BA (Hons) Media and Communication Studies Bachelor's degree at Aberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Media and Communication Studies at Aberystwyth University. You'll study core theory alongside research methods and applied practice, with the option to specialise in areas that match your interests and explore an independent project.
About this course
BA (Hons) Media and Communication Studies is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Aberystwyth University, based in Aberystwyth. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Media studies graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £23,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Media & Communications, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 85% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 9 modules
- Making Short Films 1Core20 credits
- Studying CommunicationCore20 credits
- Studying MediaCore20 credits
- Behind the HeadlinesOptional20 credits
- Effective CommunicationOptional20 credits
- Making Short Films 2Optional40 credits
- Movements in Film HistoryOptional20 credits
- Studying FilmOptional20 credits
- Studying TelevisionOptional20 credits
Year 2 9 modules
- Digital CultureOptional20 credits
- Media, Politics and PowerOptional20 credits
- The Story of TelevisionOptional20 credits
- Youth CulturesOptional20 credits
- Art CinemaOptional20 credits
- Creative DocumentaryOptional20 credits
- Film Stardom and CelebrityOptional20 credits
- LGBT Film & TelevisionOptional20 credits
- Work in the Film & Television IndustriesOptional20 credits
Year 3 12 modules
- Gender and the MediaOptional20 credits
- Independent Research ProjectOptional40 credits
- Media Law and RegulationOptional20 credits
- Media and Society in WalesOptional20 credits
- Videogame TheoriesOptional20 credits
- Contemporary Film and the Break-Up of BritainOptional20 credits
- Contemporary TVOptional20 credits
- Cult Cinema: Texts, Histories and AudiencesOptional20 credits
- Documentary ProductionOptional40 credits
- Experimental CinemaOptional20 credits
- Experimental Media ProductionOptional40 credits
- Screening the Brave New World: film and television in post-war BritainOptional20 credits
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study how media shapes society, audiences and communication in the digital age. A course like this typically moves from foundations, media theories, production skills and industry economics, through to specialist practice and research. In Year 1, you'll usually cover introduction to media and communication, hands-on production techniques and how broadcasting and publishing operate. Year 2 normally builds into digital cultures and social media, practical journalism or PR work, and research methods. Year 3 shifts toward specialist options, such as journalism, PR and advertising, film and TV, social media, games and interactive work, or a production portfolio, alongside an industry project or placement and a dissertation or major production. This structure gives you both critical understanding and practical capability across media sectors.
Who it's for
You're suited to this course if you're curious about how media influences culture and politics, enjoy analysing messages and narratives, and want to develop practical skills alongside theoretical knowledge. You'll thrive if you're comfortable with both independent research and collaborative work, and if you're interested in how communication functions across journalism, broadcasting, digital platforms, marketing or related fields. This is for people who want to think deeply about media while building transferable skills employers value.
Careers & job market
Across Media and Communications courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months. Of those working, 60% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Graduate earnings figures (national data) show starting salaries between £22,000 and £28,000 at 15 months; after five years, this typically ranges from £22,525 to £31,800. Specific career outcomes depend on your specialism, further study choices and the roles you pursue.
University & format
Aberystwyth University is a public university founded in 1872, located in Aberystwyth. This BA (Hons) Media and Communication Studies is a 3-year full-time programme taught in English. The university is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, and degrees are nationally recognised. Aberystwyth is.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 82%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. Set under Wales's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at Aberystwyth University →If you normally live in Wales
2026/27 total maintenance support from Student Finance Wales. How much of it is grant and how much is loan depends on household income; the total does not. If you normally live elsewhere, use your home funding body.
Check your entitlement with Student Finance Wales →Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: paid directly to the university by Student Finance Wales.
- Maintenance support: a mix of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales, weighted to household income.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Wales runs its own system through Student Finance Wales; check studentfinancewales.co.uk for current rates.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Media & Communications graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £23,500 | £21,000 – £26,000 | 80 |
| 3 years after | £18,500 | £15,000 – £22,500 | 45 |
| 5 years after | £24,000 | £19,000 – £29,500 | 50 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in media & communications · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Media & Communications nationally
National figures for Media & Communications graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Media & Communications courses at the same study level.
Compared with 541 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 35; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Media & Communications graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Media & Communications graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Media companies
- Agencies
- In-house comms teams
- Broadcasters & charities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Media & Communications graduates.
Media Operations, VP (Parental Leave Cover)WPP MediaMedia Relations ManagerCommonwealth War Graves CommissionMedia ManagerUS Tech SolutionsMedia Planning and Buying CoordinatorBurberryMedia Sales ExecutiveService ServiceMedia Planner/BuyerDifferent Technologies Pty Ltd.Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Fees for this course are set under Wales's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. If you normally live in Wales, Student Finance Wales can pay an eligible Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £23,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.8 out of 10: NSS 88% · in work or study 90% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Aberystwyth University
Media, journalism and communications across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Aberystwyth
384 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Media & Communications right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Aberystwyth University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £15,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Aberystwyth University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Aberystwyth University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Aberystwyth University
Media & Communications at other universities
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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