BA (Hons) Digital Media and Communcation Bachelor's degree at Aston University
BA (Hons) Digital Media and Communcation at Aston University. You'll develop expertise across core theory, research methods, and applied practice, alongside specialist options that let you tailor your learning.
About this course
Ready to build the skills, knowledge, and industry insight to succeed in today’s digital media and communication landscape? Location: Aston University, Birmingham From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Digital Media and Communcation is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Aston University. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Media & Communications, see the sections below.
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 7 modules
- Critical Debates in Digital MediaCore15 credits
- Introduction to Discourse AnalysisCore15 credits
- Introduction to Language StudyCore30 credits
- Language and SocietyCore15 credits
- Learning in a Digital WorldCore15 credits
- Media Histories: Industries to PlatformsCore15 credits
- Marketing PrinciplesCore15 credits
Year 2 13 modules
- Digital Media, AI, and Emerging TechnologiesCore15 credits
- Investigating Digital Media and CommunicationCore15 credits
- Media and Creative IndustriesCore15 credits
- Language in the News MediaCore15 credits
- Bullets, Bombs and Bitcoin: History and Technology since 1900Optional15 credits
- Digital and Social Media MarketingOptional15 credits
- Digital Methods for Social Science and HumanitiesOptional15 credits
- Influencer MarketingOptional15 credits
- Intercultural CommunicationOptional15 credits
- Introduction to Corpus LinguisticsOptional15 credits
- Literature in FilmOptional15 credits
- Media and SocietyOptional15 credits
- Professional CommunicationOptional15 credits
Placement year 1 modules
- Integrated Placement Year120 credits
Final year 13 modules
- Digital Identity and Personal BrandingCore15 credits
- Digital Media and Communication ProjectCore30 credits
- Strategic Storytelling: Power, Persuasion, and PerceptionCore15 credits
- Creative WritingOptional15 credits
- Digital FictionOptional15 credits
- Language and Literature in EducationOptional15 credits
- Language as EvidenceOptional15 credits
- Leadership and Management CommunicationOptional15 credits
- Multimodal CommunicationOptional15 credits
- Reinventing the World: Industrial and Technological TransitionsOptional15 credits
- Strategic Brand ManagementOptional15 credits
- Streaming MediaOptional15 credits
- Technology and Digital PoliticsOptional15 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 develop industry-ready skills in digital media production, communication strategy and storytelling across evolving platforms. A course like this typically moves from foundational theory and production techniques in Year 1, covering media power, audience analysis and practical camera, audio and editing work, towards specialised pathways in Year 2 and 3. You'll usually choose from specialisations such as Journalism, PR & advertising, Film & TV, Social media, Games & interactive, or Production portfolio. As you progress, you'll combine specialist modules with research methods, industry projects or placements, and a final dissertation or major production that demonstrates your applied expertise.
Who it's for
You're drawn to digital platforms, storytelling, and how organisations communicate in a connected world. You combine analytical thinking with creative instincts, and you're curious about how audiences engage with media. You enjoy both independent research and collaborative projects. If you're committed to building professional-standard communication skills and want direct experience of real-world practice alongside academic study, this course will suit you. You're willing to commit four years full-time study to master both the theory that explains the media landscape and the practical tools to shape it.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 90% of graduates from Media & Communications courses are in work or further study within 15 months. Of those working, 60% move into highly skilled roles or pursue further qualifications. Starting salaries across the field range from £22,000 to £28,000; after five years, graduates earn between £22,525 and £31,800 nationally. Your degree is nationally recognised as a UK-awarded qualification, giving you a credential valued by employers across the media, communications, and related sectors.
University & format
This BA (Hons) degree is studied full-time over 4 years at Aston University, a public university in Birmingham founded in 1895. Instruction is in English. The degree is awarded by a recognised UK degree-awarding body and is nationally recognised. Aston University holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is.
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.
Contextual offer criteria. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Integrated placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
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 (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Aston University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
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.
- 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.
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.Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Aston 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 Aston University
4,326 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 Aston University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £22,575 / 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 Aston 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 Aston University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Aston University
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates earn?
What will it cost me?
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