Undergraduate

Media Studies

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A student in a film studio records a piece to camera
Three students sitting on a sofa are filmed in a TV studio
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Our strong industry links give you access to extra-curricular opportunities such as masterclasses and bootcamps to help you break into this competitive sector.
Gain invaluable work experience on a placement as part of your second year.
The professional skills, insight and expertise you’ll gain means you’ll graduate ready for work within the creative industries and beyond.
Our facilities include the Media Hub, home to the latest digital media software and hardware used in the industry today.
Get creative in our cutting-edge facilities including studios and a filming and editing suite.
A student in an editing suite is working on a computer, smiling and laughing with friends.
A student in a film studio records a piece to camera
Three students sitting on a sofa are filmed in a TV studio
A student using a mac computer in a media suite
Digital Design Computer Laboratory
Game, Graphic, Media & Film - Media Studies

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Code

Duration

Mode

  • Standard course
  • With a foundation year
  • September 2024
  • September 2025

Examine the relationship between media and society. Explore a diverse range of media from every corner of the globe. And deliver creative projects with a range of digital media tools.

Develop your knowledge of how the media industries operate, the ways in which they represent nations and identities, and their challenges and opportunities. Then learn how to apply the theory on some of our practical modules.

Tap into our strong industry connections, too. Think standout placement opportunities and extracurricular activities. Exactly what your CV needs to make employers sit up and watch.

  • Get ahead

    with our industry links

  • Top 10 in the UK

    for Feedback Satisfaction 1

  • Real-world experience

    with an industry placement

  • World-class

    creative space and concert venue

  • Cutting-edge

    filming and editing suite

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Course overview
Module options

About this course

We blend critical, theoretical approaches to media with creative practice across a range of platforms. Giving you the knowledge and experience you need for various careers in and beyond the creative industries.

Media Studies is the study of society, communication, storytelling and technology. The media industries impact nearly all aspects of our lives. And they’re always evolving. Our course covers film and TV, documentary, animation and graphic design. So you’ll have a huge range of pathways to explore, all supported by expert tutors and industry-standard facilities.

Study film and TV production, and analyse screen media. Explore the economic, cultural and historical relationship between media and society. Examine news, documentaries and the representation of gender. And understand how media industries are organised – and what you need to do to get ahead.

Get access to bootcamps, masterclasses and guest speakers. Take advantage of local work placements as our region grows in popularity as a film location. And join our industry mentorship scheme, the Northern Media Mentors. They provide 1-to-1 advice and workshops to help prepare you for breaking into the media industries.

Scheduled study hours and how you’re assessed

Throughout your degree, you’re expected to study for 1,200 hours per year. That’s based on 200 hours per 20 credit module. And it includes scheduled hours, time spent on placement and independent study. How this time is divided across the year varies and depends on the module you are studying.

How you'll be assessed depends on the course you study, and the modules you choose. You may be assessed through a mix of examinations, coursework, presentations and group projects.

Choose your modules

Each year, you’ll study modules worth a certain number of credits, and you need 120 credits per year. Most modules are 20 credits – so you’ll study six modules each year. Some longer modules, such as a dissertation, are worth more. In these cases, you’ll study fewer modules - but the number of credits will always add up to 120. Some modules are compulsory, some are optional, so you can build a course that’s right for you.

Preparing for Learning in Higher Education

This module is designed to give you the best possible start to your university studies, making sure you have all the essential skills you need to succeed. Through lectures and workshops we will teach you how to write in an academic style, how to find quality sources, how to reference work, culminating in writing up a mini-research project.

Core•20 credits

Introduction to Study in the Humanities

This module equips you with a suite of analytical and theoretical tools to support you as you progress along your academic journey. You'll develop an interdisciplinary understanding of approaches to study in the humanities by working with a variety of resources, including novels, films and aspects of the visual arts.

