Program Overview

Our Media, Culture and Identity BA is particularly relevant if you are looking to kick-start your career in the creative industries.

Exploring current debates about culture, and considering how the media can bring about social, cultural and political change, this degree gives you a deeper insight into how people engage with different media forms such as TV, radio, print, digital communication, advertising and social media.  

You will consider the relationship between media and society, drawing on other disciplines such as sociology, political science and cultural studies, and be introduced to key approaches to analysing the media-society relationship, while engaging critically and creatively with media and identity.  

The course covers key developments in the media, looks at how media texts are produced, distributed, regulated and consumed, and explores the ways in which the media can influence society.  

You’ll look at how the media functions as an important part of any modern democracy, explore current debates around freedom of the press, and consider how media-appointed critics have a role to play in helping shape public opinion.

Our London location means you can immerse yourself in the creative culture of the capital at festivals, studios, galleries and pop-up cinemas. All students also have the option to do a work placement in the creative industries. You could work in TV, film, online and print media, arts and campaigns, or at a museum, art gallery, theatre or community project. Recent students have worked at the BBC, MTV, Absolute Radio and Vogue

Photography:
Develop advanced photography skills, and gain a wide-ranging understanding of contemporary photographic culture, on our inspiring BA Photography degree course.  

You’ll be on the doorstep of London’s vibrant creative scene, with some of the world’s leading magazines, agencies, studios and galleries within easy reach. 

While developing your photography and technical skills, you’ll become adept at using 35mm film cameras, film processing equipment, DSLR cameras, medium and large format cameras, and studio and location lighting.  

You'll learn to use all the relevant software packages, including Photoshop and Capture One, as well as developing digital darkroom skills and practical skills, such as project management, presentation and problem solving. 

On campus, you'll have access to all the state-of-the-art media facilities housed in the brand-new Sir David Bell media building, including studios, processing equipment and Mac suites. 

On the theoretical side, we’ll explore contemporary and historical photographic practices and their diverse uses in cultural fields such as journalism, fine art, fashion, editorial, advertising and web design.  

You'll learn about the relationship between photography and disciplines such as cultural studies, anthropology and philosophy; and become familiar with the work of key theorists and practitioners involved in the ongoing development of the field, such as Roland Barthes, and Broomberg and Chanarin.  

Central to the course is the development of your own portfolio of work. For the past seven years, final-year students have exhibited their work at Free Range in Brick Lane, which provides an ideal platform for exposure, as well as opportunities to meet vital industry contacts. 

We offer opportunities to explore career options, so you can assess your choices, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to present an excellent application. There are also opportunities to undertake a work placement.