Media Communications and Publishing (Professional Placement Year)

Turn your passion for communication into a practical publishing skill set. Learn to shape stories into ideas for print, digital, and beyond with this media and publishing degree.

• Prepare for a professional career in the thriving communications sector – whether in publishing, marketing, PR or education.

• Learn the skills you need to succeed in the ever-changing world of media publishing, such as copy-editing, magazine production, marketing strategy, content creation, and using the Adobe Creative Suite.

• Gain real-world experience: respond to industry briefs and manage projects.

Our Media Communications and Publishing degree has been designed to enable you to become a highly-skilled, agile and creative communicator.

Throughout your studies, you’ll be introduced to all forms of media, such as film, television, social media, books and magazines, and you’ll learn to meet the opportunities and challenges of publishing in the 21st century.

You’ll be encouraged to take an innovative approach to your work, whether in print or digital, or in emerging technologies such as immersive media.

During the course, you’ll have the chance to work with real clients on marketing campaigns, social media content, magazine and book production, as well as journalistic and feature article writing. You’ll graduate with industry experience and an impressive professional portfolio of work to show prospective employers.

You’ll learn how to rethink media communications for social change, studying online influencers, diverse forms of representation, and the ethics of social media platforms.

In your final year, you’ll get the chance to work with a selection of outside clients, as well as join The Studio in Bath, the University’s new city-centre innovation hub for creative media technology.

You'll have access to key industry resources such as Nielsen Bookscan, where you can explore book sales data and monitor consumer trends.

As we’re an Adobe Creative Campus, you’ll have access to the Adobe Creative Suite, giving you access to industry-standard programmes as part of your studies.

Why study media and publishing?
Studying a combined media communications and publishing degree will equip you with the skills and experience you need to meet the challenges and opportunities of publishing in the 21st century.

You’ll explore the workings of modern media and communication, and gain an in-depth understanding of the media and publishing industries. You’ll develop your creative communication skills across a variety of media, from books and magazines to innovative apps, websites and social media.

The course has been designed with employability in mind, offering the chance to gain the practical skills and experience that will enable you to pursue a career in your chosen field of communications and publishing, whether in books and magazines, social media, marketing, or immersive media.

Combined Honour Awards
At Bath Spa University many of our undergraduate programmes can be combined, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one subject. If you choose to study a combined award then in Year One you’ll start by studying both subjects in equal depth. From Year Two you can choose whether to continue with equal numbers of modules from each subject, or whether you want to select additional modules in one or the other. Upon successful completion of the programme you will graduate with a joint degree.

More about the Professional Placement Year
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in multiple placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

Year one
In your first year you’ll learn how to research audiences, and how to inspire and change perceptions through media.
You’ll gain an overview of the publishing industry, with a focus on book publishing, and find out more about how the industry works, and the different roles within it.

You’ll also be introduced to the Adobe Creative Suite, and learn how to use it to enhance your studies.

Year two
There will be a focus on practical skills this year. You’ll produce social media marketing materials for clients and companies, and take an in-depth look at marketing in the book industry, as well as book design and production. You’ll also build on your Adobe skills to produce professional-standard marketing content, and have the chance to work on industry projects with clients.

Optional modules cover media ethics, digital storytelling, media making, text editing and magazine publishing.

Year three is your Professional Placement Year

Final year
Look ahead to your life after graduation. In your final year, you’ll work beyond the borders of the University, focusing more on practical applications for your business and communication skills.

You’ll get to join The Studio, our innovation hub for creative media technology, and produce a large-scale communications campaign directed at the type of employer you would like to target.

You’ll also work with outside clients on publishing projects encompassing all aspects of the industry, from marketing to book creation.

Your assessments are designed to help you build a portfolio that you can take into your career. On some modules you’ll produce digital media campaigns, feature articles and social media content, while elsewhere you’ll deliver presentations and research reports.