Newcastle University · Undergraduate
BA (Hons) Journalism, Media and Culture Bachelor's degree at Newcastle University
BA (Hons) Journalism, Media and Culture at Newcastle University received a Silver rating for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
BA (Hons)
Award
3
Years
Full-time
Study mode
85%
continuation
About this course
Prepare for a dynamic and fast-paced career in journalism and across varied media industries by studying our cutting-edge Journalism, Media and Culture degree. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Journalism, Media and Culture is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Newcastle University, based in Newcastle Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Media, journalism and communications graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £25,000. (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.
8.2
/ 10
2 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Strong79
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)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Excellent85
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; 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.
1 6 modules
- Media StudiesCompulsory20 credits
- Mediascapes: Creativity, Critique & Future ThinkingCompulsory20 credits
- Social and Cultural StudiesCompulsory20 credits
- Introduction to Journalism PracticeCompulsory20 credits
- Journalism: Pasts, present and futureCompulsory20 credits
- Introduction to Multimedia JournalismCompulsory20 credits
2 9 modules
- Essential Law for Media and JournalismCompulsory20 credits
- Multimedia Journalism ICompulsory20 credits
- Journalism Practice for Digital AudiencesCompulsory20 credits
- Research Design and PracticeCompulsory20 credits
- Media Fusions: Creative & Collaborative ProjectsOptional20 credits
- Student Exchange: Semester 1Optional60 credits
- Popular Culture: Futures & FictionsOptional20 credits
- Broadcast Journalism 1 (Radio)Optional20 credits
- Conflict and Crisis ReportingOptional20 credits
3 11 modules
- Research DissertationCompulsory40 credits
- Social Media Data JournalismCompulsory20 credits
- JesmondLocal: Advanced Newsroom PracticeCompulsory20 credits
- Advertising and ConsumptionOptional20 credits
- Fashion, Communication and CultureOptional20 credits
- Storytelling and Collective PsychologyOptional20 credits
- Digital Politics, Communication, and AIOptional20 credits
- Feminist Approaches to Media AnalysisOptional20 credits
- Digital Discourses and IdentityOptional20 credits
- Broadcast Journalism 2 - TV News and Advanced VideoOptional20 credits
- Material Media: Bodies, Technology, CultureOptional20 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
This degree equips you to work in journalism and across media industries by combining critical theory with hands-on production skills. You'll usually begin with foundations in media power, audiences and representation, alongside practical training in camera, audio, editing and writing for different platforms. You'll then study how broadcasting, publishing and digital platforms operate commercially. In your second year, you'll deepen your knowledge of digital cultures, social media and data-driven communication, and focus on practical storytelling through specialisms such as journalism, PR and advertising, film and TV, social media, games and interactive media, or production portfolio work. You'll also learn research methods and media ethics. In your final year, you'll typically undertake specialist options, an industry project or placement producing real work with a media organisation, and either a dissertation or substantial media production.
Who it's for
This course suits students interested in journalism, media industries, and cultural analysis. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; the typical UCAS tariff band among recent entrants was 128–143 points.
Careers & job market
Across Media and Communications courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Starting salaries typically fall between £22,000 and £28,000; after five years, this rises to £22,525–£31,800. Of working graduates, 60% are in highly skilled work or further study. These figures reflect national Graduate Outcomes and Labour Force data, not university-specific outcomes.
University & format
Newcastle University is a Russell Group research-intensive university located on Newcastle Campus. The BA (Hons) Journalism, Media and Culture is a 3-year full-time degree taught in English. The course is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body with national recognition. Newcastle University holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
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.
Application timelineWhat happens next
- 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.
Contextual offersPublished by this provider
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
PlacementPublished placement option
Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Open daysUndergraduate Open Days
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent95% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 128 - 143 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check Newcastle University's official course page for the current offer.
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 | 95% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| a Baccalaureate | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Offer-based entry
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.
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.
Your UCAS points0
▾
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Add your grades to see where you land
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.
Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesAABA-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeP500quote this on your application
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code P500). 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.
💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask Newcastle University whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£24,500 / yr
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Newcastle University →For students who normally live in England
illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 3 years
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.
Funding matched to this course
All Newcastle University funding →Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
EU undergraduates
Check eligibility →international students
Check eligibility →student athletes
Check eligibility →Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check
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 | £25,000 | £22,000 – £28,000 | 3575 |
| 3 years after | £26,000 | £21,000 – £30,000 | 65 |
| 5 years after | £34,000 | £26,500 – £43,500 | 65 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 3,575. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
85%
continue past their first year
- 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
Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£25,000
£22,000 – £28,000After 3 years LEO
£26,000
£18,275 – £25,800After 5 years LEO
£34,000
£22,525 – £31,800national rangethis course’s medianaxis £17,000 – £35,500
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.
85 of 100
continued or completed
continued into the next year or completed their qualification
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 3,575. 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.
This course £34,000Peer median £26,500Middle 50% £24,000–£30,000
91st percentile
Compared with 541 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Job market & outlook
How Media & Communications graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
90%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Media & Communications courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes60%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuationHow 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.Live from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
💷
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
📈
Where graduates go
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £25,000. 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 8.2 out of 10: NSS 79% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Newcastle University
All students27,230
International22.1%
Aged 25+12.9%
Media, journalism and communications across the UK
Students47,255
Aged 25+18.5%
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Newcastle Campus
3,304 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Violent Crime 783Anti Social Behaviour 754Shoplifting 663Public Order 205Other Theft 199
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 Newcastle University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £24,500 / 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
Newcastle University offers the Vice-Chancellor's EU Scholarships – Undergraduate for international students, see Scholarships above.
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 Newcastle University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Newcastle University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
Entry is offer-based and set by the university. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 128 - 143 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
What are the entry requirements?
Set by Newcastle University. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For Media, journalism and communications graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £25,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
What will it cost me?
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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