BA (Hons) Media Studies Bachelor's degree at the University of Brighton

This module will introduce you to a range of critical academic approaches to media. It tackles the most cutting-edge topics in media studies and introduces canonical approaches used in their analysis. An introduction to these approaches will enable you to understand the workings of media audiences, industries and texts. The module will focus on media experiences that are relevant to your everyday life, ensuring that as well as academic development, the module will give you the tools to analyse y

You will gain an understanding of consuming and producing social media in personal and professional settings and reflect on the effects of digital media on culture and society more generally. Topics explored include debates around digital media; key characteristics of contemporary digital media such as social media, data, web-based technologies and other software applications; and the relationship between new media and more traditional forms, such as TV and radio, newspapers and cinema and indus

This module will introduce you to the concept of popular culture through the perspectives of media studies by critically engaging with, exploring and critiquing popular cultural forms and practices. You'll look at current and historical examples of film, TV, music and online popular culture by analysing both the conditions of production – the entertainment industry – and audience engagement.

This module introduces key media studies theories and concepts and applies them to the analysis of real-world issues. You will develop skills and techniques to critique media representations, showing the importance of media analysis in everyday life. By analysing media technologies, you will engage with the most innovative media content, forms and practices of the day. By questioning mediation, the module will bring to life the role of media in society and enable you to critique the media in ter

In this module you will examine the role and characteristics of media consumption in the twenty-first century and the relationship that exists between audiences, texts and technologies of production, distribution and reception. You will examine a range of theories and research methods by studying real-world media organisations and their audiences, and as a practical exercise you'll design and pitch a cross-media marketing campaign for a targeted audience demographic.

This module will equip you with the essential skills and practical experience needed to create short-form non-fictional audiovisual content, suitable for contemporary web-based and more traditional delivery platforms and audiences. You'll cover all three stages of video production: pre-production research and planning, production; and post-production, including editing. You will look at the fundamentals of video and sound recording techniques and gain the skills required for successfully engagin

This module introduces how the formal language of cinema – cinematography, editing, sound, shot composition, etc – contributes to establishing a film's narrative. You'll explore the history of mainstream Western cinema by looking at the key technical, institutional and economic developments of the medium. Areas covered include the emergence of the actuality genre, narrative theory, structure and the relationship between plot and story, and censorship and the cinema.

This module involves a series of guided practical workshops covering research skills, CV/cover letter writing and portfolio development, followed by a four-week placement at an organisation or a work-related research project. You will reflect on your experience to consider the links between the course material and the professional activities which take place a media-related environment.

This module examines key concepts and theories in the study of visual culture to enable you to analyse how cultural meanings and power are constructed, communicated and contested through visual media and practices within contemporary culture and society. Topics include branding, advertising and consumer culture, imaging the self on social media, reading and analysing images and the visual politics of protest and activism.

In this module you will learn how social networking offers new possibilities for activist and non-profit groups. You will devise a social media strategy for a partner organisation and develop graphic and/or audiovisual material to accompany this. You'll present your work to the organisation and critically reflect on social media practices across different platforms, focusing on the potential and limitations of using this technology for social good.

To prepare you for your final year dissertation, this module covers a range of academic topics related to the theory, practice and design of research in the area of media studies. You will explore and gain an understanding of the research process, including the selection of methods, theories and analysis techniques appropriate for a media studies project and undertake a literature review on a chosen topic.

This module provides an introduction to key theoretical and critical debates in film studies. You will explore key critical approaches to film, including genre analysis, theories of authorship and stardom and models of spectatorship and audience engagement. The module focuses on key critical debates surrounding film representation and reception, drawing on a range of perspectives such as feminism, psychoanalysis and queer theory.

This module will teach you to recognise the moral dilemmas that media professionals face by exploring the ethical issues involved in everyday professional practice. It will also enable you to analyse these moral dilemmas, including in your own work, so that you can improve your awareness and professional skills. Topics include frameworks for ethical thinking, distinguishing between morality and law, reporting suffering, stereotyping and the ethics of globalisation.

This introduction to podcasting and audio storytelling (both factual and fictional) will explore the major development podcasting represents in the history of audio media and how important story structures are to the form. As well as analysing texts from this emerging media form, you will learn audio production, presentational and journalistic research skills so you can produce a short-form factual piece of your own.

In this module you will produce your own journalism in a subject area of your choice, using a range of forms and styles. You will create and populate an online publication platform, using audience development strategies (including social media and analytics) to build a following and employing professional techniques. You will also publish your work in a collaborative journalism project.

In this module you will examine the relationship between branding and public relations from a media perspective. It presents a practical and theoretical introduction to brand creation and the role public relations plays in the process of brand management, including industry perspectives. As well as studying the beginnings of public relations and issues including politics and corporate social responsibility, you will also take part in a brand development project.

This module will introduce the theories of media narrative and genre with the aim of informing and developing your own storytelling practices for your academic work and future career. It will provide a historical and theoretical overview of narrative and genre across different forms of screen media and explore the impact of digital technologies and social media on traditional storytelling theories and practices.

This module will introduce a range of factual genres and the various narrative styles used in contemporary factual production. You will learn about the production processes involved, including researching your topic, interviewing participants and creating an engaging narrative. You'll gain practical production experience and develop skills in planning, shooting and editing, as well as learning about compliance with ethical requirements.

Photographic Practice 2 explores contemporary, historical, critical and creative approaches to digital photography in a global context. You will investigate photography's power to communicate and use your practice to challenge and highlight issues faced by society. Employing a range of lens-based media and digital platforms, you will share your work-in-progress in a mid-term presentation and produce a digital portfolio comprised of a photobook, research diary and web presence.