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Media Communications and Publishing

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,C,C

A Level - grades BBB-BCC preferred.

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

A minimum of 32 points are required.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM-DMM

BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.

T Level

M

Grade Merit is preferred.

UCAS Tariff

104-120

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Media and communication studies

Publishing

**Turn your passion for communication into a practical publishing skill set. Learn to shape stories into ideas for print, digital, and beyond with this media and publishing degree.**
- Prepare for a professional career in the thriving communications sector – whether in publishing, marketing, PR or education.

- Learn the skills you need to succeed in the ever-changing world of media publishing, such as copy-editing, magazine production, marketing strategy, content creation, and using the Adobe Creative Suite.

- Gain real-world experience: respond to industry briefs and manage projects.

Throughout your studies, you’ll be introduced to all forms of media, such as film, television, social media, books and magazines, and you’ll learn to meet the opportunities and challenges of publishing in the 21st century.

You’ll be encouraged to take an innovative approach to your work, whether in print or digital, or in emerging technologies such as immersive media.

During the course, you’ll have the chance to work with real clients on marketing campaigns, social media content, magazine and book production, as well as journalistic and feature article writing. You’ll graduate with industry experience and an impressive professional portfolio of work to show prospective employers.

You’ll learn how to rethink media communications for social change, studying online influencers, diverse forms of representation, and the ethics of social media platforms.

In your final year, you’ll get the chance to work with a selection of outside clients, as well as join The Studio in Bath, the University’s new city-centre innovation hub for creative media technology.

You'll have access to key industry resources such as Nielsen Bookscan, where you can explore book sales data and monitor consumer trends.

As we’re an Adobe Creative Campus, you’ll have access to the Adobe Creative Suite, giving you access to industry-standard programmes as part of your studies.

**Why study media and publishing?**
Studying a combined media communications and publishing degree will equip you with the skills and experience you need to meet the challenges and opportunities of publishing in the 21st century.

You’ll explore the workings of modern media and communication, and gain an in-depth understanding of the media and publishing industries. You’ll develop your creative communication skills across a variety of media, from books and magazines to innovative apps, websites and social media.

The course has been designed with employability in mind, offering the chance to gain the practical skills and experience that will enable you to pursue a career in your chosen field of communications and publishing, whether in books and magazines, social media, marketing, or immersive media.

**Combined Honour Awards**
At Bath Spa University many of our undergraduate programmes can be combined, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one subject. If you choose to study a combined award then in Year One you’ll start by studying both subjects in equal depth, then from Year Two you can choose whether to continue with an equally joint course, or a Major/Minor route.

Modules

Year one
In your first year you’ll learn how to research audiences, and how to inspire and change perceptions through media.
You’ll gain an overview of the publishing industry, with a focus on book publishing, and find out more about how the industry works, and the different roles within it.

You’ll also be introduced to the Adobe Creative Suite, and learn how to use it to enhance your studies.

Year two
There will be a focus on practical skills this year. You’ll produce social media marketing materials for clients and companies, and take an in-depth look at marketing in the book industry, as well as book design and production. You’ll also build on your Adobe skills to produce professional-standard marketing content, and have the chance to work on industry projects with clients.

Optional modules cover media ethics, digital storytelling, media making, text editing and magazine publishing.

Year three
Look ahead to your life after graduation. In your final year, you’ll work beyond the borders of the University, focusing more on practical applications for your business and communication skills.

You’ll get to join The Studio, our innovation hub for creative media technology, and produce a large-scale communications campaign directed at the type of employer you would like to target.

You’ll also work with outside clients on publishing projects encompassing all aspects of the industry, from marketing to book creation.

Assessment methods

Your assessments are designed to help you build a portfolio that you can take into your career. On some modules you’ll produce digital media campaigns, feature articles and social media content, while elsewhere you’ll deliver presentations and research reports.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,675
per year
International
£16,675
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Bath Spa University

Department:

Interdepartmental

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

88%
Media and communication studies
86%
Publishing

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Media studies

Teaching and learning

91%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
93%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

70%
Library resources
74%
IT resources
90%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
58%
Male students
42%
Female students
97%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

Publishing

Teaching and learning

87%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
82%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

90%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
84%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
12%
Male students
88%
Female students
90%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Media studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£17,971
med
Average annual salary
99%
high
Employed or in further education
35%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

23%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
18%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
17%
Other elementary services occupations

Only a small number of students study courses within this catch-all subject area, so there isn't a lot of information available on what graduates do when they finish - bear that in mind when you look at any stats. Marketing and PR were the most likely jobs for graduates from these courses, but it's sensible to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course, and what previous graduates did.

Publishing

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£16,068
low
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
64%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

32%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
13%
Other elementary services occupations
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Media studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£16k

£16k

£21k

£21k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Publishing

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£16k

£16k

£21k

£21k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here