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English Language and Media BA(Hons)

  • Intro
  • Entry
    criteria
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
  • Fees
    and costs
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Intro

As new kinds of engagement with media and language emerge through technologies and practices across social media, it is necessary for citizens in today’s world to be both creative and critical. 

This degree gives you the chance to explore English language and media from both these perspectives with a focus on you as a student  and a member of society.

You will engage with the fundamental concepts and theories necessary for a deep understanding of television, film and digital media – and enjoy opportunities to develop your practical and creative skills.

In English language you will cover the breadth of the subject such as its use in the construction of texts, its historical and global development, how it helps construct identities and how it contributes to power relations.

In the media strand of the English Language and Media degree course you will develop practical skills in media production as well as theoretical learning. You can choose from a wide variety of options, enabling you to create a course tailored to your ambitions and interests.

Open days

Book your place:
Moulsecoomb campus open day

Open days are the best way to find out about your course, the campus where you'll be based, and get a feel for the University of Brighton.

Book your place

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code QP33

Full-time 3 years

Clearing: apply now for 2023

After I graduate, I hope to keep up working with my placement company in a production career... My experience on the Media in Practice module has given me a taste into real working life post university

Bella, English Language and Media BA(Hons) student

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–BCC (120–104 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

A-levels must include at least one of English literature, English language, English language and literature, sociology or psychology.

International Baccalaureate
26 points, with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Humanities, history or politics courses preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

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Course content

Year 1

In year 1, you will be introduced key conceptual areas in media studies through the study of popular contemporary forms in film, television and the print media in both non-digital and digital platforms. 

Modules

  • Critical Approaches to Media 1

    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 your own engagement with, and consumption of, the media.

  • Producing and Consuming Digital Media

    This module explores your critical understanding of consuming and producing social media in  personal and professional settings.

  • Understanding Language

    This module introduces the study of language (linguistics) and its main branches of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. It will enable you to carry out analysis of real language data using different linguistic frameworks. You'll be encouraged to be more critical of your own language ability and to develop and hone communication skills whilst also developing your written work.

  • Critical Approaches to Media 2

    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 terms of culture, politics, innovation and environment.

  • Intercultural Communication

    This module explores intercultural communication in a technologically connected world. Through examining communication in national and individual-level communities and groups, you'll investigate how different narratives and positions emerge. You will explore the challenges and opportunities of intercultural communication in a complex, interconnected and inequitable world shaped by technology and other global forces.

  • Understanding Culture

    This module introduces the relationship of language and culture through the discipline of linguistic anthropology. You'll build skills in key areas such as linguistic determinism and relativism, the ethnography of communication and communicative competence. Through this intellectual framing (a concept introduced in the module), you will be able to make connections about your own cultural experience of language use.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme through Student View.

Your first year also provides you with an essential introduction to the study of English language at degree level. The core English language modules will enable you to develop the meta language to describe language features and their use in different genres. You will also explore the historical perspective of the development of the English language.

Year 2

In year 2, you study the history and theory of film, and examine the history, nature and impact of digital media in society. The second year also provides an essential grounding in understanding language in society and how it varies according to both context and the user. The focus of several second year modules is also on enabling independent study and research in preparation for the skills required in your final year dissertation or creative project.

You can also choose option modules from across our humanities and arts subjects.  

Core modules

  • Visual Media Cultures
  • Power and Persuasion
  • Research Methods
  • Language, Theory, Society

Options*

  • Image and Text: The Language of Comics and Graphic Novels
  • Language, Identity and Power
  • Language Minoritisation and Revitalisation
  • Regional Englishes
  • Deconstruction: Language, Theory, Society
  • Spoken and Written Language
  • Mind and Language
  • Linguistics and Grammar: Concepts and Analyses
  • Video Production 2
  • Social Media for Activist and Community Groups  
  • Community Radio
  • Brands and Public Relations
  • Videogame Cultures
  • Film Studies
  • Writing for Stage, Radio and Screen
  • Journalism
  • Contemporary Narratives in Society  
  • Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

You can also choose option modules from across our humanities and arts subjects. 

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Placement 

In year 2 you can choose a placement module which will allow you to gain professional experience in industries such as publishing, broadcasting, social media marketing, PR and the charity sector. 

Recent placement hosts include:

  • Action Medical Research
  • Action Tutoring
  • Airstream Photo Booth
  • Brighton Dome and Festival
  • British Forces Broadcasting Services
  • Epoque Press
  • Factory Films
  • The Old Market Theatre
  • Little Green Pig
  • Men’s Health Magazine
  • Prsnt.

In year 3 you can choose the Community Placement module aimed at further building your professional experience. This is 30 to 50 hours of voluntary work with a not-for-profit or community organisation. The placement is assessed and contributes to your degree.

Mia Kurian, graduate

“My placement was with Metropolitan City Church Brighton as their Social Media Manager. I learnt a lot about myself and my interests and the type of career I may want to pursue. I got to try my hand at website design, something I had never done before, and it was a great opportunity for me to expand my creativity. Professionally, I gained a lot of experience that has been extremely useful in my career today. I learnt about creating brand cohesion and creating a brand image from scratch, something I’ve never done before.

"I absolutely loved it. It was an incredible learning experience as well as insightful. It allowed me to learn a lot about myself and the future I want. My placement manager was lovely and supportive and allowed me the freedom to explore my creativity.”

Final year

In year 3 you have one core module, the dissertation or creative project, and you can select four options from English language and media degree subject areas.