Core•20 credits

Research in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Education

This module will equip you with the necessary skills to conduct and analyse research in a specific interest, supported by academics within your subject. You'll navigate through the research process, from identifying an area of interest to presenting their findings to your peers.

Core•20 credits

Group Challenge (Humanities)

Formulate and execute a group led enquiry into texts, cultural artifacts, film, music or dance. You'll explore their topics in groups at supervised workshops and develop questions on the cultural object relates to the living world of human experience, as well as developing your own methods to answer these questions.

Compulsory•20 credits

Foundation in Data Analysis

Develop a strong foundation in data collection and analysis. This module will introduce you to qualitative and quantitative data and how to analyse it; the collection of primary and secondary data; the production of high quality graphics; and report writing.

Compulsory•20 credits

Academic Writing Skills

Developing confidence in expression, oral as well as written, is a key feature of this module, which also aims to familiarise you with submission and assessment procedures in the context of Higher Education. This is a clear building block onto your degree programme and places you at a distinct advantage when you move into the following year.

Compulsory•20 credits

The foundation year has been designed to prepare you for entry on to the degree. 
6 Modules

Film Form

Learn the fundamental elements of film style and structure. Through analysing a range of recent popular films, you will understand how mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and sound function within film style. You will also learn to analyse the narrative structures of successful popular films. The ways of seeing you acquire on this module will make you a better film viewer, and a better filmmaker.

Compulsory•20 credits

History of Hollywood Cinema

This module explores the history of Hollywood cinema through an exploration its genres, its traditional distribution methods, and how it has evolved from the silent era to the present day.

Compulsory•20 credits

Introduction to Filmmaking

Get hands-on with filmmaking equipment in our studio and editing facilities, and on location, completing a series of group tasks that equip you with basic practical skills you can build on throughout the rest of your degree.

Compulsory•20 credits

Introduction to Television Studies

You'll be introduced to the study of television as a medium and the discipline of Television Studies. The module will examine the ways in which television has been conceptualised, theorised, and analysed by television and media scholars.

Compulsory•20 credits

Researching the Screen Industries

This module will familiarise you with Media Studies as an academic discipline and a set of tools for producing new knowledge and information. You will gain valuable insight into Media Studies as a complex and developing discipline, which encompasses approaches drawn from academic fields such as literary studies, film studies, sociology, business and economics.

Compulsory•20 credits

Screen, Nation, Identity

Discover different national cinemas and examine the relationship between a country’s sense of history and identity, and the stories that it tells about itself on screen.

Compulsory•20 credits
6 Modules

Representing Reality, Disclosing Truth, and Capturing the Everyday

One of the key roles of our media is to represent the world, its happenings, and its diversity to us as accessibly and truthfully as possible. How do different forms of media – documentaries, reality television, soap opera, news reporting, drama-documentaries, radio, fiction films – go about this task? Why do media texts and media companies so often fail in their duty to represent reality? Through conceptual reflection and case study exploration, this module seeks to explore these questions.

Compulsory•20 credits

From the alphabet to the internet: a history of communication

Using historical case studies in combination with theoretical models, you will explore questions including i) What aspects of economics and culture can promote or inhibit the development and dissemination of media technologies? ii) What factors determine the uses to which new technologies of communication are put? iii) Does cultural change drive technological change, or vice versa, or both?

Compulsory•20 credits

American Alternative Cinema

Explore and apply theoretical approaches to aesthetic forms and themes, modes of production, and audience and media reception of categories such as ‘underground cinema’ and ‘indiewood’. Develop your critical and theoretical faculties so that you can actively engage and participate in debates that encompass both mainstream and alternative American filmmaking practices.

Optional•20 credits

Art and Animation Fundamentals

Any game you work on is going to need artwork. This module will teach you the fundamentals of visual design in order to make suitable and compelling artwork for your games. You’ll explore traditional and digital art techniques and apply artistic concepts such as composition, line and shape, colour theory, texture, typography etc. This module will allow you to develop an ongoing digital sketchbook as you experiment with line drawing, perspective drawing, thumbnail sketching, silhouettes, character concepts, environment concepts, graphic design as well as digital tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator and 3D art packages.

