on the course, but you will also be able to add the experience to your CV, giving you a head start when you eventually enter the competitive job market.

In fact many of our graduates have been offered a full-time position by their placement employer on the strength of successful work experience. Past students have worked with Sky Sports, Liverpool Echo, Juice FM, Odeon Cinema, the Everyman Theatre, National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside and the BBC.

Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support

We believe that one-to-one support during your studies is vital, and for this reason you will be assigned a personal tutor from the minute you enrol at LJMU. They will arrange meetings with you to discuss course-related issues, monitor progress and help you formulate your future career plans. You will also receive support in finding and securing a work placement.

Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.

We acknowledge that all students perform differently depending on how they are assessed, which is why we use a combination of innovative assessment methods. These include exams (seen/unseen), essays, log books and diaries, group and individual presentations, research projects, work-based learning reports and other forms of continuous assessment including response papers, blogs, organised debates and seminars.

Constructive feedback from your tutors is designed to help you identify your strengths as well as the areas that may need further attention, and is provided by email, in writing or verbally through seminars, tutorials and personal development planning sessions.

Career paths

The programme is co-developed with employers and so work-related learning, case studies and projects are geared towards ensuring graduate have the skills and confidence to enter the jobs market.

We are proud that the paths followed by our graduates are so varied. Our former students are to be found working in occupations including:

• advertising and marketing
• museums
• arts administration and publishing
• television production
• print and digital journalism
• teaching
• content creation
• media and marketing start-ups
• charity and third sector communication roles

Some decide to further their studies at postgraduate level, in either theoretical or critical areas or in vocational subjects such as journalism or marketing. This includes our own MA in Mass Communications programme.

Tuition fees and funding

Home

• Full-time per year: £9,535

International

• Full-time per year: £17,750

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

• GCSEs and equivalents: Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy
• A levels: BCC-BBB
• BTECs: Extended Diploma: DMM
• Access awards: Pass overall with a minimum of 104 points including relevant subjects
• International Baccalaureate: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• OCR Cambridge Technical: Extended Diploma: DMM
• Irish awards: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• T levels: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

English language requirements

• IELTS: 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date

Further information

• DBS, Occupational Health requirements: Is a DBS check required? No
• Can this course be deferred? Yes

How to apply

UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here

All applicants should possess the following essential qualities:

• Good analytical skills, so you can critically assess all kinds of texts and forms of communication: adverts, films, online content, cultural practice, television and print media
• Research skills that allow you to investigate the relationships between media, culture and society
• Interest in the range of media, culture and communication industries
• Good communication skills and the ability to express, substantiate and present your ideas in a clear and lively way