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BA Digital Media and Communications

Start date
September
Duration
3 Years
UCAS code
P390
Course Type
Undergraduate, Single Honours
Fees

Annual tuition fees for 2025/26:
£9,535 (UK)
£25,520 (International)
More detail.

Studying on our BA Digital Media and Communications undergraduate degree allows you to engage critically with multiple forms of communication – from face-to-face conversation, the news, social media, TV, AI and beyond – and to explore how media shapes communication globally.

You’ll explore the key principles in digital cultures, media studies and professional communication across a diverse portfolio of exciting modules which cover: 

  • Creative practice, including filmmaking, podcasting and writing
  • Digital cultures 
  • Discourse analysis 
  • Global media
  • Literature 
  • Marketing and communications
  • Programming
  • Sign languages
  • Sustainability and environmental politics

By offering you a balance of classroom-based study and practical, hands-on creative learning in our state-of-the-art facilities, including language labs, studio spaces and editing suites, this programme will get you graduate-ready for roles in sectors as varied as advocacy, the creative arts, journalism, media, marketing, publishing and many more.   

Why study this course?

Our undergraduate BA Digital Media and Communications degree is for you if you want to:

  • Engage in interdisciplinary learning with the experts – draw on the unique specialisms of researchers and practitioners in the School of English, Drama and Creative Studies and blend theoretical learning with practice led teaching in digital studies, new media and communication from an elite Russell Group institution. 

  • Personalise your degree – with optional modules incorporated throughout all three years of your degree, you can develop your passions across Creative Writing, Cultural Studies, Drama, English Language, English Literature and Film Theory and Filmmaking. 

  • Get a head start in the graduate market – take advantage of our workbased placements and employability focused modules and enter the workplace with the skills required to shape the digital and creative agendas of the future. 

  • Join a welcoming and sociable department – as well as having access to regular 1-to-1 opportunities with our supportive academics and alumni networking events, our Student Experience Officers organise a range of social and wellbeing activities, helping you get to know your fellow students with quizzes, sports matches and a summer ball.  

  • Live on a vibrant campus and in an exciting city – write for our University newspaper, present for our TV and radio stations or join one of our many writing, film and drama societies and put your study into practice. Then take your expertise out into the city and get involved in the numerous literature, film, drama and arts festivals and make use of Birmingham’s many cultural attractions, including its numerous theatres, the country’s oldest working cinema and Europe’s largest regional library.  

Modules

Please note: You will take 120 credits of modules in each year of study. The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2025. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

First year

Compulsory modules

  • Discovering Creative Practice
  • Media History and Technologies 
  • Professional Communication 
  • Researching Digital Cultures
  • Researching Everyday Communication
  • Theories of Communication
  • Thinking, Reading and Writing at University 

Detailed description of compulsory first year modules

Second year

Compulsory modules

  • Global Media
  • Media, Culture and Identity
  • Media in the Workplace
  • Writing for Money

Optional modules

  • 40 credits of optional modules

Detailed description of compulsory second year modules and list of optional modules

Year Abroad

You can apply to study abroad for a year in an approved university around the world. If you achieve a grade of 2.1 or above in your first year, you will be eligible to apply for a Year Abroad in your second year. If your application is successful, you will go abroad in your third year and return to us for your final year.

More about a Year Abroad

Final year

Compulsory module

  • Digital Media and Communications Project

Optional modules

  • 80 credits of optional modules, including, if you wish, work-based placement modules

Detailed description of compulsory final year module and list of optional modules

Fees

The University will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. If your offer is for 2025 year of entry, we expect that the tuition fee for your first year of study will be £9,535. If Parliament agrees on an increase in tuition fees, the University will increase fees for each year of study normally in line with these changes and will communicate any change in the fees to you without delay. If you are applying for 2026 year of entry, you will be advised of the annual tuition fee closer to the time. Visit our tuition fees page for more information.

Fees for 2025/26 are as follows:

  • UK: £9,535
  • International: £25,520

Eligibility for fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students.

For further information on tuition fees, living costs and available financial support, please see our pages on undergraduate fees and funding.

Tuition fees when studying abroad

For those spending a whole academic year abroad (where available):

  • Students who are classed as UK for fees purposes are required to pay 15% of their normal annual tuition fee
  • Students who are classed as International for fee purposes are required to pay 50% of their normal annual tuition fee

For those studying abroad for just one semester (where available), normal annual tuition fees apply.

Note - Study abroad opportunities vary between courses; please see the course description for details of study abroad options offered.

How To Apply

Standard offer

International Requirements



Number of A levels required:
3
Typical offer:
AAB
General Studies:
Not accepted.

We prefer applications from students offering at least one A level in an essay-based subject from our list of preferred subjects:

Ancient History; Anthropology; Archaeology; Art & Design (all pathways); Business Studies; Classical Civilisation; Classics; Drama; Economics; English Language; English Language and Literature; English Literature; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Film; Geography; Government and Politics; Health and Social Care; History; History of Art; Law; Media Studies; Music; Performance; Philosophy; Politics; Psychology; Religious Studies; Social Care; Social Policy; Sociology; and Theatre Studies.