Optional•20 credits

Moving Image Techniques

Explore the creative possibilities of moving image media. Leave storytelling behind, and develop a concept for a short moving image piece, which will then become your own independent production.

Optional•20 credits

Screening Genders

Critically examine the representation of gender on screen through the lens of feminist film theory.

Optional•20 credits

3D Asset Design

This module is an introduction to the principles and practice of 3D Design. You will develop your creative thinking and problem solving skills; learn the basics of modelling, textures, 3D painting and rendering; and design your own 3D assets and portfolio.

Optional•20 credits

American Animation History

In this module, you'll develop a deeper understanding of the history of American animation by taking an in-depth look at the genre.

Optional•20 credits

Film Music

You'll analyse and discuss how music shapes films and TV shows. You don't need any musical knowledge for this module: it focuses on the interpretation and effects of music. 

Optional•20 credits

Television and Factual Production

In this module, you will learn the skills of factual screen production. Working in small groups, you will create short items of broadcast quality to form part of a magazine-style programme.

Optional•20 credits
10 Modules

Final Year Project

You will make an original contribution to research by designing, carrying out and writing up your own project on a topic you choose, supported by your dissertation supervisor.

Compulsory•40 credits

3D Character Design

This module provides you with the platform to design your own original 3D Character. You'll explore the different attributes that make an effective character and translate your visual research into a 3D character using organic modelling techniques within a contemporary digital sculpting tool.

Optional•20 credits

British Cinema History

Challenge your assumptions about British cinema in this module, which will take you on a journey from franchise films such as James Bond to the social realist films of Ken Loach as well as science fiction epics like 2001: A Space Odyssey. You will also gain valuable skills as a film historian, including the ability to conduct hands-on archival research, as well as learning about film production, distribution and exhibition in a variety of different historical contexts. 

Optional•20 credits

East Asian Cinema

Examine the dynamic and diverse film output of countries including China, South Korea and Japan, and reflect on film as a 'transnational' phenomenon.

Optional•20 credits

Screen Production Project 1: Planning and Pre-production

Turn your film idea into a workable and professional project before you step into production. Learn about what it takes to create a film before pitching your idea, ready for the next steps.

Optional•20 credits

Screen Production Project 2: Filming and Post-production

Create your film. Take the reins and follow the project through from pre-production to shooting, editing, screening and review.

Optional•20 credits

Disney Studies

An in-depth exploration of the history and impact of Disney's global entertainment empire.

Optional•20 credits

Screen Curation

Learn how to use your knowledge of and passion for screen media to curate experiences for others. You might want to design a series of podcasts about a forgotten television series, organise a showcase of the work of your fellow students, or plan a block of teaching on your favourite film genre.

Optional•20 credits

Global Nightmares: Contemporary Horror Cinema From Around the World

Approach the horror film from the larger context of world cinema in order to assess if America’s ‘collective nightmare’ is indeed part of a larger trend that feeds into the concept of ‘global nightmares’. In particular, the module will focus on how world horror cinema represents issues of the family, gender, and the ‘Other’ alongside more contemporary concerns such as pandemic disease, environmental collapse, immigration, and terrorism.

Optional•20 credits
9 Modules

Playlist

Dr Laura Mayne

Course Overview 1 min

Film and Media in 60s

Course Overview 1 min

Film and Media facilities

Course highlight 2 mins

Life on campus

University Life 2 mins

Entry requirements

What do I need?

We consider experience and qualifications from the UK and worldwide which may not exactly match the combinations above.

But it's not just about the grades - we'll look at your whole application. We want to know what makes you tick, and about your previous experience, so make sure that you complete your personal statement.

