BA (Hons) Media Communications Bachelor's degree at the Arts, London
BA (Hons) Media Communications at Arts London. You'll study core theory and research methods alongside applied work, choosing specialist options and completing an independent project that demonstrates what you've learned.
About this course
BA (Hons) Media Communications is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the Arts, London, based in London College of Communication. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Media studies graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, typical earnings around £24,500. (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)
Stronger evidence Published sample: 2,045. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 86% (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 6 modules
- Introduction to Media CommunicationsCore20 credits
Module details
This unit will welcome you to your course and introduce you to our learning approaches. We'll introduce the UAL Creative Attributes Framework as a tool for understanding your university journey and feature sessions on independent study, collaboration, academic writing and academic conduct. You'll also be introduced to the key topics that will be developed throughout your course.
- Media LifeCore20 credits
Module details
You'll explore the interconnected and multi-faceted role of media in our daily lives. Underpinned by case studies, this unit will introduce you to the culture of connectivity by interrogating the environment of emerging media landscapes, along with their social and cultural fit.
- Content for Creative CommunicationCore20 credits
Module details
Through a series of creative and technical workshops, this unit will provide a foundation for understanding and engaging with the creative process: from the early stages of creative thinking and skills development to realising and finalising creative outputs.
- Media, Communications and CultureCore20 credits
Module details
This unit will introduce you to the broad field of communication studies by mapping and applying key theories and approaches. You'll explore ways of thinking about the formation, transformation, and influence of the communications industries, and contextualise contemporary debates about related practices, texts and users.
- Platforms and Social MediaCore20 credits
Module details
Providing an important foundation for understanding different platforms and social media from a range of socio-cultural perspectives, this unit applies project-based learning to not only examine their complexity, but also to consider how they can be used for promotional and creative communication.
- Transmedia StorytellingCore20 credits
Module details
This practice-based unit will introduce you to transmedia storytelling as both a flow of narrative from an original 'text' to other platforms and - more importantly - as the expansion of a narrative to fit the unique characteristics of different media platforms.
Year 2 6 modules
- Creator CultureCore20 credits
Module details
This unit focuses on the shift towards creator-based models within media networks to generate new kinds of content and emerging industries. You'll consider longer-term developments in both cultural consumption and production, as evident in the evolution of audiences in increasingly overlapping systems of content distribution.
- Professional Industry PracticeCore20 credits
Module details
Supporting you to prepare for a career in advertising and creative communications, within the creative media industries, this unit will introduce different modes of working in the professional landscape. You'll be encouraged to reflect on your own interests and creative skills in relation to employability, and to explore industry-based experiences such as placements, internships, live briefs, and freelance working.
- Global Media Businesses, Practices and CulturesCore20 credits
Module details
You'll examine the changing ways in which global communications are organised, the connections between business and cultural aspects of the media and creative communications industries, and their relationship to wider processes of economic, political, social and cultural change. You'll also consider different work practices in the creative and cultural industries, and identify the competencies and behaviours required to work successfully within them.
- Media and the EnvironmentCore20 credits
Module details
In this unit, you'll investigate the impact of media on cultural and societal structures, as well as on the environment itself. By studying media ecologies, geology and sustainability, you'll make connections between media and the environment in creative ways, and make sense of the connections between media and socio-environmental justice through a series of local and global case studies.
- Communication Research MethodsCore20 credits
Module details
You'll be introduced to the research process by learning methods for data gathering and data analysis. With a focus on research outcomes, you'll be supported to then apply these techniques to your written work as well as your creative practice, and to propose a research project in your final year.
- Level 5 Option UnitOptional20 credits
Module details
This unit will enable you to choose an option that supports the further development of your creative production skills. Recent units offered have included: Content Creation: Digital and Web Content Creation: Film and Video Content Creation: Podcasting and Audio Professional Skills: Building Brands Professional Skills: Data and Social Media Analysis Professional Skills: Influencer Marketing
Year 3 4 modules
- Research ProjectCore40 credits
Module details
In this unit, you'll undertake an independent research project in an area of contemporary media communications that you're particularly interested in, which can be accompanied by an incorporated creative project.
- Final Major ProjectCore40 credits
Module details
In this unit, you'll consolidate and further advance your creative skillset along with your professional development by engaging in a live project with an external industry partner.
- Creative FuturesCore20 credits
Module details
In this unit, you'll explore potential career options and postgraduate opportunities to prepare for life after graduation. Reflecting on your journey throughout the course, you'll identify your skills, strengths and aptitudes alongside your aims and ambitions for the future before producing a 12- to 18-month action plan to help you consider your next steps.
- Level 6 Option UnitsOptional20 credits
Module details
You'll have the opportunity to choose from a range of research-based options and specialist topics to develop your interests across media and communications. The following units will be offered each year: Critical Sound Cultures Futures Thinking Information Warfares: Misinformation, Conspiracy and Extremism Love in a Digital Age Special Topics
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 the theory and practice of media communication across multiple platforms and industries. A course like this typically begins with foundations in media theory, audiences and representation, alongside hands-on production skills in camera, audio, editing and digital writing. Year 2 moves into digital cultures, social media and platform economics, with practical modules in journalism or PR depending on your direction. Research methods and ethics are embedded throughout. In your final year, you'll choose specialist options such as film & TV, games & interactive media, social media strategy, production portfolio work, or advertising, culminating in an industry project or placement and a substantial dissertation or production portfolio.
Who it's for
You're suited to this course if you're curious about how media works, enjoy analysing communication across platforms, and want to develop practical skills alongside critical thinking. You'll work on real projects and develop professional capabilities that employers value. The course appeals to people drawn to research, creative problem-solving and understanding audiences. Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; the typical UCAS tariff among accepted students was 96–111 points.
Careers & job market
Across Media & Communications degrees nationally, 90% of graduates were in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Starting salaries typically ranged from £22,000 to £28,000, rising to £22,525–£31,800 after five years (national figures). After three years, salaries ranged from £18,275 to £25,800. Sixty per cent of working graduates move into highly skilled roles or further study. The course covers specialist areas such as research methods, applied practice and professional skills, preparing you for varied career paths in the sector.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is taught full-time over 3 years at London College of Communication, part of the University of the Arts, London. Teaching is delivered in English. The University of the Arts, London is a UK degree-awarding body; its degrees are nationally recognised. The course has been awarded Bronze for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
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.
- 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.
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 | 79% |
| another higher-education qualification | 13% |
| a Baccalaureate | 7% |
| an Access course | 1% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
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 (code P302). 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 Arts London →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.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,500 | £22,000 – £28,000 | 2045 |
| 3 years after | £21,000 | £15,000 – £26,500 | 145 |
| 5 years after | £28,500 | £21,500 – £35,000 | 145 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,045. 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: 2021-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,045. 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.
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
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
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,500. 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 8.3 out of 10: NSS 84.6% · in work or study 80% · continued 86%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of the Arts, London
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 London College of Communication
7,241 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 Arts London from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £28,570 / 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 Arts London’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 Arts London and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Arts London
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
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