Modules

  • Ethics, Power, Professionalism
  • Dissertation

Options*

  • World Englishes
  • Language of Gender and Sexuality
  • Language, Law and the State: The Politics of Force
  • Analysing Big Data: Quantitative Methods in Language Research
  • Approaches to Analysing Discourse
  • Citizen Journalism
  • English Language Teaching
  • Community Placement: Theory in Practice
  • Approaches to the Study of Meaning
  • Media Policy
  • Promotional Media Culture
  • Digital Media Marketing and Innovation  
  • Community Project
  • Special Case Study: Screening Sexualities
  • Critical Approaches to the Videogame
  • Television Production

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Meet the team 

Patricia McManus, course leader

Patricia's teaching crosses contemporary media theory and mass-mediated forms of narrative, with particular interests in feminist, Marxist and post-Marxist theoretical traditions.

Her research has primarily examined the history of the novel, particular the interaction with film and of television drama in terms of story-telling practices. Read Patricia's full profile.

Other staff who teach on the course include:

  • Dr Jelena Timotijevic
  • Dr Vy Rajapillai
  • Dr Barbara Chamberlin
  • Dr Chrystie Myketiak
  • Dr Julie Everton
  • Dr Ross Adamson
  • Robyn Moellemi.

More about this subject at Brighton

Welcome to the School of Humanities and Social Science!

Professor Stephen Maddison welcomes you to your new academic home.

Creative Writing student prizes and partnerships

Take a look at some of the partnerships, prizes and events you will benefit from if you choose our Creative Writing courses at the University of Brighton.

Thinking of choosing creative writing at Brighton?

Hear from Angelica, year 2 student who says “All of the lecturers and members of staff are so friendly and welcoming.

Starting at uni with us in 2023?

Read our getting ready for university pages which are full of information you will find useful before you arrive.

Read more from our blog

Top 35% in the UK for graduate earnings in media, journalism and communications, three years after graduating

Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2022

Careers

Prepare for your career  

Your English Language and Media degree will provide subject knowledge and expertise and opportunities to put what you learn into practice with work-related experience.

You will develop valuable transferable skills such as a critical thinking and writing, independent research and analysis. The course will equip you with excellent presentation, written and oral communication skills.

Option modules in areas such as journalism, American literature, media/ and ethics and documentary filmmaking in your second and third years enable you to tailor your degree to your specific career ambitions.

You can opt to take a voluntary placement as part of the course and complete a practical project with a local community or voluntary organisation.

Extracurricular activities which can add to your skillset and experience include:  

  • The Performance and Community Research and Enterprise Group which celebrates, challenges and researches the various modes of performance (voice, body, space, movement, language, sound, texture, shape, words).
  • The student-led Creative Writing Society.

What can I do with a language and media degree?

English language and media degree graduates gain a broad range of skills applicable in a variety of roles, such as:

  • journalism
  • publishing
  • media production
  • teaching
  • runner – broadcasting
  • copywriting, editing and proofreading
  • speech and language therapy
  • marketing
  • media planner
  • researcher
  • PR.

High-profile graduates from our English programmes include Paris Lees, Tanaka Mhishi and Munroe Bergdorf.

Graduates from our English programmes have gone on to careers in:

  • research
  • social media marketing
  • English tutorship
  • SEO
  • law
  • publishing
  • broadcasting
  • public relations 
  • teaching

This degree opens up a range of postgraduate study options. At Brighton, for example, you could progress to:

  • Creative Writing MA
  • Journalism MA
  • Secondary English PGCE.

You could also choose to complete your PhD at Brighton alongside our team of world-leading researchers.

Royal Literary Fund Fellow

If you want professional feedback on any aspect of your writing, from an essay to a manuscript, you can book a one-to-one tutorial with our resident Royal Literary Fund Fellow.

The sessions are free, confidential and independent of the university.

You can get advice on

  • academic writing style and how to answer essay questions.
  • all aspects of your writing, such as developing and structuring an argument to improving style.

Supporting your employability 

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

Coloured background with the words Be More, Connected, Skilled, Employable

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,300 GBP

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2023–24.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

  • Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate and postgraduate students
  • Student finance and budgeting while studying
  • About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Humanities and Social Science in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

  • For some assessments you may be required to print large format posters for presentations at a cost of £5–£10 per poster.
  • Most coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget up to £100 for printing.
  • Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £200 to buy your own copies.
  • Some courses include an optional placement module for which students will need to cover the costs of travel to and from the placement and DBS checks as required.
  • For the Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling PGDip and Psychotherapeutic Psychodynamic Counselling PGDip, the following course-related costs are not included in the tuition fee:
    • Supervision fees: £1,170 for each full year. Estimated based on £45 per hour with fortnightly meetings. In some agencies, supervision will be provided at no cost. Where students have to pay, the cost will only begin when supervision begins.
    • Personal counselling/therapy: £2,000–£2,800 over the course. Estimated based on £40 per hour.
  • For a number of courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but under normal circumstances we would expect a budget of approximately £150 per year will cover the costs of particular trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you'll find new Students' Union, events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Two people walking past Mithras halls

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you applied for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

  • Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
  • Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently?
We can help – find out more about private renting.

Relaxing in halls

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Mithras halls room with a view

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Open days

Book your place:
Moulsecoomb campus open day

Open days are the best way to find out about your course, the campus where you'll be based, and get a feel for the University of Brighton.

Book your place

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Subscribe to our School of Humanities and Social Science blog to find out about student and staff news, and events.

Statistics

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

Programme specification

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