Have questions? Our admissions team will be happy to help.

What do I need?

If you require a student visa to study or if your first language is not English you will be required to provide acceptable evidence of your English language proficiency level.

See other English language proficiency qualifications accepted by the University of Hull.

If your English currently does not reach the University’s required standard for this programme, you may be interested in one of our English language courses.

Visit your country page to find out more about our entry requirements.

Fees & funding

How much is it?

Additional costs you may have to pay

Your tuition fees will cover most costs associated with your programme. There are some extra costs that you might have to pay, or choose to pay, depending on your programme of study and the decisions you make:

  • Books (you can borrow books on your reading lists from the library, but you may buy your own)
  • Optional field trips
  • Study abroad (incl. travel costs, accommodation, visas, immunisation)
  • Placement costs (incl. travel costs and accommodation)
  • Student visas (international students)
  • Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and computers on campus, but you may want your own)
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Professional-body membership
  • Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Remember, you’ll still need to take into account your living costs. This could include accommodation, travel, food and more.

How do I pay for it?

How much is it?

Additional costs you may have to pay

Your tuition fees will cover most costs associated with your programme. There are some extra costs that you might have to pay, or choose to pay, depending on your programme of study and the decisions you make:

  • Books (you can borrow books on your reading lists from the library, but you may buy your own)
  • Optional field trips
  • Study abroad (incl. travel costs, accommodation, visas, immunisation)
  • Placement costs (incl. travel costs and accommodation)
  • Student visas (international students)
  • Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and computers on campus, but you may want your own)
  • Printing and photocopying
  • Professional-body membership
  • Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Remember, you’ll still need to take into account your living costs. This could include accommodation, travel, food and more.

How do I pay for it?

Our academics

You’ll be taught by enthusiastic, expert staff who are fans of their field much as they are academics.

Our lecturers include internationally respected Disney scholar, Dr Amy Davis, plus experts in horror, East Asian cinema, TV drama, American animation, British cinema and Hollywood cinema.

See more academics for this subject
Dr Laura Mayne
Featured academic

Dr Laura Mayne

A film historian who specialises in post-war British cinema, Laura is a published author. She co-wrote Transformation and Tradition in Sixties British Cinema, a reassessment of the nature and significance of British cinema and the film industry.
Dr James Zborowski
Featured academic

Dr James Zborowski

James teaches and researches in the areas of film, TV, media and cultural studies. Through teaching close analysis of film style, he supports students to become better critics, and to think like filmmakers.

Take a look at our facilities

Middleton Hall

Our professional-quality facilities include the world-class £9.5 million Middleton Hall – a unique creative space and concert venue including a 400+ seat auditorium and surround-sound cinema.

Cutting-edge TV filming and editing suite

Get creative in our dedicated TV, film and digital media facilities including a state-of-the art filming and editing suite.

Media Hub

Our Media Hub is home to the latest digital media software and hardware used in the industry today including fully fitted PC and Mac design labs and a virtual reality lounge.

The Anthony Minghella Studio

A collaborative teaching and film production space, our Anthony Minghella studio includes film sets, sound gallery and lighting rig.

See more in our virtual tour

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Media Hub - Mac Lab

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Middleton Hall
Holme House Studio
Media Hub - Mac Lab
Drama Minghella Studio
Digital Media

Future prospects

You’ll gain the critical, business and personal skills to succeed in the creative industries and beyond. You’ll graduate as a work-ready professional with industry insight.

Our graduates have gone on to become journalists, marketers, publishers, TV and film producers, events managers, PRs and more.

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Your next steps

Not ready to apply?

Visit our next Open Day, and see all that Hull has to offer for yourself. Talk to our lecturers about your subject, find out what university is really like from our current students, and take a tour of our beautiful campus and amazing facilities.

Book your place now

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  1. (6th) The Guardian University Rankings 2024.

 

All modules presented on this course page are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

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