Students without a preferred subject may be invited to submit a 1000 word admissions essay

IB Diploma:

6,6,5 in Higher level subjects plus 32 points overall.

BTEC qualifications:

  • BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM, plus a B at A level in the required subject/s mentioned above.
  • BTEC Diploma: DD, plus a B at A level in the required subject/s mentioned above.
  • BTEC Subsidiary Diploma: D, plus AB at A level, including the required subject/s mentioned above.

Other qualifications are considered - learn more about entry requirements.

Alternative offers through our Pathways to Birmingham programmes and our Contextual Offer scheme

Students who are eligible and successfully complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive special consideration from admissions tutors and an alternative offer (typically two grades below the standard offer). In addition, our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the contextual offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer.

International Students

We welcome applications from international students and invite you to join our vibrant community of over 4500 international students who represent 150 different countries. We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages.

 

Support

You will have access to a comprehensive support system to help you make the transition to higher education when you start at Birmingham. 

Personal tutors – You will be assigned your own personal tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies. They will provide academic support and advice to enable you to make the most of your time here at Birmingham.

Wellbeing Officers –You will also have access to dedicated wellbeing officers who provide professional support, advice and guidance to students across a range of issues. They can meet with you to discuss extensions, disabilities, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, or to talk through any problems you might be experiencing, and help you access wider support on campus and beyond if you need it.

Our Academic Skills Centre helps you to become a more effective and independent learner through a range of high-quality support services. The centre offers workshops on a range of topics, such as note-taking, reading, academic writing and presentation skills.

The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) provides guidance on writing essays and dissertations if you need it. You can receive individual support from an academic writing advisor and meet with postgraduate tutors who specialise in particular subjects too.

Our Student Experience Team will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They offer research opportunities, study skills support, and help you prepare for your post-university career. They also organise social events, including trips.

Teaching staff

Students at the University of Birmingham are taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. Many of our teaching staff have published important works about their areas of expertise, whilst others have taught at international institutions and can offer unique perspectives of their subjects.

You can find out more about the members of staff (including their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest) in their academic profiles linked below.

 

Contact Hours

All Birmingham degrees are set within a credit framework designed to measure your academic achievements. We expect all students to accumulate 120 credits in each full year of study which is equivalent to 40 hours of learning a week. Learning is considered to include contact learning (lectures and seminars), private study, revision and assessment.

For this programme, those 40 hours are estimated to be broken down and split into lectures, seminars and other guided teaching opportunities and then independent study. This is a general rule across the entire academic year and may change week by week.

  • Year 1: 20% Lectures, seminars or similar and 80% Independent study
  • Year 2: 15% Lectures, seminars or similar and 85% Independent study
  • Year 3: 10% Lectures, seminars or similar and 90% Independent study

Assessment Methods

Assessments - you will be assessed in a variety of ways to help you transition to a new style of learning. At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed. Assessments methods will vary with each module and could include:

  • coursework, such as essays
  • group and individual presentations
  • and exams

Feedback - you will receive feedback on each assessment within three weeks, so you can learn from each assignment. You will also be given feedback on any exams that you take. If you should fail an exam, we will ensure that particularly detailed feedback is provided to help you prepare for future exams.

The teaching, assessments, employability modules and work placements throughout our BA Digital Media and Communications undergraduate degree are designed to prepare you for the world of work.

You’ll develop the capacity to think critically about a range of topics, argue, defend and advocate for your positions in presentations and written work and respond creatively to real-world tasks. You’ll have the optional opportunity to study on a number of challenge-based modules, responding to live briefs from local, national and international partners, as well as spending time on placement with one of our local partner organisations in the creative arts, heritage, social enterprise or charity sector.

Developing your career

The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report. Our Careers Network are here to offer you tailored, expert advice on your career plans and support you with finding and applying for jobs, internships and further study. There are hundreds of events to help you meet potential employers and learn more about the breadth of opportunities and career sectors available to you.

Support will be offered to you covering the whole job application process, including CVs, LinkedIn, application forms, interviews and assessment centres.  You can also email our experienced Careers Advisors and College Teams to review your applications or answer any careers related question, alongside our on campus and online 1:1 appointments.

We have a number of exclusive work experience programmes such as our B-Experienced programme, which will give you professional experience to set you apart in the graduate market. We also offer work experience bursaries, which allow you to apply for funding to support you during any unpaid internships in the UK and rest of the world.

First years can take part in The Birmingham Project, with themes including celebrating arts and culture and shaping a global society. There’s also a successful Mentoring Programme, where you can gain access to experienced Mentors who can empower, inspire and inform you about their experiences.  As a University of Birmingham student you will also be given access to LinkedIn Learning giving free access to real world training courses to kick-start your careers.

If you want to earn money WorkLink advertises convenient part-time job opportunities on campus to fit round your studies.  

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you may want to engage in extra-curricular activities to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. The Birmingham Award is the University of Birmingham’s employability programme, supporting you to develop and recognise the attributes you gain through extra-curricular activities. The award is supported by graduate employers and offers you an opportunity to showcase participation in activities outside of your degree programme.’

There are 300+ student groups and volunteering opportunities offered by the Guild of Students (our Students’ Union) so you’re bound to find activities that you want to be involved in whilst meeting friends who share your interests.