Program Overview

BA (Honours) Journalism, Public Relations with Media with Foundation Year

Course Summary

Gain a degree in journalism, PR, and media with an initial foundation year to prepare for the course.

How You Learn

The foundation year is designed especially for students who need additional skills or experience to begin a full BA Journalism, Public Relations and Media degree. The course is suitable if you don’t meet the entry requirements for our full degree course, or you want extra preparation before starting degree-level study. After completing your foundation year, you’ll have the skills and knowledge you need, and progress directly onto the full degree.

Modules

Year 1

• Creative Synergies In Media Production (40 credits)
  • Introduces and encourages imaginative and inventive use of skills appropriate to a diverse range of media project work.
  • Promotes an experimental, risk-taking creative outlook.
• Media In Context (20 credits)
  • Introduces students to the academic study of creative media practice.
  • Supports students in developing skills of academic research, learning, and communication.
• Media Project (40 credits)
  • Supports students in the development and production of self-directed creative media or communication project work.
  • Allows students to produce a substantial portfolio of work relevant to their chosen area of creative media and communication.
• Preparing For Independent Practice And Study (20 credits)
  • Aims to support students in the development of independent learning, key study skills, and attributes required for effective engagement with degree-level study.

Year 2

• Broadcast Journalism (40 credits)
  • Allows students to work collaboratively with an organisation to explore real-world challenges and professional roles.
  • Enables students to apply practical broadcast journalism skills to create content.
• Campaign Management (20 credits)
  • Develops students’ communication, planning, and management skills with a focus on working across multiple digital platforms.
  • Applies relevant professional research skills to questions of audiences and stakeholders.
• News Writing (20 credits)
  • Introduces students to the practices and theories of news journalism.
  • Explores strategies for finding relevant and engaging news items and practice writing stories for both print and online media.
• PR Essentials (40 credits)
  • Explores the history of public relations and journalism.
  • Encounters key theoretical perspectives on media and strategies of persuasive writing.

Year 3

• Content Creation (40 credits)
  • Equips students with the skills, contextual knowledge, and confidence to produce multi-media journalistic and PR artefacts.
  • Allows students to work alongside an employer or organisation to create content suitable for public relations and/or journalistic organisations.
• Crisis And Reputation Management (20 credits)
  • Explores theoretical, conceptual, and practical approaches to understanding, anticipating, and analysing issues that threaten the reputation of individuals and organisations.
  • Develops strategies for managing these situations and contingency plans and action points.
• Media Law, Regulation And Government (20 credits)
  • Introduces students to the key social, legal, governmental, and regulatory frameworks for professional journalism.
  • Focuses on relevant local and national structures and processes and on key issues of media law.
• Research And Investigation Skills (40 credits)
  • Further develops students’ skills in research and journalistic investigation.
  • Enhances students’ ability to manage projects, work independently, and critically evaluate sources as well as their own work.

Year 4

• Entrepreneurship And Freelancing (20 credits)
  • Equips students with the skills, contextual knowledge, and confidence to succeed in a flexible working environment.
  • Applies academic learning, takes responsibility for goal setting, and demonstrates professional behaviours.
• Journalism, PR With Media Research Project (40 credits)
  • Allows students to undertake a project in an area of their choosing, focusing on their interests and ambitions.
  • Develops, plans, and carries out a project that showcases research, writing, and/or other production skills to create a dissertation or practical project.
• Long Form Journalism (20 credits)
  • Develops a deeper understanding and improved practical application of language, content, style, and structure in long-form journalism.
  • Considers students’ own interests and identifies strengths and skills to support their practice.
• Workplace Practice And Ethics (40 credits)
  • Supports students’ understanding and critical awareness of organisational responses to ethical issues, corporate social responsibility, and environmental and social governance.
  • Enhances students’ knowledge of different specialisms and hones their expertise in a range of core industry skills.

Future Careers

The full degree course prepares students for a career in:

• Journalism
• Music and entertainment management
• In-house and agency PR
• Media relations
• Digital PR
• Event management
• Corporate communications
• Lobbying and political communications
• Radio
• Film and TV production
• Blogging
• Social media
• Content creation

Equipment and Facilities

Students work with:

• The PR Hub, a custom-designed flexible teaching and learning space
• The TV studio to broadcast news bulletins and learn about production
• The radio studios to gain skills for audio broadcast
• Editing software and video/audio hardware
• The Creative Media Centre’s skilled support team

Where Will I Study?

Students study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars, and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support their learning.

Entry Requirements

• UCAS points: 80
• GCSE: English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents, Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalents
• Additional requirements: An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2, or equivalent qualifications

Fees and Funding

• Home students: £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during the placement year)
• International students: £17,155 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during the placement year)