Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Public Relations and Media with a Year in Industry

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:21,M:24

Access to Humanities Course

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSEs: English/Welsh Language Grade C

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

International students will also require a score of 4 at Higher Level English Language or Literature, or 5 at Standard Level English Language or Literature.

UCAS Tariff

120

Swansea University will accept the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as fully equivalent to one A-Level.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with year in industry | 2024

Subject

Media and communication studies

Explore the worlds of public relations and creative media practice on this four-year course accredited by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, opening up a range of exciting career opportunities in this fast-moving sector. Media and Communications at Swansea is ranked 1st in the UK for Student Experience and 1st in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2023). Our Public Relations and Media graduates are truly international and are employed not just in the UK but all around the world, pursuing careers in journalism, media, business, public relations and marketing, digital marketing, broadcasting, TV and radio, and publishing. Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, this course will give you a thorough understanding of strategic communications, digital public relations practice, the theory and history of public relations and media, strategy, marketing and branding, business and entrepreneurship, journalism and professional development. You will also learn a range of practical skills and techniques relevant to a range of modern digital media fields and have access to our Media Creativity Suite, which has a video studio and a computer lab kitted out with iMacs installed with industry standard software, including Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Creative Cloud. We offer a flexible degree structure with a wide range of specialist modules that allow you to tailor your studies to your future career goals while developing your individual interests. You have the option to study some modules through the medium of Welsh. Our teaching staff comprises specialist international researchers and also ex-professionals lecturing on PR, marketing, branding, video production, web and creative design, and journalism, giving you an unrivalled mix of academic and industry experience, further supported by lectures and seminars by guest speakers. The third year will be spent as a Year in Industry, further improving your student experience and enhancing your career prospects. Outside of your studies there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in student life with a range of clubs and societies including the Media Studies Society. You can also get involved with the department’s own publication, The Swansea Mumbler. Please visit our course page for more information: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/media-comms-journalism-pr/ba-public-relations-media/

Modules

Your first year will include a mixture of compulsory and optional modules, with examples of compulsory modules from recent years including:
• Introduction to Film Studies
• Delivering and Decosing the News
Your second and third years will comprise entirely optional modules from an expansive range of subject areas. Examples of optional modules in recent years have included:
• Studying Digital Media
• Social Media Cultures
• Media Law
• Reporting the 21st Century
• Media & Communications Internship
Your final year will include an optional independent dissertation project.
For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage at: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/media-comms-journalism-pr/ba-public-relations-media/

Assessment methods

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:
• Presentations
• Group Work
• Personal Reflection
Throughout your undergraduate Public Relations and Media degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing. For full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/media-comms-journalism-pr/ba-public-relations-media/ or get in touch with us at [email protected]

The Uni


Course location:

Singleton Park Campus

Department:

College of Arts and Humanities

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.

93%
Media and communication studies

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
99%
Staff are good at explaining things
93%
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

78%
Library resources
72%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
91%
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?

81%
UK students
19%
International students
38%
Male students
62%
Female students
85%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

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.

100%
high
Employed or in further education
46%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

50%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
10%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
7%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

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

£20k

£20k

£20k

£20k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Bangor University | Bangor (Wales)
Modern Languages and Media Studies
BA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 96-128
Lower entry requirements
Swansea University | Swansea
Media and Communication with a Foundation Year
BA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 72-80
Nearby University
Cardiff University | Cardiff
Media, Journalism and Culture
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 120-128
Same University
Swansea University | Swansea
Public Relations and Media with a Year Abroad
BA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 120

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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